January 16 and 17 - Breanu Resort and the Forts

January 16,17,18 - Breanu and The Forts

See pictures at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8

We left Accra around 9:30 a.m. after a somewhat weak shower, and a somewhat weak breakfast. But what did we expect. Not a hotel any of us would recommend. And certainly not good value for money. But, it was in a great location, the people were very pleasant, and the atmosphere provided some interesting observation, i.e. the Liberians and the water pipes. Our drive was similar to the drive out of Accra when we went up to Amedzofe.

Ghana electrifies the senses. As you wander through the streets and drive through the city, you notice the gentle scent of bad eggs permeating the atmosphere. This alternates with the scent of rotten fish, exhaust fumes that you would expect from an unserviced engine, and the "green bin". Our eyes are mesmirized with the business of the cities and towns. It is an array of disorder. None of the buildings are symmetrical, none of them are located in a particular pattern, and none of them are similar in any way. They are big new modern building, mixed with block, stucco or tin houses, mixed with one room booths made out of wood or metal or anything else you can think of. Colour abounds, reds, yellows, greens, blues, oranges; the large umbrellas that cover the barrows, or tables from which people sell their goods; the awnings that cover the larger one room shops, and the goods that range from umbrellas, to brooms and brushes, to cell phones. All of this is held together by the people in their typical cloths, jazzy pants, and robes. I just can't explain it all to you in any meaningful way. I will have to work on it. There is so much to take in, you just can't take your eyes of it I think though that people are part of what make Ghana. They are the warmest people in the world. As we drive by in our truck, the children, the adults, and the older folks, will look and stare and you can feel their surprise in what they see. Then they look up, and see a bus full of white people, and the smile quickly spreads over their faces, or they turn to their friend and point us out and then the friends smiles, and then you get the waves, and the gestures, and the hellos. When you walk amongst them, they naturally smile and say hello. The tiny children run up and hug your legs. The slightly older children come up to you and say hello; and the older girls, although more reserved, are delighted when you smile at them, and maybe wave. The teenage boys are probably the most reserved. Everyone waves. It is the most natural action in the world. I remember once talking to John Aird, a former Lt. Governor of Ontario, about the adaptation from Lt Governor back to lawyer. He said the hardest thing was not to automatically wave at people. I think I may feel like this when I come home. And finally, there are the sounds. As you pass by either on foot or in the truck, you hear laughter, you hear animated conversations, and you hear the chatter of the horns. It's not the loud consistent sound of the horns in India, but the gentle chatter of people saying "I'm here"; "do you need a taxi ride", "I'm right behind you", "I'm passing you". The politeness of the people is inherent. Even on the roads. People stop to let you pass, drivers stop to allow vehicles to turn left, and drivers stop or slow down to let other drivers move around the roads. They even stop for pedestrians, similar to Vancouver, certainly not Toronto where you become a human target when you cross a road. Everyone says "hello", and "good bye"; and "please" and "thank you". It truly is an amazing environment. The sad part is we are missing out by not experiencing it, but if it becomes a popular tourist site, it will be spoiled. The balance is critical, but I think the country, with the right rulers, has a bright future.

Anyway, so that was the scene for most of the journey. We stopped in a town for lunch, and experienced all of this on foot as we wandered slowly down one side of the market main street chatting with the sellers, examining goods, and avoiding the cars! Goods are in excessive supply. The stands and booths and shops are jammed with everything under the sun. But it's not cheap. I would say things are not a ton cheaper than Canada. Probably fresh produce is cheaper, but generally there are not huge differences. Not as huge say as in Asia.

We arrived at the Breanu Resort between Winneba and Cape Coast around 3 and set up our tents ....on the beach! It is beautful. We are camped in amongst the coconut palms, carefully placed, we hope, so that any falling coconuts won't hit us. The ocean is about 25 feet from my feet....that is from high tide. We can hear the pounding of the rollers dumping into the sand, and smell the salt in the air. It is idyllic, romantic, exhiliarating. We cooked dinner and ate around the truck then wandered over to the thatched open air bar for a night cap and then a perfect sleep by the side of the sea.

