An outsider to a familiar world.

My trip to Nzulezu, a riverine community in Ghana.
After a bumpy ride of the rutted road that had the driver throwing our bodies on one another to the accompaniment of the percussion of the loosely fitted metallic parts of our bus we finally reached.

I stepped down from the bus, touching my feet to the moist rich clayey soil that let out the fresh earthly smell; its been drizzling through out our journey.

Our bus stopped at an untarred clayey road; we were led to the grassy side to lie down and rest. Some of us took the opportunity to go to the beach nearby. Even though I grew up near the sea, for the first time I helped some group of fishermen to haul their boats and net full of fishes to the very edge of the sea.

Then it was time for, unknown to me my eye opener. We were led to the other side of the road, which led to the most darkest and blackish river ever.With ten sets of people in each boat. We rowed the boat to Nzulezu, the community of Nzema people who lived on the river, for the first time I saw how beautiful the river was, though it was frightful in spite of its beauty. Our guide told us the sea was also their main source of water for the community's domestic activity, I scooped some of the water, it was not dark after all; it isn't colored as I thought. I drank it, It just tasted better than any I have ever drank.

Soon, we got to Nzulezu, their houses were made of bamboos with thatched rooms: they had schools, drinking bars, TV satellites etc. Their chief narrated to us their history. Upon saying our goodbyes, my eyes and their chief's connected and he asked me "You are from this place aren't you?" For some reason I felt I was a member of their community, I felt a sense of belonging. The chief's question will stay with me forever. Ever since I have been asking myself how different am I, how different are we from those we think we are so different from. After all we are basically from the same human race.That local experience changed my life.