Off we go

Little hike during our stay in Bergen

Sarah during a Fjord tour After our stay in Bergen we continued our journey and took the train to Oslo. This train journey was probably the highlight of the trip, the view as you pass through Norwegian Fjords is simply breathtaking. Also the personnel in the train (and all the trains we took in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) was super friendly. After our time in Oslo we said goodbye to Norway and continued our journey through Sweden where we visited Stockholm, Helsingborg, and Malmö. During most of our trip we basically lived of fruits and baguette, which we purchased in the local supermarkets in order to save money. We definitely advise you to do the same or if possible cook in the hostel you're staying in in oder to save money. Also, it's great to try to fit places to stay through Couchsurfing or Airbnb. We mostly stayed in hostels where , if you are on a budget, it's advisable to stay in larger dorms while you're in big cities and then get private rooms in smaller cities where you can relax more easily.

Exploring makes you tired and yes believe us, eventually Interrail will make you become a messy as well! Now, what we want you to take away from our experience is that Interrail is a great way of traveling and there are several different kinds of tickets available. One thing, we would do differently on our next Interrail trip is that we would plan less. I know it might sound scary to some people not know where you are going the next day or let alone spend the night, but that's the beauty of road trips. It's a good idea however to have a basic idea of which cities/ countries you would like to visit to decide for how long you will be traveling and whether the Interrail ticket is really the cheapest option for your trip.  So if you have nothing planned this summer yet, maybe this would be the right thing for you. For European citizens Interrail is reasonably cheap for people younger than 26 years old. However, if you're not a European citizen you can still buy ticket , but it will be a little more expensive. But after all, Interrail is a fairly cheap way of travelling, especially if you spend more time in countries like Italy, Spain, France, and germany where the costs of living are not as high as in Scandinavian countries. In order to make traveling more enjoyable make sure you purchase a quality backpack that fit's your body type. It's also advisable to buy special travel towels that hardly take any space and some travel sheets. This will save you money at hostels and also ensures that you won't have to sleep on disgusting looking sheets in low quality hostels. Also make sure to pack lightly. This means keeping it basic and don't forget to bring some comfortable sneakers. In a lot of hostels you can do your laundry so there is no need to carry an excess amount of clothes with you. We hope our Interrail tips help you and might inspire you to go on a little road trip! - Svenja

There is nothing better during exam periods than to spend a nice evening having dinner with your friends. It's so relaxing and always gives me something to look forward to when studying all day. Now, I know that it can be though having dinner with friends when you are vegan and they're not, but offering to cook yourself often does the trick. Also, my friends are quite supportive of my eating choices and so we always try to make dishes that are vegan . One way to make sure that everyone is satisfied with their dinner is to let everyone build their own salad.


This time we've had spinach as base and then topped up our salads with all kinds of veggies, falafel balls, nuts and a delicious mustard dressing and we've also had some baguette with lime hummus.



To switch it up a little, it's nice to grill some mushrooms and also cut up some apples to add to your salad. But again, it's all about making it possible for everyone to decide how they like their salad.


Yes, eating out or eating with friends can be a challenge if you're the only one not consuming any animal products, but once you learn a couple of tricks it can be really easy. First, I've always been pushing the issue way to much around my family and friends which rather seems to put people off instead off getting them interested in veganism. Try to stay calm when explaining why you are eating a certain way and answer their questions. When it comes to eating together, just suggest vegan recipes or offer to cook. My friends were all happy to try the vegan mushroom risotto I've made the other day and they loved it. And the great thing about creating your own salad bar is that even if your friends want to add in some cheese, you can still eat vegan yourself. Showing people how easy, healthy and delicious a vegan diet can be, is often a first step in getting them interested in other issues surrounding a vegan lifestyle. And after all, your real friends should be happy to help you eat the way you want to anyways.

- Svenja

Genetically Modified Organisms and Genetic Engineering are issues all around the world now. In my home country Germany they are discussed a lot currently, due to the upcoming Transatlantic Trading and Investment Partnership (TTIP). A lot of European NGOs and media critizise that this free trade agreement will weaken national bans and activism against GMOs and also enable corporations like Monsanto and Syngenta to refute national laws against their products.

But not only Europe and America have issues when it comes to dealing with Genetic Engineering. Also, and perhaps especially, "developing countries" currently struggle with how to deal with these issues.
A good example for that is my current country of residence: Ghana.
Ghana is one of the few African countries that have allowed the sale of GMOs, however now the government had to put a stop to it.

