OrphanAid Africa

We have been in Ayenyah Village, Ghana, for 2 weeks now and have many stories to share with you. Our power system and internet connection is illustrated below, so I hope you will bear with us as we take advantage of any days with strong wind or sun to get caught up on our blog entries.

Working with Mama Lisa (pictured below) has been incredible. She came to Ghana eight years ago, leaving a very successful career as a publisher to start OrphanAid Africa (formerly Orphanage Africa). She has taken both of us under her wing. Every day we wake up with a new challenge (fixing the solar panels, designing water systems, researching health insurance) and every night we celebrate our successes and lament the challenges over a beer or bottle of wine. This woman is absolutely amazing.
Why we are here. Little John Paul (2 years old) pictured with Denise.

The Guest House. Evelyn's food is the best we've had in Ghana.

The Door of no Return - Ghana's Slave Forts

Most of the slaves that went to Europe and then to the New World came from Ghana. European powers fought over control of these forts for 400 years. Of course, we all learned about this in school. Being here in the flesh, however, is truly blood curdling.



The door of no return. The door is shut, the ladders are pulled, and there is no escape except for death.

Nzulezu Stilt Village

Axim Beach

To Walk with Ease- new poem

To walk with ease
is not a simple task.
Although, some may perceive themselves
gliding freely
with immaculate synchronicity
their legs are heavy with convictions.
It pangs me sometimes
to watch young men
dragging themselves over wooden bar floors
night after night
forgetting where they have been.

To walk with ease is not a simple task.
Although, I have seen it before
in the hips of a mother in a village
rural and close to the ground.
Her knees were swaying apples on sturdy branches in autumn.
She waved at passers by with one swoope of her hand
as they admired the big-eyed child on her back.
The other tiny palm rested gently behind her
cupping the sak that held him.

-Dcp

New Orleans and Pensacola

Our good friends from New York, Lane and Tsahai, got married in Pensacola, FL on May 3rd, 2008. We made the trip from Costa Rica to be there. They held a joint bachelor/bachelorette party in New Orleans at Jazz Fest the week before.

Josh, Ilana, Eugene, Roman, Sandy, Denise, Ryan, Juice at Lane and Tsahai's wedding.

Lane and Tsahai's bachelor/bachelorette party took place at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, LA April 25-27th, 2008

Noah Jarrett, another great friend and talented musician from NYC, playing with Mamadu in the Blues Tent at Jazz Fest. The tent flooded by heavy rains shortly after the performance started. Noah's website is: www.noahjarret.com

Marching band at Jazz Fest

Many of the homes in New Orleans outside of the French Quarter are still abandoned. We are not sure what the number spray painted on the sides of the houses mean.

Sandy, Roman, and Chappy dressed in garbage bags during a rainstorm at Jazz Fest, toughing out the storm to listen to Dr. John.

Calle Liberdad- new poem

There is an exception to the rule
when you take the local route.
Ladies peer our their windows
all day sometimes.
I see them everytime I pass
lost in thought. Lost on a street that could be
anywhere. I don't ask them where I am
although we catch eyes many times. I admire
how they can be so still
just watching the street
as I pace wildly
in my internal rage
unaware of the taxi's and buses gone by
that could take me where
I need to go.

-Dcp

Building a Community Library

Drennan is working with his neighbors, tico and gringo, to build a community library in La Florida. Just before we arrived, they had completed the foundation and the roof. Once completed, it will house books and a computer lab. For the first time, wireless internet will be available to locals in the valley.

Working with a Denver-based company called Walking Tree Travel, high school students from the United States are brought to Costa Rica for a language immersion and community service experience. These students have been and will continue to be crucial to the progress that has been made on the construction of the library.


In many ways, this project has been an extension of the community garden that Drennan and other neighbors built and have maintained behind the schoolhouse. To see more about this partnership, click here.


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The Waterfalls of La Florida Costa Rica

San Luis is my favorite horseback destination

Here is a new one that we just discovered this year. It is only a 30 minute walk from our jungalow. We don't know its name, but it has some nice shallow wading pools.

Diamante is the second highest waterfall in Central America and the highest in Costa Rica.

The Grandaddy of them all is Niyaca. Incredibly beautiful and with a nice deep swimming hole beneath both levels of the cascades. There used to be a somewhat "safe" set of cliffs to jump off of but they were taken away by floodwaters during the rainy season 2 years ago. The river must have been running really hard because there is no sign that they were ever there.

Jungle-Fusion Pizza Recipe

After a trip to the farmers' market in San Isidro, Merrick showed us how to make a quick and easy pizza from scratch. The recipe for his Jungle-Fusion pizza sauce is below and the recipe for the crust will be posted soon.



Pizza Sauce
8 lbs small ripe tomatoes (skin on and whole)
8 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1.5 cups chopped celery
4 whole bulbs of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
6 bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 cup of spinach (optional)
chili flakes
3 large onions, chopped

Heat a large sauce pan until hot on med-high (no oil).

Add the oil when the pan is hot and add the carrots, celery and onions. Add garlic and stir. Add the tomatoes and cook on med-high heat until the tomatoes are soft in the middle. Add herbs.

Blend all ingredients in a food processor and return to the pot. Boil.

Add salt to taste.