Today, we were up early, showered, and off to Cape Coast Fort by 9:00 a.m. The fort was amazing but it's story is one of cruelty and sadness. It was of course, a slave fort, as were most of the numerous forts that are built along the West African coast. Many of the slaves resulted from the tribal wars. The losers would be sold by the winners to the slave merchants and then housed in the forts often up to 3 months to await shipment to their destination. A quarter of all slaves sold went to Brazil and the rest to America, the Caribbean and I guess ultimately Europe. We saw the slave dungeons, male and female, we saw the passages they took to the boats, and the door of no return. The conditions were cruel. No facilities, no light, no room. Food they had to fight for and some water. Many escaped. Many died. The women were raped by the whites; made pregnant and punished for it, and put in solitary imprisonment if they fought it. Awful, awful, times. The ironical part is that much of this is still being played out today in Ghana with the enslavement of woment for prostitution. Someone suggested that we shouldn't condemn the Africans because much of what they do they learned from the whites. This certainly seems true in some respects.

We had lunch in a local restaurant on the beach. Beans and toast.......like a sandwich. I have to mention the fruit. It is wonderful. Mango, banana, guava, oranges to die for, advocados. Bliss.

After Cape Coast, we drove a little further down the coast to Elmina Fort. it was built by the Portuguese who lived there for 185 years, then taken over by the Dutch who lived there for 200+ years, and finally the British who lived there for 85 years. A very interesting, but terribly sad, history, identical to that of the Cape Coast Fort. While we waited for the others to finish at Elmina, Ray and I walked over the bridge, through the market, and up the steep road to another castle which was not restored. Walked around that. I think we disturbed a few people's quiet biffy. The goats were amazing. They are tiny and pretty.....oh, oh.....Cathy thinks I have a "goat addiction".....maybe I do!!! They are cute Cath, you would love them!! Tiny compared to the PEI goats though!! Then it was back in the truck and home to our beach front tent!!

We had a buffet tongiht in the resort open air dining tent - it was good, a lot of seafood which I didn't eat, a mild chicken curry, rice, chips, and salad! It seems hard to find a "healthy" lunch or dinner unless you do it yourself by buying fruit in the market. The veg are mainly root veg - cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots. The lettuce isn't too plentiful, and is always loaded with onions. Ugh. Also, although I am eating the lettuce, you always have to be careful because it is probably washed in unpurified water. Conditions are certainly not sanitary. Rivers are jammed with garbage; poo is evident in the hidden areas in the towns, and washing hands is not second nature, despite the TV warnings we have heard from the president's wife who was on TV the other night demonstrating how to wash hands properly. Also, adovcating houses with toilets and running water. Imagine if our prime minister's wife was to get on TV and advertize that!

We are now in our tent. Ray is asleep and I am writing this on my little netbook, in the dark, listening to the sound of the waves thrashing the beach. Tomorrow we head off for Kumasi around 8:00 in the morning. I think there is Internet there so I should be able to upload this, and hopefully some pictures. I hope you can see them on FB. If Alanna sends me instructions "how to"....I'll load them directly on my blog. Blogger has a new look, and the picture insert key didn't seem to include the option to upload from your computer. Can't believe it. Maybe I just couldn't find it amidst my frustration with the Internet.

Hope you are all well!! Thinking of you, and wishing you could experience this exciting place. Gretel: If you read this I could see you and Manfred here!! Next holiday maybe??

Jan 15 - Cote d'Ivoire Visa and The Lost Arts of the Ga Culture - Coffin Art

You can see pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8

Met the group this morning and headed off to the Cote d'Ivoire Embassy for our visas. It all went very smoothly once we provided them with the correct papers. Had to wait a couple of hours for photos, hand prints, etc. We had quite a palava last night when we had to pay for the visas online. I started out doing both of them and then I forgot whose name i had put in and Ray had started doing his own. A bit of a muddle, but so far, we must have got it right as we are both approved as of this morning. But anything can happen!!