How did it come to this?

A local civil society group called Food Sovereignty Ghana has filed a lawsuit against the government to stop the sale of GMOs (especially modified rice and beans). One of their main concerns is the competitiveness of local farmers, but also the awareness of Ghanaian citizens. Both of them are endangered by the (often unlabelled) distribution of genetically modified products.
This ban is only temporary, so we can only wish for NGOs everywhere in the world like Food Sovereignty Ghana to keep up their good work to pressure governments and ensure that their citizens truly get what they want.

For further reading, please go to: http://foodsovereigntyghana.org/

- Sarah

I've now been in Ghana for more than half a year. Apart from wanting to experiene every day life in one community and a Ghanaian family, travelling as much as possible was also one of my projects. Therefore, I have used many weekends, holidays and school vacations as an opportunity to see some more of the country. Until now I have managed to see 8 of the 10 regions in Ghana and I think I have gained a huge variety of impressions.
Although it is really hard to compare the destinations (cause they are all awesome) here are my top 5:

No 5: Kakum National Park

View from the Canopy Walk

Kakum National Park is located north of Cape Coast, the easiest way to acces it is to take a taxi or TroTro (which I prefer because it's cheaper and you're travelling with other people) from Cape Coast. Cape Coast is definitely worth a visit as well, so if you ask me, you should combine the two of them. Cape Coast Castle was one of the most important forts for the slave trade in West Africa, but unfortunately I haven't been there yet (though it's definetly on my list).The journey takes little more than one hour and is an excellent opportunity to have a first glance at the landscape.

The Canopy Walk

Walk through the forest

The most popular activity in the park is probably the Canopy Walk. This is a collection of "bridges" going from tree to tree.
This way you can have a nice look at all the trees from a different perspective.


I think everyone can manage these bridges, if you're two afraid of heights though, this might not be the ideal thing for you.




In this case one of the Forest Walks is the right thing for you. At the reception of the park they call it hiking tour, but actually it's more of a nice stroll through the trees.
You will be accompanied by a guide, who explains a lot about the forest's eco-system, the trees and the animals that call the forest their habitat.
However, you shouldn't hope to see a lot of animals since there is always a lot of noise in the area where they do the tours.

Another thing I can recommend is to spend a night in one of the treehouses. One is even located in the primary forest. During the night you can do another guided tour, but even if you choose not to, it is still a great experience to fall asleep with the sounds of the forest.

Get the best breakfast at the Bamboo Restaurant

One last tip: if you get hungry, don't go to the expensive restaurant in the park. Right at the entrance there is a much better alternative called the Bamboo Restaurant (because you'll sit under a giant bamboo). Their fried rice is great and they also offer breakfast for those who spend the night in the forest.

No 4: Tamale and Mole National Park

All throughout the city you see bycicles and motorbikes

Mole National Park is the most popular national park in Ghana, probably because you have a good chance of seeing elephants there.
It's best to access the park from Tamale.
However, you shouldn't just use Tamale as transit area. Take one day to explore the town, you will not regret it.

For me, as someone who is used to the south of Ghana, Tamale was just so different. It is very relaxed, you can take a stroll over the market without anyone bothering you and rent a bike to explore the town all by yourself.

Also, in many travel guides you will find warnings that the north of Ghana was more dangerous than the south. I have to say that I felt more save in the north than I did in the south.
Something that frightens a lot of travellers from western countries is the islamic influence in the north.
This is also something you should definitely not be afraid of.
In fact, I have met the friendliest people in the north


You can buy everything you like at the market: grains, herbs and spices, clothes, jewellery, half a cow, pineapple and fabrics.


The Mole Park is always worth a visit, even if you don't spot any animals (which is very unlikely) the landscape is already more than anyone could hope for.
Another tip: Don't stay at the expensive lodge in the park but at the Salia brothers' guesthouse. they are locals, who have also build a school in the nearby village Larabanga.
They are extremely hospitable, always have good advice and prepare great Ghanaian food.

Don't take a taxi to the park, bikes are much more fun (and cheaper, and better for the environment, and more stylish and....)

