Egypt Reuinnion in Accrq

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I made it! Beyond all odds, I had almost no problems after re-aranging the flights on sunday, no concellations, re-routes, day long delays, or anything.

De-boarding the Emirates plane under the miday tropical sun onto the baking hot tarmak at the Accra airport I had a mini-panic attack. My thoughts went something like this:

First step off the plane: "oh shit, I'm really in Africa"
Second step: "oh shit I'm really in Africa and I don't know anyone!"
Third step : "Maybe I can run back into the plane and hide in the toilet until it flies back"

However, after showing up in the middle of this huge Africa city I find out that two of my high school friends are living here. One's working for the Canadian embassy and the other's doing medical research (kinda puts my ego in check!). So we arranged a little CAC reunion.

There's nothing better after a long day(s) of traveling to a strange and completly foreign land than to see a friendly face. So we kicked back and had a few of the local Star beers and got to talking about who's doing what, in what country, who's married, who's pregnant, etc. Then we got on to what they're doing here, it's my favroite part of my high school friends, they're all over the world doing pretty intersting stuff.
Kalya, the one at the embassy, is in charge of granting student visa's to Liberians trying to get into Canada, a heartbreaking job when she has to turn down smart, dedicated and determained kids just because they're too poor, while letting in the rich ones in just because they have the money (Canada's worried that the poor one's wouldn't leave once their visa's up....I wouldn't). Maria's working in a local hospital with kids infected with this flesh eating bacteria, the symptoms of which she kindly described over pizza. I don't think I couldn't handle her job, there's no cure and it's a bloody, messy and painful disease. In between describing her job and eating, she keeps giving out snipits of warnings, what not to do, not to eat, not to touch, least I contract various types of diseases (I think I got up to wash my hands in between every slice of pizza). Overall it was a great welcome to the country! Note to travelers: do not hang out with anyone in the medical field on your first day in a new country unless you want to spend the rest of the day trying to buy a return ticket home for tomorrow!

Don't worry though mom and dad, most of this stuff you can get anywhere in the world, and as long as you keep good hygine there's really no danger- just thought I'd better put that in!

Going back my hotel I was greeted to a nice tropical downpour. When it rains, damn it really rains! However with the rains came the bugs. I noticed my bed looked kinda sandy, then I noticed the sand was moving, then I noticed the sand were flees....hmmm. I was so jetlagged that I almost just said 'screw it' and slept on it, but I dragged myself to strip the sheets and cover it in my dirty cloths (I dont know why i didn't use my clean cloths, the dirty ones just made sense at the time!)

But now I gotta go take a wonderful ice cold shower (thats not sarcasim!) and get ready to meet the Chilren Better Way people), seeya!

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