Asha


 Dear Diary,   Today was just my luck! While I was playing a game on the internet, a blinking advertisement caught my attention. It said, “You have won a free trip to five countries in Africa! This deal has no strings attached, no additional fees, and it is not a scam. All you have to do is e-mail us the correct answer to this question: Which two countries in Africa were once one country?” I immediately e-mailed them the answer, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and then I waited for a response. After five minutes I had come to the conclusion that it was just a joke. Then, my computer dinged and I rushed over to see that it was from the advertisement company. The e-mail said, “Congratulations! You have won the free trip to five countries in Africa. Your tickets with more details about the trip will be sent to you through the mail, and a backup copy will be sent through an e-mail. Enjoy your tip and tell your friends all about it.” The countries I will go to are Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Egypt, Ghana, and the Republic of the Congo.

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 Today is the last day I will be in Zimbabwe. I went to Harare, its capital, Hwange National Park, and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city. Zimbabwe feels edgy, like you never know what's going to happen. Ever since the President Mugabe held the election results Zimbabwe has had ans edgy feel. Their falling economy has also caused tension. People need money to buy the basic things in life, but prices keep rising and people are getting desperate. So I had to be careful by never traveling alone, and by not agreeing to any possible scams. Bulawayo is one of the oldest cities in Zimbabwe. It was the captial of the N'debele State when Lobengula became king. The original town was located about 14 miles away from present Bulawayo. After a period of time he moved it to present Bulawayo. The city Bulawayo means "place of slaughter," the king named it that becuase it reminded him of a battle he had once faught. Harare was founded in 1890, but it was named Sailsbury because it was going to be used as a fort by the Pioneer Column. After World War 2, the population increased and Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. During April 18, 1982, the second aniversary to Zimbabwe's independence, the name was changed to Harare. While I was there I noticed the high plateau and I saw the beautiful mountains. ======

I spent most of the first day there in the Natural History Museum in Bulawayo. I saw many different exhibits in the four-story building, but my favorite were the ones that focused on the beautiful animals and paleontology.I learned that Zimbabwe is one of the countries that is one of the main places to find fossilized dinosaurs. I also enjoyed the library where I read about Zimbabwe's history. 

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On the second day I went to the National Gallery in Harare. I liked seeing the Shona soft-stone carvings the most. I walked around the city streets, through parks and gardens, taking in the wonderful climate and the beautiful plants around me. I went to the centre where there were little shops, and markets. Sometimes I just sat on the sidewalk and listened to the street bustle and the musicians. Harare has an average climate of high 60's and low 70's, so I was deffinetly in my comfort zone. The amount of rainfall they get truly depends on the month, and it has never snowed ( when I heard about the no snow I really wanted to go).In the Botanical Garden, there were over 900 species of wild shrubs and trees. ======



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On the last day there I spent most of the day at the Hwange National Park. I saw many marvelous animals, like elephant herds, buffalo, zebras, giraffe, and some endangered species as well. Watching the huge elephants and the broad-shouldered buffalos was amazing. When I saw those animals I felt even shorter than when I do when I stand next to Mrs. Conway! Well I have to get packing, my flight to the Congo leaves in a little while and I want to be ready. My trip was great and it was certainly one I will never forget! ======



Ash a
Dear Diary, Tanzania is my second country. I am going to Arusha and Ngorongoro. Its capital is Dar es Salaam. Tanzania was formed because of a political union between Tanganyika, Zanzibar, and Pemba. During the rule of the Afro-Shirazi Party was when the three countries came together. Throughout the time before the countries had come together they were each ruled by various people. Tanzania is one of the most impoverished countries in the world. Many organizations are trying to help them rebuild their economic infrastructure. They have had some economic progress, but curbing corruption may affect it. The first day I was in Arusha as I walked around I saw the extremely tall and majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. I didn’t go right up to it, but seeing it from afar was enough. While being in Arusha I was at the base of Mount Meru. While walking I heard the many different languages being spoken by the people of Tanzania.

The other two days I was at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As I explored I was guided by someone from the Maasai people. I saw many different animals, but encountered few. The lions, giraffes, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, elephants, and oxen were all animals that I did not want to meet. The exotic birds were about the only things I could handle up-close. Their beauty truly amazed me. Then, I went to the Ngorongoro Crater, where many grazing animals live. The animals that do live there tend to stay because of the plentiful source of food and water all year. I saw flamingos for the first time ever, and I saw some of the only black rhinos left in Tanzania.

  I have to get going if I want to catch my plane in time, so I’ll write in you later. Sincerely, Asha 

