Dear Friends and Family,
We left home about 4:45am on Saturday to catch a 6:45 flight to JFK. We
then had a very long lay-over as our flight to Ghana was scheduled for
4:45pm. However, the flight was delayed until 6:30 as they had to change
planes before we left. We had a Delta flight direct from New York to Accra,
Ghana that only
lasted about 10 hours. We slept most of the way.
We were met at the airport by Vera, our host teacher and Kobe, a driver with an old Suzuki SUV.
Vera was very happy to see us again. We all sat in the back as two of our
suitcases took up the passenger seat in the front as well as all the room in
the rear. We drove directly to Akropong which is about 40 miles northeast
of Accra.
Like most of our journeys, we had car trouble. Kobe was able to coax it to his
"shop" on the edge of Akropong where he proceeded to fix it.
The trouble had started as soon as we left the airport with a very funny loud
noise---there is no AAA available.
The road is new for about half the way. It is very impressive as a four
lane highway--especially climbing a very steep mountain--then all of a sudden it is down to two lanes again. It
does make for a faster as safer trip!
On Sunday we arrived in our new living quarters--about a mile out of
town. Our accommodations are a large room in the lower back level of a
fairly modern house overlooking a ravine, small garden, chicken coops, and a
family of goats. The rooster and the goats do a good job of waking us in
the morning! The house is half way down a very steep hill. To walk
to school we use a path down into the ravine and up the other side to the main
road. We share a dining/living area. We have our own toilet and
shower area in a shared bathroom. There is a young couple with two small
girls ages 6 and 3 next to us.
Mr. Boafo, the proprietor of the school, greeted us in the afternoon. He
was also happy that we had returned--especially having our 501C3 status!
Monday we returned to Accra with Vera and Kobe. We went to
the home of Comfort Nukator, a friend we stayed with when we first came to Ghana four
years ago. We will probably stay with her when we go to Accra at some point. Makola market is a
huge bustling indoor and outdoor market in the center of Accra. Thousands of people are walking
the streets and selling their wares. It is fun to watch the masses move
and to absorb the sights and smells--some good, some not. Accra is very hot and
dirty!!!
Tuesday we went to school for the opening day of their semester. There
were not that many students present but more will come tomorrow. We
presented a copy of the 501C3 documents to the school and they graciously
thanked us for all the work. They gave us a tour of the new two story
building which is partially completed and usable. We will be teaching our
classes in these facilities. The walls need stucco and there are no doors
or windows. The roof is higher which should make them cooler--however, it
is still metal pan so expect to bake.
The walk to school is longer than before. We descend and ascend the
ravine and then have about a mile walk that winds down to the school through
alleys and yards. We are not wearing sandals or flip-flops for this trip.
On the way home we stopped and visited a couple of friends at their
shops. We also tried an Internet Cafe, which was not working.
Akropong has moved up in the world and now has a few Internet Cafes. We
are currently at one that is connected to a Guest House which is fairly close
to where we live. It only took about five minutes to walk here--up hill
both ways.
We have slept a lot trying to get used to the heat and humidity--even though it
is the dry season. The Harmattan (sp?) Winds are blowing sand off the Sahara and it looks hazy. It is very hot during the
middle of the day but it cools off in the evening with a very nice breeze.
We will be in touch again soon. Internet access will be much easier this
time.
Love and Prayers,
Joan and Harry
|