After a quick turnover in the hotel we grabbed a cab and headed out to see the coffin makers. Didn't really know where we were going but had a general direction. Caused some confusion in the taxis (a group of 6 of us went together in 2 taxes). Anyway, one of the girls spotted the coffins on the upper story of a building - so we turned around and headed back, paid off the driver and went on up. It was a really interesting afternoon. These carpenters make coffins I would suggest for the more wealthy clients in any shape requested. The only restriction to what we saw between the models on the floor and the pictures were were shown is your creativity. There were eagles, cars, trotros, sewing machines, airplanes, fish, fruit, cameras and anything else you could possibly imagine. Not only do they make full size coffins, but they also make mini ones for storing ashes in. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures from today. It was a really interesting experience. They seem to export all over the world too...so we have a business card for Eric's Carpentry Shop if anyone is interested. Watching the tools they used was also a treat and I may have found a cause for some of my Dad's old planes and saws.

Tonight Ray and I are off to a Ghanaian restaurant - don't know if others are coming - and then we head out of Accra tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Not sure what the Internet is going to be like. It has been really iffy in Accra. Also Sim Cards. Poor Ray has been trying all day to get one, but not sure what the problem is but he doesn't seem to have found one. So.....stay tuned for the next episode.

Jan 14 - Accra

You can see pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8

Met all of our truck group at 10 a.m. for a very brief meeting. After attending to boring stuff like money, and moving rooms, we set with four or five of our group to visit the Independance Arch. We walked for a distance from our hotel down the main street in the Osu district of Accra where we are staying. Oxford Street, as it is known, is a long market of stalls, shops, and street traders. The best artist in Ghana, the best paintings in Accra; "I give you for market in Canada". But the paintings don't have an artists name so I quietly explained that and put the "free" gift down among the pile of other paintings. All the people are very jolly, men and women trying to make a buck. They remember you so that they catch the second time you wander down too!! Handshakes are offered, polite greetings extended and it is just a riot of noises, taxis, cars,and trotros. But it is tremendous fun. The people are really good natured and there is a quiet sense of principal that tremours though the crowd.

We had intended to visit Osu Castle which now appears to be the seat of the Ghana Government. However, when we got to the area we were surrounded by military and helpful passersby who warned us against taking any pictures. We wandered through little lanes and small houses, children, animals, and still could not find our way to the beach. So, we kept walking. Eventually we got back on the main road and arrived at Independence Arch. Even here we were warned against taking pictures of the government buildings and were chased out of the Arch by an officious guard. The trouble is, nothing is marked. The gates are open, and of course we just wandered in. We ended up at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Gardens. The moment is really beautiful, resembling the approach to the Taj with the water and beautiful sculptures in the ponds. The grave is inside a beautiful stone structure and all in all it is very impressive. Many of the flowering trees were in bloom adding more oranges and yellows to the scene. After our long walk, we caught a cab back to the hotel.\

In the evening, we had our first "group" dinner at Frankies on Oxford Street. It was quite European, but the food was OK.

I have been trying to get Red Red which is a typical Ghanaian dish I used to eat consisting of fufu (casavva), plantain, and beans. Otherwise the food has been a mixture of western/african food and quite tasty. Lunch we have just bought something to eat in the supermarket.

Jan 12 and 13 - Accra to Amedzofe

For pictures - see this link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8

We set off on Saturday morning on our first adventure. Otabil arrived in his Mitsubishi SUV around 8:30 a.m. I had arranged this from Canada but the owner, whom we met on our first night, said the driver would bring us to see him before setting off to sort out the journey. Regardless, we headed out of Accra on the road to Aburi Botanical Gardens. In the early '60s I spent a number of trips there with my parents and the avenue of palm trees was vivid in my mind.

Much of the road on this first part of our journey was paved, but as with all the paved roads we have been on, round pot holes from the size of well tiles to the size of man holes appear at regular intervals. These alternate with rumble strips, broken segments of the paving, when there is paving, and rocks, bumps, and more holes when there is not, as well as obstrucions such as people, bikes, kids, animals, and other cars. I do recall seeing some speed signs, but whether or not they were kilometers or miles, I am not sure yet as from my back seat in the car where I sat with fingers clenched tightly on the seat and eyes glued like radar beams on the road ahead, I didn't have the time to glance at the speedometer.The desperate part of this, is that all of the holes, bumps, and instructions have to be avoided.