No 3: Accra

View from the lighthouse in

I know Accra is a pretty obvious choice since it is the capital and also the place where most travellers first arrive in Ghana. Still I think you shouldn't miss it.
There are a lot of things to do, you can visit the city's monuments like the Independence Arch or Kwame Nkrumah's mausoleum (he led Ghana to independence), go to one of the many markets or museums.
I recomend just strolling around the city, taking a turn every now and then and see what you discover. Like this I found small shops and boutiques selling everything one could possibly want or beautiful streets with blooming gardens.
If you need to have a break from the noisy city, the beach is always near.
One thing I'm planning on doing the next time I come to Accra is to visit Legon University in the north of the city. The University Library is said to have a great selection of African literature.

No 2: Kumasi

The sprawl of the central market in Kumasi

Kumasi nearly made first place and only missed it because sometimes I'm not so much of a city person. I know that it is the only number one for a lot of people. One mistake Ghana visitors should never make is to think because they have seen Accra it would be unnecessary to visit Kumasi. I would even go as far and say if you have to choose, take Kumasi.
One of the biggest markets in all of Africa is located there and takes up almost all of the city centre. I recommend spending a whole afternoon on the market, just to have a good look around. Most of the people are very friendly, of course you should be careful where you put your purse and don't forget to negotiate before you buy something.
Since the city is very cowded it's a good idea to combine the visit with a trip to the surrounding nature, which is a very lush green hillside.

No 1: Ada Foah

View from Maranatha Beach Camp

Ada Foah is a village very near to where the Volta flows into the Atlantic Ocean. I stayed at Maranatha Beach Camp, which is a collection of small huts made of palm leaves at the beach. It works closely together with the local community and some of the profits support community or ecological projects. Even getting there is a small adventure itself: from Accra you get TroTros to Ada Foah but to get to the beach you either have to take a boat or a motorcycle. I tried both and while the boat might have been a bit more relaxing, I must admit that the motorcycle was much more exciting.


Ada Foah is a great place to relax and just float lazily in the Volta but if you feel a bit more active there are a lot of things to do. Boat tours on the Volta can be organized as well as Turtle Sighting tours.
Another thing you could consider is to take a stroll over the market in the village, which is very airy and open, a quality not a lot of Ghanaian markets can boast with.

That's it so far, I have four months left to add more destinations. If you know about something I have missed, please let me know :)

- Sarah

Definitely a nice Sunday morning trip and it reminded me that I should go out and try new things in different areas of Amsterdam more often. Sometimes I just get so caught up in every day life and a hectic schedule, especially right before exams, that I forget to enjoy the gorgeous city I'm living in. So from now on each weekend I'm going to try to visit at least on place in Amsterdam I've never been to before. But for now I have to get back to studying, which definitely works a lot better after I've had some tasty food.

- Svenja

Here in Amsterdam, I have exams more or less every 3-4 weeks, so it's save to say that I have gotten used to exam stress by now. Needless to say I still don't really enjoy sitting in a library all day long. So here are a few tips and tricks that always get me through exam period and help to study efficiently.

1. Take breaks. And I mean take quite a few of them. Don't try to force yourself to study. Of course every once in a while I really need to kick my own ass to get up early and go to the library, but if I really don't feel like studying I learned to rather take a break and relax. Believe me a little break here and there can work wonders and your study progress. I personally really like to go into the city and discover some new stores or just take a walk. The other day I discovered "Vegabond" (Vegan café/supermarket) and their carrot ginger juice got me right back on track which brings me right to point no. 2:

2. Eat healthy. And I mean eat delicious but healthy foods. Eating crap will eventually result in you feeling like crap. So rather sit down to a nice-cooked dinner together with a friend and don't forget to prepare some tasty snacks before going to the library (more about snacks here). I know it seems a lot easier to just grab a chocolate bar in the cafeteria then to walk all the way to the next grocery store to get some fruit, but your body and mind will thank you. Or just prepare in advance and get some delicious Cliff bars or other vegan snack bars.

Healthy snack idea: Vegan snack bars (photo at Vegabond)

Vegan mushroom risotto - recipe will be up soon

4. Don't stress too much. Just give it your best and you are likely to succeed. Putting too much pressure on yourself will not help your study success but only leave you stressed out and tired.

- Svenja

Last weekend was a long one because Ghana had something to celebrate: the 6th of March is Independence Day. And what do they do on the 6th of March? They march (good pun, I know). At least the school children do, they come together in their school uniforms at the stadium and march in a kind of parade and because this is really exhausting, the next school day is a holiday.
This year the 6th of March was a friday, so some friends of mine, who are fellow volunteers in school, and I decided to use the long weekend to explore the coastal area in western Ghana.

