Please excuse grammar, spelling, etc.
Day 5 A lizard was sitting outside my dad's bedroom yesterday morning. I remained calm. Got my camera. Took a picture. And left the scene immediately. I have yet to see him again. ... Nothing exciting to write about today. Woke up around 9:30. Read outside for most of the morning into the afternoon. I downloaded The Great Gatsby a couple of weeks ago. I started reading it on this trip. I'm loving it so far. I have two versions (both free). I'm not sure if there is much difference between the two or if I'll read the second version. Later in the afternoon my dad and I walked to the 'station'. It was a 10 minute or so walk in the hot sun. Much hotter than yesterday. The station is a street with stores set up on both sides. As we entered the area a herd of cows was migrating along the street. Taxis and other passers by had little patience. Honking for the cattle to move, weaving in and out until they were no longer in the way. The first store we went to did not have what my dad was looking for. We headed further down the street. The house is set up with North American outlets and he was looking for a power bar. He decided to buy a power bar with standard prongs. He then cut off the end and re-wired it once we got home. Guests were waiting for us when we got back. My cousin Rita and her kids. We sat outside for a bit. She asked a few questions, but mostly talked with my dad. Her kids were pretty shy. All but the little one. He is 6 and behaved like most kids his age. The constant buzz has returned. The power was off for much of the day. I'm not sure how I sleep with the constant beeping, some how it lulls me to sleep. After awhile it fades into the background. Day 6 We passed through Afienya on our journeys today. This is the nearest town to us. New Jerusalem, where we are, is a sub-division of Afieyna. Along the way we passed a monkey sanctuary and saw a few along the road. We might go back when my sister arrives. Our first stop was my uncle George's house in Akuse. There I met two of my cousins, Precious and Joshua. We only stayed a few minutes as Joshua has the chickenpox. We are unsure if I have the chickenpox and did not want to risk an infection. We then travelled to where uncle George's wife works. I sat outside while my dad went to the bank. Mabel sells fabric. A few stores over is a woman who sews clothes. She came over to buy some fabric. They discussed a recent lease increase. One which no one can afford, but will be forced to pay. Apparently if you own a shop across the street, you pay much less. Next stop - Volta River Authority, Kpong Generating Station. This is where my uncle works. We were given a tour, then went on our way to lunch. Lunch was at the Maritime Club. From our seats we watched as two European women went sea-dooing and men worked at a fish farm. After lunch we headed to the water treatment plant were I met my cousin, Thomas. He knew me as a baby and remembered me right away. He could not believe I am 33. Neither can I. Next stop - another Volta River Authority plant in Akosombo. This one was much bigger than the first. Water from this plant is fed to the small one in Kpong. We didn't have much time, so we forwent an official tour and walked around outside. After the plant we headed home, but not before we stopped at a shop so my dad could inquire about a satellite dish. I fell asleep much of the way home.
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Please excuse grammar, spelling, etc.
Day 3: Woke up around 10. I am still quite tired from the trip. But that doesn't say much as I am always tired. I tried to read for a bit, but fell asleep on the couch. At noon I ate yam and stew. Nothing new, although this is not the yam you are likely thinking of. Sweet potato and yam are often mistaken for each other. The stew was full of pepper and meat. I avoided the pepper. It is a nice day. Breezy. I have been sitting outside and reading for most of the day. Mosquitoes are scarce. The malaria carrying females come out at night. I think my stomach has finally settled. I haven't been doing well on the anti-malaria medication. Today is a good day. ... My uncle George stopped by. I slept for most of the afternoon while my dad and uncle George tidied up the house. He will stop by another day. I plan to be more alert. I went outside this evening. It is cold (by North American standards). The little girl who greeted me last night, was quite shy all day. This evening she let me sit by her. ... Tomorrow we will do some 'site seeing'. Day 4: We headed out at 10am. The drive into the city is an hour or so. As we were leaving the area, to my delight there were some cows near by. I was able to get a couple pictures before we headed off. At this time we also saw Doris, the woman who is living on the property. She was on her way to work - selling her goods (foodstuffs). A couple things I noticed on the way: most if not all billboards are in English, vendors are everywhere (along the highway, in between cars, you name it), helmets and seat beats seem to be an option. Our first stop was a museum, named after Dr Kwame Nkrumah. He was sworn in as the first president of the Republic of Ghana in Accra July 1, 1960. Next we headed to a market. I had my first taste of fresh coconut juice - more bitter than sweet. Walking around we were constantly being asked to 'come look', in hopes we would buy something. One fellow took us all around. I'm sure he thought I was an easy sell. Before getting out of the car my dad told me if I like something to wait and get a local to buy it. Otherwise they will overcharge. A few things peaked my interest and maybe we will go back. We drove by the catholic cathedral, the national stadium, kids playing football (soccer) in a field. A homeless man sleeping on the road in front of a beach front hotel 'La Palm Beach Hotel' (4 star hotel), military academy, and more. We stopped for lunch at La Beach (the nearby town is called La). While we waited for lunch, we were approached many times to buy jewellery, clothing, etc. Many items are the same or similar to items I already have at home (souvenirs from family). You can also take a horseback ride along the beach. I opted out. And took a picture instead. Lunch eventually came. Jolloff (rice) and chicken - I have had this many times at home. After the beach we headed to my dad's friends house. Francis was not home. But I met his wife. She smiled a lot and said 'you are welcome'. Before returning home we stopped at the mall so my dad could pick up a few things. I think I fell asleep for a few minutes in traffic. We arrived home at 5:30pm. The gate was opened for us upon our arrival. I came around the house to see Kersia (the little girl) squatting to have a pee in the dirt. ... The water (hot) was turned off today, so tonight I boil water to have a shower. Please excuse grammar, spelling, etc.