On Saturday mornings the roads are quieter because not as many people are travelling to work. Could have fooled me!! The streets were crammed with people selling, buying, talking, walking, waiting for a bus or a trotro or just simply watching other people. The women's dresses are bright yellows, green, orange, red bold patterns. There is an abundance of red pepper, mangoe, banana, coconuts, plantain, and other nuts, and vegetables that I don't know the names of. There are goods of every description for sale in the roadside markets, and in the wooden booths that fill in spaces between the aluminium, block or cement shops. Black women in their swinging skirts or dresses balance trays of drinks, sweets, food, cloth and merchandise on their heads and swarm the cars when they have to stop at traffic lights, much like the squeegy men in the Toronto streets, but more numerous and more energetically. Trotros, which are like minibusses that should hold maybe 15 people and actually hold about 25+, line the road side at the various collecting points along the route.

So, through all of this excitement and energy we zoomed our way through the streets of Accra out into the country. Here the scene calmed down. The little villages we passed through had lots of activity but not the freneticness of the city. Tiny one or two room houses built from block, sometimes covered with cement and painted, or wood, or mud bricks lined the roads.

About an hour later we arrived in Aburi (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=82972. We took a guided tour (Sandy - we looked for Alfred, but noone seemed to know him so we ended up with another younger guide). The trees in Aburi are amazing, mostly planted by visiting dignitaries from all over the world. The picture of the palm tree lined avenue is it's signature and known all over Ghana.

Then it was back in the car and off on our chase once again. After about another hour we arrived at Akosombo. This is advertized as one of the cleanest towns in Ghana. It is where the famous Akosombo dam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akosombo_Dam) is built. I was interested in going here because our friend Sandy lived there in the mid 1960s when her father worked with the Volta River Company to build the dam. We had lunch in the Afrikka Resort sitting on their outdoor deck by the side of the river Volta, then took a boat trip up the river to the dam. Although significant, the dam is much smaller than the Itaipo Dam in Brazil for example which produces about 14,000 kilowats of power or Churchill Falls which produces about 5,428 kw; in fact it is more comparable to the Manic 5 in Quecbec. The Volta Lake which resulted from the dam is the largest man made lake in the world. Pretty impressive.

After our little boat ride, we drove across the Adome Bridge and set off on some wild journey through the West African countryside to find Amedzofe. Our driver had never heard of the town and no idea of the route but fortunately, I had thrown a map into my knap sack, which we had bought in Vancouver, and that is what we relied on. Well, we went on some pretty rough roads, or maybe no roads, or tracks, and I don't quite know how we found the place or how we got there.....alive.....but we did. Imagine the space shuttle hurling through the sky and that will give you some idea of the speed we were driving - over ashphalted roads, dirt roads, and whatever, avoiding all of the conditions and obstructions in doing so. Then imagine the dodgems, only instead of avoiding other cars, imagine avoiding all the pot holes, people, animals, etc. mentioned before. The people walking along the side of the road must be used to it because they didn't flinch but elegantly swayed the hip and moved their arm across their bodies out of the way. How we didn't hit anything is a miracle. Oh, and I forgot to mention that at one stage we were flying along a sort of half ashphalted road with a large dirt area to one side when all of a sudden, we were in the middle of cars going the opposite direction on both our left and right. I guess they figured the ashpalt was too bumpy and the dirt was a better bet.

Then we hit the mountains with their switch back bends and narrow 1 1/2 lane roads. The climbs were amazing and we had beautiful forest views looking out over the tops of the beautiful African trees. And finally, around 6:30 p.m. we found the hill village of Amedzofe. As we entered the Village we found a sign advertising the Abraerica Guest House which we went to investigate and discovered it was on the old EP mission grounds. The Guest House had been renovated recently and was immaculate with 24 x 24" white tiles on the floors, and tiles on all the walls, with a quite acceptable double room with a beautiful bathroom. The building was perched on the hill side about 700 meters high with a view of all of the village stretching down into the valley below. But.....of course we are in Africa. So, no running water, not a drop....well I think Ray may have had some drops, but when it came my turn to shower, not a drop. Oh well. After dinner we crawled into our mosquito nets perched precariously on the double bed and went to sleep safe in the knowledge that we didn't have to bother about snakes, or mosquitos, or other bugs joining us.

