Ghana Update

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FRIDAY: I am finally here! I got here on Friday after a 2 day long flight/sleepover at Heathrow Airport in London. Never again will I spend the night in an airport. Anyways Ghana is very different from anything I have ever experienced, the first thing I noticed when I got off the plane was the smell, it smelt like a horse barn, wet dog, and sweat all rolled into one. After I got off the plane they directed us to the Ghana Border, where they check visas and yellow cards. I already had a 90 visa but the man at the desk told me to give him $20 for a 5 month visa, when I got to the baggage claim area I checked my new visa only to find he stamped it for 60 days! So at this point Ive only been in Ghana for 5 minutes and I have already be "stolen" from, and I didn't get a reciept so I had no proof that I had given him $20 in the first place. After that I got my baggage and was asked by a trolley worker to give him "a few pounds" for him directing me to customs, I just walked away. Finally I got to campus around 9pm and unloaded all my stuff and hit the sack!

SATURDAY: When I woke up I decided it was time to look for a payphone to call home, and I found 2 (but they didn't work), so then I tried to find internet only to find that the building was closed (sorry mom, I'm still alive I promise!). After that failed I went in search of a bank to covert my currency so I could by some water and after walking for about 20 minutes in the heat and being hissed at (that's normal here?) by local workers I gave up. Luckily for me a woman at the market gave me a water bag, they don't have water bottles here and told me to come back and pay her another day. When I got back to my dorm I went out on my balcony and heard a woman talking to the police about how she was robbed the other night in the dorm parking lot by knife point. Luckily she wasn't hurt and only lost her bag.

SUNDAY: I finally found a "money machine" and was able to get some local currency! AND the water was back on in the dorms so I was able to take a shower, flush the toilet, and wash my hand & brush my teeth with water!!!! Later in the day I went to the street market right outside ISH (international student hostel) and bought more water bags. There where a whole bunch of street children that would beg me for money and hold my hand (so cute, but sad) I was told not to give them money because it only encourages them to continue to beg, and you will be know at the one who gives away money for the rest of your stay. It was hard to turn them down but I did let them take a few pictures with my camera. Later that night around 11 I heard this yelping and walked out on the balcony to find about 8 stray dogs fighting. One of the dogs attacked another dog's neck, the dog laid motionless on the ground for about 5 minutes and just as I was about to go inside and shed a few tears for the dead dog it got up and started to do it's thing with one of the female dogs.

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Comments

[Granddad]

Welcome to Africa
Hi Jen... I hope all is settling out now that you have been there a few days. It has to be a very different experience for you. We leave for North Carolina this weekend and will be talking about you and missing you. Take some photos of the area and post them or e-mail them so I can include them in the calendar next year. Love Granddad

[Uncle Michael]

Hi There!
Hi Jen - Wow, quite an adventure right from the get go! Your first few days will seem like so long ago in another month or two. Please Be safe! We're all thinking of you!