 Dear Diary, <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> I am in my third country, Egypt. While I am here I will go to Cairo, Egypt’s capital, the Valley of Kings and Giza. Ninety percent of Egypt is the Western Desert, but both of the cities I will visit are in the Nile Valley Delta. Egypt has a very detailed history of many Kings, but I will only give you a short summary. Egyptian history is split up into three parts, the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. Their civilization thrived longer than most of the other civilizations throughout the world’s history. In 3100 B.C, the pharaoh, King Menes established Egypt by bringing Upper and Lower Egypt together. Pharaoh stands for “the one who lives in the palace.” The main obligation of the pharaoh was to construct and sustain temples to the gods. To become an independent country Egypt had to go through many years of wars and strenuous work. The economy of Egypt is growing, but it is still considered a poor country. It is overpopulated and mainly depends on foreign aid. The Egyptian economy has jobs involving textiles, agriculture and a little bit of industry. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> In Cairo I went to see the Egyptian Museum. I spent my entire first and second day in Cairo there. I walked around the museum from top to bottom. In the museum I saw one of the first documents of Egyptian history, small statues and sculptures, artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb, coffins, amulets, mummies and much more. The first day I just walked around looking at the different exhibits. On the second day I went back to look at my favorite exhibits. I liked the Tutankhamun exhibit the best. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(246,14,14)"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(246,14,14)"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> On the last day I went to both Giza and the Valley of the Kings. In the morning I was in the Valley of Kings. I rode in a hot-air-balloon over the valley to see the many pyramids of some of the numerous kings of Egypt. It was truly a thing to remember. I went to Giza in the afternoon and I saw the sound and light show at the Pyramids of Giza, and I saw the Sphinx. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> The enormous statue was breath-taking. Even without its nose and beard, which were shot off by Mameluke troops, it was still an amazing site to see. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> The Pyramid of Khufu was even more amazing in person than the pictures I had seen. It was shocking and exhilarating all at the same time. It was a beautiful sight and the narrations were great. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(246,14,14)"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">While I was there I noticed the many mosques and that there was barely any violence. Each time I go to a different country the experience gets better and better. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Sincerely, <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> Asha

Dear Diary, I am in my fourth country, the Republic of the Congo. Here I will go to Brazzaville, its capital, and Pointe Noire, port city. The Congo is in Central Africa. Its largest rivers are Congo, Likouala, Ubangi, Sangha, and the Alima. Towards the southern part of the Congo is Plateau Bate`k`e. In their history they have had many changes. In pre-colonial times, the republic of the Congo was ruled by three kingdoms, the Kongo, the Laongo, and the Tio. The Frenchman Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza established French control of the Congo in 1880. In 1960, the Congo announced its independence. Their second president, Alphonse Massemba-D`ebat, established a Marxist-Leninist government. In 1991, they renounced Marxism and they planned to have their first free election in 1992. The economy of the Congo has a combination of subsistence agriculture, an industrial section based in oil, support services, a government characterized by budget issues, and overstaffing. Their oil prices were once too high, but they recently recovered from that because their economy’s GDP increased. There are also many organizations that have helped and are helping the poor. On my first day in the Republic of the Congo, I went to the Musee National du Congo which is the National Museum of Congo. I saw many pieces of Congolese art and many historical artifacts. I also went to the Temple Mosque. It is the most Muslim religious building in Brazzaville. The structure of the mosque was beautiful and I left in awe. <span style="COLOR: rgb(246,14,14)"> On my second and third days in the Republic of the Congo, I went to Pointe Noire the country’s port city. On half of my first day there I went to the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Sancuary, where I saw many chimpanzees. It is the largest chimpanzee sanctuary in the world. It provides protection for the chimpanzees in the Congo Basin. Then, I went to the Gorges of Diosso, the Grand Canyon of the Congo. I saw amazing cliffs made by erosion from wind and rain; it’s mind-boggling what nature can do. On my last day in Pointe Noire and in the Republic of the Congo I went to Cote Sauvage. It is a marvelous beach with palm trees and warm sand, and the water stays a nice temperature and is clean all year round. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(18,12,12)">

While I was here I met a lot of Christians. I saw many different races like Kongo, Sangha, M`Bochi, Teke, Europeans, and others. Walking the streets I heard a variety of languages such as French, Lingala, Monokutuba, Kikongo, and many other local dialects as well. I had a great time and now I'm going to my final country.

See you there, Asha

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">Dear Diary, <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"> This is my last country in my trip, Ghana. Here I went to Accra, its capital, Cape Coast, a very historical place, and Kumasi its second largest city. Ghana is in West Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea. The area has a hilly coastal plain, but it is mostly flat. Its longest river is the River Volta. In 1964, the Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam was built. The dam created one of the world’s largest artificial lakes, Lake Volta. In 1876, the British changed their capital from Cape Coast to Accra. In 1957, Ghana gained independence from Britain. It is the first country in Africa, south of the Sahara, to accomplish independence. The Portuguese were the first to arrive to what is now Ghana, but they named it the Gold Coast. It was not until Ghana’s independence that it was named Ghana. Their economy relies mainly on subsistence farming and international financial and technical aid. Their main exports are gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds. Ghana’s export partners are the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, France, and Germany. As I went to different markets I heard many different languages spoken by the people of Ghana. I couldn’t understand any of the languages the people were speaking, but they were probably speaking Twi, Fanti, Ewe, Dagaare, Ga, Dagbani, Gagaai, Kasim, and Nezema because those are the top nine dialects spoken here. The only language I could comprehend was English because it is their official language. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">My first day here was spent in Accra, Ghana’s capital. I went to the National Museum of Accra and I went to the Kaneshie Market. At the museum I saw contemporary art, prehistory, thrones, masks, the slave trade, pottery, and much more. I was very interested in the exhibits about wars that Ghana’s people have fought. At the market I bought native clothes and I met interesting people.

<span style="COLOR: rgb(246,14,14)"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">On my second day in Ghana I went to Cape Coast. There, I went to Elmina, one of the castles used for slave trade. In it I saw the “door of no return,” that is where the slave were taken to be put on a ship and taken to work on someone’s plantation. I also saw many of the rooms and horrible conditions that the slaves were kept in. I am glad I got to see this very historical place that touches many people. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">On my last day I went to Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana. I saw the Asante Buildings and I shopped at the Kejetia Market. The Asante Buildings looked very fragile because of how old they are. These structures are made out of mud and they are decorated with different detailed designs. At the market I bought different jewelry and I tried foods I had never heard of. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(246,14,14)"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">I had a great time in Africa, but now I’m ready to go back home and see my friends and family. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">Sincerely, <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica">Asha