Sunday morning and we were up early, climbed the tiled steps up the mountain side to the main building and breakfast. Then we set off to investigate the town. What an amazing spot. I would have loved to spend more time there - so anyone coming to Africa - plan on spending a couple of days at least here. It is the sort of place you could stay for a while and just become one of the locals. There are no cars anywhere in the village and therefore the roads are composed of dried mud gullies and mountains. Goats, sheep and chickens roam the town. The people greeted us with big smiles, hand-shakes, and waves as we roamed around the village. Most people speak English . There are many tribes here all speaking their own language and of course they don't understand each other. English is therefore the common language, and Twi the most common African language. Amedzofe has a German link as in ---- the Germans established a mission, and as well there is a large EP college. We drove up the hill into the compound of the school and were confronted by a polite gentleman who pointedly enquired what we were doing there. When we explained we were travelling, he welcomed us to the school with a big smile. You can look out from Amedzofe to see Mount Gemli and Tingro Gemli, one of the highest mountains in Ghana which is just over 700 meters. On the top of Mnt Gemli you can see a metal cross which was planted there by the Germans. Unfortunately we didn't have time to climb the mountain but the view would be stunning. The only thing marring the view is the haze. Harmattan has started and we have been warned that this will be a problem everywhere. It is the same sort of conditions we experienced in India and China. The other photographic problem I have discovered is that the black faces are washed out. Apparently, I should have an HD Multi Coated Variable Range Neutral Density Camera Fileter (Polaroid). The alternative is to make sure I have the sun shining in their faces, but of course with the haze that is difficult!

We dragged ourselves away from Amedzofe with the promise of seeing the Mona Monkeys at Tafi Atome about a 45 minute drive through the hills. This is a community project which was started back in 1993. There was a lot of hunting of the monkeys for food and the population of Mona Monkeys was depleting. The area was granted a huge tract of forest and it was all organized by a Canadian chap called John Mason. Back in 1993 there were about 100 monkeys, now they reckon there are between 300 and 400. The monkeys play freely in the forest. They live in families and are very territorial. They are soooo sweet; they play constantly swinging from branch to branch and sometimes you are sure they are going to fall, but they manage somehow to grab the branch and hang on. The forest has been planted with fruits and berries to sustain them through different seasons, and water is provided during the dry season. We offered them bananas. They were very coy and took a little bit of cajoing, but eventually they would jump on your arm, hold onto your fingers and strip the skin of the banana and elegantly eat it. The "clutch" was gentle, and you had to keep very still and quiet so as not to frighten them; then as soon as they had come, they disappeared. It was an exciting morning. The village of Tafi Atome is set up with a simple guest house so it would be possible to stay there. Once again, wandering through the town people were friendly, and welcoming.

After Tafi Atome, we had a 2 hour drive, again through the mountains towards Toga, to the Wli Falls - the highest in West Africa - around 255 feet. We hiked for 45 minutes through the forest, over 9 bridges of various log, concrete and timber depending what hadn't been washed away by the rains. The lower falls were stunning and then we took a 20 minute hike straight up the mountain side to a view point for the Upper Falls. We badly wanted to do the whole hike up to the falls but once again time was short. It would have been quite a hike. Not sure how it would compare to the Grouse Grind but I suspect probably it would equal or exceed it. It is about an hour and a half's climb straight up, then around the bowl to the top of the falls. Stunning.

We left Wli around 4 p.m in our Mitsubishi race car and made it over the challenging roads to arrive back in Accra around 7:15.

We ate dinner at the hotel, met some of the people from our trip, and headed to bed around 1:00 p.m.

So.......the bad news is I can't figure out how to upload pictures - so I have uploaded them to FaceBook. Here is a URL you can access them at without a FB page.

