I am in Accra & right now it is majorly storming/raining so loud outside!!!
Travel went well the 3 am drive to LAX was easy & my gate was close so I had just over an hour before boarding. The flight to JFK was uneventful...I took a lil nap & fortunately I was 8 gates away from where I landed to my next gate - but it seemed longer? (I guess everything is bigger in NYC). The flight to Accra wasn't bad - I was in the center section of 4 seats & it was only me on the aisle & a guy on the other aisle so essentially, we each had 2 seats. I did end get a few hours of sleep among the 10 hour flight & we landed at 6:30 am. I presented my "on arrival visa" and all was well. I found out that an Op Smile rep Ruth was going to meet me which was great because me actually finding a shuttle would have been a disaster-hundreds of taxi drivers & others trying to convince you they can help - I simply said "my friend is coming" and after Ruth & I connected the hotel driver Ruben met us there & Ruben my driver became my first friend in Ghana. All my "knowledge about Africa" came rushing back to my mind - CRAZY drivers - minimal traffic lights, lots of roundabouts, crazy people on scooters, women (mostly) in the streets balancing gian baskets on their heads - some full of 30+ water/soda bottles! or trying to sell you fruits, bread, dried nuts, even soccer balls & rags. With the drivers here you always feel like you are playing a game of chicken with the other drivers to see who is the most gutsy!!! Not my favorite pastime. Also lots of stands and people walking on the streets, kids in uniforms walking to school people sitting on the curbs
I had exchanged $50 at the airport but was told to go the a "charter bank" Ruben said there was not one nearby, so he took me to a "money changer" (which friends had told me about) but they didn't open unit 8:30 so we went to the hotel & I checked in...at the "Crystal Palms Hotel" it's not as nice as the name but not bad...however I am on the 6th floor with no elevators. I was so proud that I packed only in a carry on & a "personal duffle bag" but they each were likely 40 lbs & the young bellman Elvis who weighted all of 100 lbs himself would not let me carry one. The room was really warm so Elvis also setup my AC (really a fan on the wall) I changed clothes & could feel it starting to cool a bit and didn't want to take my room key out & stop the "fan" so I did what any wise person would do & left my AAA card in so the room would stay at its "cool 72 degrees" & not heat up when I was away. It is also very humid here so I am hoping for pore cleansing with all my sweating! I went back down so Ruben could take me back to the "money changer". It seemed a lil shady but was legit - receipt & all!!!
I told Ruben I wanted to go see the Accra temple from my church & could I pay him to drive me there - he said that was up to the hotel & they needed him for errands so I took an Uber. It was a 20 min drive & about $5 US. Raymond ws my driver but here most people don't own cars not even Ruben) so the ones who do have cars will "rent them to Uber drivers" & then take 25% of what the driver earns. I am not sure if Uber takes money too :( So my ride was 54 Cedi ($5) & if he is busy & drives 12 hour a day he can earn 1000 Cedi a day & keeps 750 or about $65 so he earns $5-$6/hr. It was later morning & we passed SO MANY food street vendors - none of which I would ever go near!
It was so peaceful to walk around the temple grounds. The local Missionary Training Center & Accra Church offices were on the same property so there were alot of people around & they were all so kind. After being outside for maybe an hour I decided to just go into the lobby of the temple even though I was in sweats & sweaty!!! The sweet woman at the desk said "sister if you have your recommend we would welcome you in" and since its digital I did have it, went in borrowed white clothing & got to spend a little time inside. It was such a special opportunity that I will never forget. I felt so much peach there & it is built EXACTLY like the Newport Beach temple so felt a lil familiar.
After that I got an Uber back to the hotel. ON this drive back we went by "the circle" which was a really crazy marketplace that is open 7 days a week - it was chaotic even just driving by! By the time I got back to the hotel the jetlag was kicking in so I took a 90 min nap in my cool room. Just as I got up my hotel room phone rang & it was the front desk saying Ruben had finished his shift & thought I wanted to talk to him. When I returned after the temple, I had asked the young girl who was a "hotel security guard" about where I could get some diet coke. she said I would need to go to a market & it was a bit far. I casually said "maybe Ruben could take me" & she told him & he called me. Unfortunately, he couldn't drive me as the car belonged to the hotel & he doesn't have a car. So he said we would get a taxi...but several taxis didn't want to go "that way?" I suggested we Uber but he said we could start walking & then get one. We went about 3/4 of a mile then got in a "taxi" and I use that word VERY LOOSELY...it was maybe a 1980s Chevy Spark - windows & door locks didn't work. We did get there but even Ruben agreed I could get an Uber back which was less $ than what the taxi guy gouged us for because I was a tourist!!! We did accomplish my mission though &b I got 12 bottles of Coke Zero - one per day!
I finally showered, better organized put all the food in my luggage with my drinks an extra bag I packed, showered off the dirt & sweat of a travel day & decided to stay in & eat stuff I brought rather than go downstairs. Then the hour long rainstorm started & I did my blog :) Its 8:30 Ghana time so I think I can sleep & sort of be in the right time zone. Tomorrow breakfast is at 8 & we load the bus at 9:30 to drive to Ho. I haven't met or seen any team members at the hotel yet & the locals arrive in the area tomorrow I think. Ruth said there are some students from the USA plus students from Ghana & I always enjoy when they are in the recovery room so that will be nice!
Day #1 done (or really 2 days it seems!) Feeling SO SO GRATEFUL to be "back on a mission"
Nurse Nancy
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