Blogs from Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana, Africa - page 3

And the Adventure Begins! So from the start, even before I left my house to board the plane that would take me half way to my final destination, I was on a roller coaster ride. One of those crazy rides that make you want to have the insane adrenaline rush but also puke just by the mere thought of getting in the line. And it’s funny, odd actually for me to even be feeling the butterflies frantically trying to escape my body; I have never experienced such a wave of emotions until now. My parents stayed with me until the very latest that they could. I know, they’re crazy, for waiting the entire hour that it took for me to get through checking in and security…airports; I’ve been through enough of them to be sick of ... read more

After just over another month here in Ghana, I felt it was time for another update! Firstly, I can’t believe how the time has flown, and that I am now 7 weeks in to my teaching with only 7 to go until Christmas break when I will be returning to the UK for 3 weeks. It will be great to see everyone and catch up with you all- I am missing friends and family a lot, and can’t wait to catch up on all your news, but there’s no denying the fact that I’m going to find being back in England pretty tough after 5 months in Africa … There is definitely something unique about the African lifestyle and African people- certainly in the three countries where I have spent my time since July- and I ... read more

I spent Tuesday in Vilanculos town, saying some goodbyes to my friends here and simply enjoying my last few hours in this special community. On Tuesday evening, my particular friends (Francisco, Custodio, Chamussudine and ‘Joy’) came over to Baobab for one last time with some fish, traditional Mozambican food and a few bottles of ‘Tipo Tinto’ – the local rum! Francisco and Custodio cooked dinner for us all and made a fire near the beach. I provided some music and we had a brilliant evening eating and drinking under the stars, around the fire in true African style… Having known these boys for at least 18 months now (apart from ‘Joy who I met during this latest trip), they really are like family to me and I value them so much as people- they are extremely ... read more

Some of the staff needed to go to Accra for a conference, so we hitched an early morning ride in the hospital van so we could get there in relative comfort. Rosalind had friends in the city and one of the friend's daughters was getting married so she was invited to attend, and in turn all of us were invited as well. Once we arrived in the city we headed towards Gaby's home, the husband of one of Rosalind's friends. He was instantly likeable and was incredibly kind to us. He showed us to the nearby hotel we would be staying at. Once settled in we were given a lift to a fast food place called Papaye's, and I got to have some beef for the first time since arriving here. It was subpar at best. ... read more

The plane pulled up on the tarmac and everyone seemed relieved to finally disembark. And here I was, my first step on African soil. We took a shuttle to the terminal where we were processed through, having our prints and pictures taken. Once we got out our hosts were there to greet us. Matron Comfort and Sister Arcade awaited us and were eager to take us to Sacred Heart Hospital located in the Volta region. But first a drive through Accra, the capital with around two million people, to take in all the sights and sounds and get some good ol' culture shock pounded into us. There was definitely some sensory overload that went on. The streets bustled with traffic and human life as well as pleuthora of other creatures roaming about. People were shouting, laughing, ... read more