The Journey

We are now in WA and I have managed to upload my initial blogs. The first part is a little "administrative"....and captures our trials and tribulations getting here, so you may find it a little boring. But promise more interesting stuff after ....!
January 7

On January 9 we head out to West Africa. My stomach is full of butterflies. Hopefully we have made all the appropriate preparations and won't have any "organizational" problems getting there. There are a myriad of things that can "hang you up" on a trip. First, is making sure your passport expires 6 months after the last day of the trip. Sadly, we learn this through one of our good friends' unfortunate circumstances. Secondly, we may be refused access to a specific country if we don't have the correct medical information, i.e. a yellow fever certificate, as well as insufficient pages in our passport. Allow 2 per country! Also passport photos -- again two per country. On top of that we require valid visas. No problem you say! But, when you get the visas you need to make sure they don't expire before you get to the country you are going to. Some countries issue 60 day visas, some 3 month visas, and yet again some 6 month visas. Depending when you will be in that country, you may have to go for the more expensive visa to ensure it does not expire before you enter and exit the specific country. Try fitting that in with a visit to the States before you go, and you realize why people resort to tranquilizers before they travel - it's not the flight that causes the sinking fear in your gut but getting your passports back from one country, in time to send it and receive it back from the next country.

As if that wasn't enough. Have you considered the struggle to find appropriate emergency medical insurance?Have you read the Insurance Policy and understand the terms and conditions of your coverage. For example: one wrong answer and your whole insurance is null and void. Drastic!! I think we are lulled into a sense of false security when we complete a medical form and pay extortionate amounts for our health insurance. Don't be. Check around. Read the policy. Read the questions carefully - very carefully. Don't accept them at face value. Go to someone who is knowledgeable about travel insurance. The CAA representatives are not. Speak out when you find something unfair. I had the CAA annual plan which I got at the beginning of October. I was told all I had to do before I left for Africa was come into the CAA offices and pay the top-up fee for the appropriate number of days over 30, i.e. 23. No problem. I arrived there on Saturday afternoon only to find out that they have initiated a questionnaire to be completed for the top-up, and the questions are very different. Result - I didn't appear to be eligible for the extra insurance coverage. Panic slowly crept into every muscle in my body as the realization sunk in. I wouldn't be able to go to Africa. The representative was very helpful and said she would phone first thing on Monday morning and get back to me by 11:00 a.m. By the time I reached the car, I knew I couldn't wait until Monday morning. I needed to buy some last minute toileteries, and pack. I needed to know right away whether or not I was going. As we ran some other errands my mind grew darker and darker and by the time I got home my body was loaded with worry and it felt as if I was in the middle of a very dark storm. Ray came to the rescue. He called his buddy who is in the insurance business and by Saturday evening I had insurance. I have to admit to only a very quiet contentment when I was able to go back to the CAA on Monday morning and thank them for their help but I would not need their coverage. Of course they came back and said it would be no problem, I could get coverage but at an extra cost. There are times when a market economy means many extra burdens placed on citizens.

But, I think we are ready. Everything is in place, and we are ready to leave.

Tuesday Jan 8 - p.m.

Check-in.......The on-line check in does not recognize our reference number! Step one - call CheapOAir the booking agent. They put Ray on hold - he holds for 40 minutes and hangs up and calls back. He holds for another 20 minutes to get an agent. Discovers the flights have been changed. Agent needs to 'investigate". Ray frantically searches the web for other flights and finds an appropriate one through Expedia. Agent comes back and says the return flight has been cancelled but he can give us a flight on Mar 2 - one day later - so we accept, but still can't check in. CheapOAir says they can't help we will have to call United. By now we are wondering if CheapOAir is reputable. Could we have been so stupid to be scammed??? Call United. It is an automated line. Give them our details. They recognize the reference number, confirm all flights, but now we are swimming across the Atlantic from Brussels to get to Newark to get our flight to Toronto. Nothing more we can do. Need to get to the Airport early to sort it all out. So, the night before we are due to go, we think we have a flight, but are not sure. Nice!!!

Wednesday Jan 9

We are up early and ready for Cathie when she arrives to drive to the airport. House all wrapped up, and off we go. Get to the airport 3 hours ahead of the flight. Go to the United Desk. Some snitty lady tells us we need to go to Air Canada to check in. I said why would we not have been told that. She says, very snittily, it's on the itinerary. It's definitely not. Air Canada is surprised, but they attempt to help. One hour later, the Air Canada Sherlock Homes discovers the clue - one of the ticket numbers is wrong, bingo, finds the new ticket number and we are checked in! So, then back to United to see if they can provide hiking boots to get us from Brussles to the Atlantic and maybe a small boat or a wet suit to help us with our Atlantic Crossing. First lady tells us it's not their problem and she can't do anything because she is usually in operations. Maybe Ravi can help. We go to Ravi. He looks at us as if we have landed from Mars and gives us a United Airlines Number to call. Ray says: "It's not an automated line is it{?"

