Home is where the heart is

The plane from London Heathrow landed in Accra on Friday night. I was glad to get off and looking forward to fresh air. Typical Africa beginners mistake I suppose. A wall of warm, humid air hit me as I left the plane. Rory had organized somebody local to guide me through customs quickly which felt a bit like cheating as I didn't have to join the eager queues of Ghanaians waiting to get through. I didn't escape the mayhem in the baggage claim area though. While waiting for my own luggage I was entertained by the race that broke out between people trying to get to their luggage. It's hard to describe the scene but it was hilarious and from what I've seen so far it somewhat seems to be the Ghanaian mentality. Always in a hurry, yet nothing gets done. I had to wait a good bit for mine but then finally we were able to leave the airport. 

   Paul, a mate of Rory's picked me up and brought me to my accommodation for the night. He also took me for a few drinks in the capital. My first ride in a Ghanaian taxi and in a city where no one seems to have learned the meaning of 'one lane' road. Again, mayhem. Love it! :) 

   Saturday morning I met Sammy who is running the BigStep Foundation Ghana and whom I will be working with very closely over the next few months. I got a lift off him to New Abirem which is about 200 km north of Accra. We were travelling in his humble little Opel Corsa, which has seen a few years. The journey took 5 hours. Roads are full of potholes and cars try to avoid them which means you can meet oncoming traffic at your own side of the road at any time. Naturally we did the same thing. Excitement! When driving through settlements and villages people will always try to sell you something, mostly food such as loafs of bread, banana, plantain (which looks like banana but can't be eaten raw), fruits and unidentifiable cooked meats. We stopped to get a coconut as refreshment. Breathtaking scenery on the way. Wide, dry and dusty red roads surrounded by green jungle. I will have to take this trip soon again to collect Suzi from the airport and will take some pictures then.    

   
   Had a very happy boy waiting for me on arrival at my new residence in Purple Rocks, New Abirem :) Purple Rocks accommodates all of Lycopodiums' staff working on site. There is a small pool for staff - pure luxury. We're staying in a little bungalow type building, semi-detached one bedroom ensuite with our own small patio which is also called 'the birdcage' as it is fully covered with a mosquito net. Cosy little place.

   It was 34 C yesterday. The heat is bearable if you're in the shade. The sun is intense though and it's only going to get hotter in the next couple months. Yesterday Rory made me aware of a solar halo. Never seen one with my own eyes before. I will be starting the volunteer work with BigStep tomorrow. Stay tuned!