Day 1: Nerves. They get the best of me. After little sleep last night and some frustrations this morning, I am sitting in MPLS-ST PAUL waiting for my next flight. The first leg took me from Saskatoon to MPLS-ST PAUL. My next leg takes me to New York. There I will have to entertain myself for 7 hours. Who will be waiting for me on the other side? What can I expect? Well my dad will be at the airport. This gives me comfort. Going to an unknown land, albeit my homeland, is scary to say the least. Apparently people have been waiting for this my whole life. Each time my parents travel home, they receive inquires of when Mavis will be coming. I'm on my way. I don't speak the language or eat the food. I don't do well with large groups of people. I generally like to be left alone. I anticipate I lot of tears on my part. ... My flight to JFK was overbooked so I, along with one or two other people, gave up my seat. Since I had a 7 hour layover, it didn't matter where I was. Part of me wishes I hadn't, but it's too late now! I will fly into La Guardia and take a shuttle to JKF. My bags will meet me in Accra as per the original flight. ... In New York waiting to board my final flight. The next part of the journey will be the hardest. 10 hours on an airplane. No stops. Day 2: The flight from New York was pretty uneventful. We took off 45 min late, but made up time in the air. Total flying time 9ish hours. I fell asleep on the tarmac and woke up just in time for take off. I sat near the back of the plane with a gal from New York. We didn't talk much, which was fine with me. At one point in the night we opened the window. The sun was on the horizon. I just took it in. No pictures to show for it. After supper, which I didn't eat much of (b/c it reminds me of hospital food) I fell back asleep. I got up once during the whole trip. I thought we had much more time on the plane, but to my surprise we only had an hour left of flying time. Breakfast was served and we landed shortly after. ... My dad called out my name, just as an airport worker was trying to get money from me. My bag was open and I was trying to get out of the situation. I got out of there in a hurry. I met my cousin Moris, our driver. We stopped at a house in East Legon to drop off my luggage. We are headed now to a shopping centre for food. ... A few things I have noted while being in Accra for an hour: my Canadian accent gets stronger the further away I travel, the driving here is similar Europe. No rules. .... Rather than eating at the mall we went to the Golden Tulip Hotel. My first meal in Africa was spring rolls and samosa. I wasn't feeling very well so I only ate half. We sat outside by the pool. There were a lot of Europeans (I assume they are from Europe) swimming, smoking, and having a good time. En route to the mall (or anywhere) you are treated with street vendors. Trying to sell anything from water to belts. Woman have bowls full of water bottles on their heads, while infants play at their feet in the dirt. We did a quick walk around the mall. I saw many familiar stores: bata, puma, and an apple store named iShop. ... We returned to the house to wait for a visitor. I had an unintentional nap outside. The man never showed. We are now headed to the house my dad built in Afieyna. It is 6:30 and dark. The breeze is cool and I have put my sweeter back on. ... I fell asleep on the way to the house. Woke up just as we entered the 'block'. Someone opened the gate for us and we drove up the driveway. The house is more modern than I thought it would be. There is a family living on the property. As I came around back, to the door I was greated by a hug from the youngest child. The mom and other children took my bags and said 'you are welcome'. This isn't the first time I have heard this and I'm sure it will not be the last. |
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