"No" the UA rep answers.

We go to find a public telephone. I didnt know they still made them, but we find one and call the 1`.800 number. An automated telephone service. Finally we get to a real person. Ray says he has a problem. The rep hangs up! Ray calls back. After holding the line with sweat creeping slowly down our backs, the rep comes back and says he has sorted it out. I think what happened is that when the return flight was changed, the UA personnell didn't process the change correctly and therefore the information wasn't attached to the new ticket number. Hence the confusion at the Air Canada desk. And of course we couldn't check into United becuase we were supposed to check in with Air Canada. The flight attendant told us they were partners. I said well if you are partners you don't communicate very well. He made some smart comment about it being something like a marriage. Sometimes you talk, sometimes you don't.!! So, now we have an hour to get to the Gate for check in. I guess we were frazzled or something but we walked the length of Terminal 1 once then had to walk all the way back to the other end to find the US customs. Fortunately, they were efficient and we were through. Security, the same. We arrived with time to go to the loo and then line up to board. The flight to Newark was in a small plane and was quick and efficient.

Get to Newark with about 3 hours to wait. Time for lunch at about 3:30. Well, I guess it wasn't our day or something and maybe I should fast forward to German time to get out of it quicker. We ate a lousy meal in a lousy airport restaurant. Walked around the airport and then loaded for our flight to Frankfurt. Everything on time and efficient. Get on the plane and to pay for wine with dinner - no credit card. I guess it is still sittling in the credit card holder in the lousy restaurant in the Newark Airport. There is not much you can do when you are sitting in the middle seat of three on a plane with 400 people in the middle of the sky. I felt trapped. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to deal with my internal chatter. Nowhere to escape the inert body sitting beside me rigid with frustration. It was opportune that that was the moment the skies decided to take their revenge on the human race and hammer the airplane with winds. The plane started to cavort around the airspace, and the captain turned on the "seat belt" sign and revved up the engines making it hard to hear to take us up to the next level to avoid the turbulence. I guess there are forces stronger than us around!! It has been a very long timne since I have experience anything as dramatic in the air. Dinner arrived, and the wine thank goodness; I don't know whether it was the rolicking airplane or the loss of the credit card or the miffed husband sitting beside me, but my hands shook so badly, and all of a sudden my hunger faded as the plane settled down and I didn't do much justice to another rather dried out, sawdust tasting meal.

The saga of the lost credit card continued in Frankfurt when the 24/7 collect call line to Scotiabank had "technical problems". I think we exposed all the cracks in our very organized and controlled Canadian systems". Didn't make it so bad leaving to visit Africa. Sort of prepared us.....I guess!!

When we got to Frankfurt we had the same "check in" problems as in Toronto (we had to check in for the final stage of the journey). But once again an ingenious rep Lufthansa rep sorted it out. The flight rom Frankfurt was about 6 1/2 hours. The crew were fantastic but the flight itself was one of the bumpiest we have had in a long time. It reminded me of one of my earlier journeys to Ghana when we were in a Stratocruiser and went through the biggest storm over the desert. One of the communication cables broke, and there was some other damage done to the plane. We had to land in the middle of the Sahara to repair the plane. We weren't allowed out of the structure, until finally it got so hot, the crew were able to get permission for us to go outside, where of course it was almost as hot but not so claustrtophobic. We were well guarded by soldiers with guns. I think we had landed at an Arabic air base. Fortunately, we didn't have such an adventure this time,

One of the reasons I enjoy travelling is the personal stories you hear. For example. I sat beside a Nigerian woman on the flight into Frankfurt. She had moved to the States 3 years ago to be with her brother. She was a teacher in Nigeria but feels that because she hit the US at the worst time imaginable, she has been unable to find permanent work. She is supply teaching but sometimes wonders where her next few pennies are going to come from. Another brother had died in Nigeria and she was making the long trek back to Nigeria for his funeral. She was lovely. Then on the flight to Accra we met a German mother travelling with two small children to join her husband for a two year contract in Accra. I momentarily sat with the older girl while the mother took the younger girl to the bathroom. She was excited about fulfilling one of her life long dreams.

