Prelude
As promised here is our blog to keep you all up to date with our doings while in Ghana and beyond. If any of you are not already familiar with our schedule here is the brief. Tara has taken her fragile worker for NSW Health form and has morphed herself into a bright burning star for peace, justice and health reform known as an AYAD (Australian Youth Ambassador for Development). With her newly found paladin like powers she seeks to make an impact on Ghana...which is no small task as the name Ghana means Warrior King! As for me I have taken the glamorous role of househusband which includes, but is not limited to sitting on my behindus all day... Now moving on!!
Getting there is half the fun!
Our Adventure... well Tara's adventure begins in the Qantas departure gate as she waits for her flight to arrive... very well knowing that if she is even delayed 30 minutes she would be more than likely to miss her connecting flight in Johannesburg.... Which she did. So In Johannesburg.... Ok she can type this...
"We'll after many negotiations with different airlines it was decided that we Aussies were an inconvenience and no one wanted to deal with us. Luckily I met three other Aussie volunteers in the same position and together we somehow survived a 48 hour stop over in the airport (spending most of our time sleeping on couches and in the dingy transfers lounge without any hotel or meal vouchers - still in my bad books qantas!)"
I personally am a Qantas fan though... that is where my adventure begins! So anyways I rock up to the Airport in... let's say a nice vehicle courtesy of a certain family member (you know who you are you non-internet-user fiend you!) and headed on over to the check in counter having of course checked in online, so totally skipped like 100 people. Got on the plane first because I was in premium economy and just strolled over while the other first and business class losers were just a little flabby to get up for boarding. Having heard of Tara's slight inconvenience I asked if I may be able to get off the plane a bit earlier so they said sure we'll just upgrade you to business class...awesome... Got off the plane first and you know there is always a line at the international transfer desk so because of the tight connection I went to the platinum desk and asked them to make it quick, so they processed me and I walked straight on to the plane to Ghana! Tara hates me a lot right now...
AKWAABAA
Akwaabaa means Welcome in Twi (or as tara is now explaining is a language derived from the Ashanti people who are one of the dominant people groups from the Central Region...but she's not sure...yeh) and is the first sign you see as you get off the plane. By the way when you fly in it just looks like the city goes on forever. We had a driver at first but there are really 3 ways of getting around Accra; Tro Tro, Taxi or walk...a long way. The Tro Tro is the public bus... although a better way of describing it is a half broken, overcrowded, rusty, no seatbelts, non-airconditioned death trap...for public transportation... most public buses have some form of sign indicating their destination/route but they have traded that in for a crazy man hanging our the window who yells at you while making wild hand gestures of his route such as CIRC CIRC CIRC (to Circle station) drawing big circles with his hands or DOWN DOWN DOWN(to Hatso Downs)...obviously pointing down e.t.c. and LEGO LEGO LEGO (to Legon) this is of course all a bit overwhelming when you first get there... The upside of this transport though is that it costs like 50c to get anywhere in Accra.
The Second alternative is to get the cab...If you are O'Brunei the conversation often goes like this. Where you go? Accra Mall? 20 cedes! Oooooooooh no no I got there for 5 this morning! ok 15 just for you! no no maximum final offer 8... get in!...The locals pay like 2...Still we get are proud of our bargaining prowess.
Finally when it is too hot, the Tro Tro's are too full, the traffic is terrible or the taxi drivers are getting greedy you walk....a long way... but you walk...with dignity... Sweating... like a fat husband who's just left Mosman...
That is enough for this post however there is still so much more to tell in this adventure...
No comments:
Post a Comment