Waiting at the TroTro station until the bus going to Takoradi is full

Before I came to Ghana I imagined travelling with the TroTro as something very stressful but now there's nothing I love more than just getting onto one of these small buses with only a crude idea of where I want to go, enjoying the landscape and buying plantain chips through the window as I go.

View from the hotel balcony

There are excellent opportunities to go out in every bigger city in Ghana, but after the long journey we just went to a Chop Bar (Ghanaian cookshop) to get a portion of Fufu with Groundnutsoup (pounded Cassava and plantain in a peanut soup).

Old tracks near Takoradi Port

Next to Tema Port in the east, Takoradi Port in the west is very important for the import and export of goods to and from Ghana.
One thing I really like about Takoradi is that it has this typical seaport structure. Everything is very open and spacial and the roads have a linear structure, so we decided to take a walk from the market circle to the port.
The area around the port is very green and has quite a nostalgic atmosphere with all its old administration buildings.



As Paula, another volunteer who teaches in a vocational school and whom I just love, used the opportunity to take some pictures, two other friends just went ahead and asked the port authorities if we could have a look around the area tourists are not allowed to enter.
And then something happened, that would never happen like this in Germany....

Construction work on the new part of Takoradi port

Left: Me, Right: Paula

They considered us for a moment and then they said: "Okay, let's go."
One of the higher ranked officials took us around the place in his car, we saw how a big cargo ship was loaded with cocoa, we saw one of the newly built oil drilling platforms and we could have a look at the construction of the new part of the harbour, which is built to save transport costs.




Our guide explained a lot, answered all of our questions and insisted on driving us back to the market circle where we wanted to have a look around and do some shopping.
Sometimes there are people who see that you're foreign and they take advantage of that too.
But just as often it happens that people approach you and embrace you with incredible hospitality.
This man was the best example for that, he even drove around the market circle twice, so we could have a good look at it.

shopping beads at the market

After a day in town we decided to let the weekend end casually and drove further west to Cape Three Point, the most southern point of Ghana.
There we stayed at a beautiful Eco Lodge called Escape Three Points. Since I live in Ghana I'm spoilt when it comes to beaches but the one there was unprecedented.

Escape Three Points

Beach at Cape Three Points

Travelling in Ghana never fully works out the way you planned it. A hotel you want to stay in is closed down, the TroTro you've been waiting for is 3 hours late (or later than you thought it would be, there are no schedules) but in the end all of it will be worth it. And this weekend definitely was.

- Sarah

FanIce in Ghana

As a European living in Ghana I have made the experience that there are a lot of things that don't fit into most people's image of an African country but at the same time these very things are completely normal in Ghana. Even though I've had a lot of preparation in Germany before (and lost some of my illusions there already), there still were some things I myself wouldn't have expected and which surprised me. Last time I wrote about phones and staying connected in Ghana, this time it's:

No. 2: Ice Cream

Advertisement for FanIce, showing the ice cream variety

Okay, probably it's not knocking anyone from their chair to say that you can get some ice cream in an African country or Ghana in this case. Most people would believe that you can get it in supermarkets in the big towns. But you wouldn't believe how ubiquitous and easy to get it is. Going through town, you will see almost as many hawkers (people carrying the goods they sell to pedestrians or people in passing cars on their heads) selling ice cream as you see people selling water.
Especially if you go to a Tro-Tro (minibus) station it will be hard for you not to get an ice cream.
There's some for every taste: Vanilla, Choco, Tropical Fruits and the most popular one: Strawberry Yoghurt.
Also it's relatively affordable: Even the most expensive one is still less than a softdrink or most fruits.

Front: a handcart, Back: a FanIce bike

 Like previously mentioned, ice cream is extremely easy to get by. Especially in the town center there are a lot of small shops selling ice cream and supplying the other traders. As you walk the streets you will always come across a young man carrying a cooling box stacked with different kinds of ice cream on his head, or you might be overrun by another one riding a bycicle like the one above.
And everytime you're sitting in a hot Tro-Tro stuck in a traffic jam, you will be thankful for their hard work.
All this has its dark side though: the plastic packaging. A fair amount of rubbish you see are the ice cream wrappers. I have a Ghanaian friend, who recently suggested to recycle them. He's convinced that the producers might even save money like that. I'm not sure how serious he was, but maybe someone should get serious about that.

-  Sarah