I took the Megabus to New York (for only $7!!) and found enroute my British Airways flight had been cancelled. Apparently the day before their JFK computer system crashed and they were forced to issue handwritten boarding passes. Either way, they found me a new flight and issued me a nice non-paper phone boarding pass. With the flight set to depart an hour and fifteen before the original flight, and the bus late an hour to Manhattan, my hopes of getting a slice in the Big Apple were crushed.
Instead, I was running like a banshee down 7th to get to one of two trains that would get me to JFK. Somehow, an hour and a half after I arrived an Manhattan I was sitting in my seat enroute to Heathrow. Compared to US airlines, British Airways was a godsend--but I guess that isn't saying much...
Breakfast and Dinner, 30 movies to pick from and even more TV shows, and complimentary beverages ranging from OJ to mimosas. Not bad. I landed in London in the morning, and had only four hours to spend. I did get to see a Ben and Jerry's vending machine (!!!) and immediately regretted not changing my dollars to pounds.
As soon as I sat in my seat to Accra, I woke up as we landed. The plane opened its doors and I stopped out onto the tarmac. My first thought was HOT. It was 95 degrees with 100% humidity. I entered the airport which first scanned me with a thermal device (to see if I had Ebola) and then an attendant asked for my yellow fever vaccination papers (to make sure I didn't get yellow fever during my stay).
As soon as I sat in my seat to Accra, I woke up as we landed. The plane opened its doors and I stopped out onto the tarmac. My first thought was HOT. It was 95 degrees with 100% humidity. I entered the airport which first scanned me with a thermal device (to see if I had Ebola) and then an attendant asked for my yellow fever vaccination papers (to make sure I didn't get yellow fever during my stay).
After I got my luggage, I changed my dollars to cedis and stepped out of the airport. There must have been at least 200 people outside, all asking if I needed a taxi, hotel, phone, cedis, or a tour guide. I went to my shuttle and arrived to my hotel where I would spend the night, the Airport View Hotel. The next morning, I took a taxi to the VIP bus station, where I would take a 4 hour ride to Kumasi.
Two minutes after I bought my ticket, I was on the bus to Kumasi. I saw many villages on the way there. Some were stricken with heartbreaking poverty, but most were developing or developed. One thing they all had in common were goats. So many goats.
On the way there, a young girl traveling on her own threw up. It was amazing to watch complete strangers immediately come to her aid, with water, towels to clean up, and fresh clothes. It's clear Ghanaian culture is something special, with a true sense of community I hope I can acquire during my stay here.
I took a taxi to KCCR, a research center I am working for in Kumasi. My first assignment was to introduce myself to everyone, and it was great to hear about the research projects being conducted around the country on subjects such as malaria, elephantiasis, onchocerciasis, schistomaniasis, and much more. Today, I will learn more about how I will help the hospital, KATH, and the work I will be involved in at KCCR. I will update soon. Until then, see you on the flip side.
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