January 10

We walked out the back end of the 737 on to the tarmac in Accra about 7:30 on Jan 10, 28 hours after we had left home. A shield of heat and humidity hit us in the face when we took our first step down the gangway. We got into a bus which took us the very short distance to the unsophisticated terminal. The walk down the building to the customs hall was decorated with an archway of red ribbon making us feel like royalty when we arrived. Customs and baggage pick up went smoothly. We had our pictures taken and our fingers printed - correction we both had our pictures taken but I alone had my finger prints taken. We couldn't get an answer why but I suspect it may be in an effort against trading women. My biggest fear was that the driver i had arranged to pick us up from the airport wouldn't be there. He was!!! I should have more faith!!

We drove a short distance, maybe 10 or 15 minutes to the hotel. What the infrastructure lacks, the people make up for. We were welcomed warmly at the hotel, and soon had our jeans stripped off and dressed in something cooler. We went out to compound for dinner - because it was late we had a chicken and a beef sandwich which was really a wrap with a crepe. It was delicious. And.....of course a cold beer....or two.

The dining/lounge area is quite eclectic. The owner is Lebanese. His brother has a "special spot" where he sits with his group of friends smoking their water pipes. We are told they are smoking but with flavours added so that it doesn't taste like cigarette - a cooler smoke, we are told. There was another couple there from Holland. Tonight, the Libyan Ambassador came over with a Libyan friend, and the Lebanese crowd was there too. Fortunately, they seemed quite friendly, to each other, and to us, and we had a nice chat with one of the Libyan guys. The dining room manager, whose name is Mali, is lovely - very mannerly with the typical Ghanaian smile. He told us his life story and how he ended up here. Very high principles. Showed us his three beautiful kids. Very lovely.

We didn't do much at all today. We got to bed last night around midnight, just after and flaked out till about midday. Ray was up at 9 and had a shower. I slept like a log. We got up and made a 5 minute walk down the street to the supermarket. What an amazing array of foods. So well stocked with food from every part of the world. The shelves were packed with goods. We watched a particular white woman doing her shopping with her "maid". An interesting relationship where both women looked bored with each other, themselves, and their life. Shoppers were mixed - white - black - and probably Middle Eastern. Ghana has always had ties wtih people from North Africa. As a kid I remember all the "traders" being Syrian who were also the shop owners at that time. Interestingly, we haven't seen any hint of Chinese money at this point. We are told the Libyans are investing heavily in Ghana and the Lebanese have been here for years.

Later we went for a walk around Osu the district we are staying in. The best way to describe the scene is that of a market walking down the side of the busy main street. We were accosted by all sorts of people, hoping I am sure to make a sale, but able to say "welcome to Ghana" when we didn't buy!! The Ghanaians are truly lovely people. If you can catch the smile, it is big, and warm, with lots of sparkling white teeth and warm, friendly eyes. They have a special handshake which is readily offered.

Anyway, I must go to bed and will try and upload this epistle. Tomorrow at 8 we are off to Aburi Gardens and the Volta Region.

Where to Next?

When I saw the Overlanding West Africa site (http://www.overlandingwestafrica.com/), I knew that our next trip would be through West Africa. Eureka!! We're off on January 9. We'll be overlanding through Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. I've added a couple of maps so you know where we're going.

Many have asked us: "Why West Africa". Our travel doctor told us it was the most dangerous place on earth!! Bugs, disease, and personal safety, I think he was referring to. The simple answer is it's beautiful...and once you have been to Africa it has a habit of grabbing your soul and never letting go. The longer answer is that I lived there when I was a kid. My Dad was a construction engineer on a diamond mine in Ghana and Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, the mines are either destroyed or not operating, and there is no infrastructure that I could tap into to go back for a visit. Besides, you can never "go back"! We were looking for something interesting to do for January and February and had decided on renting a house in Oaxaca in Mexico with a possible couple of weeks in Puerto Escondido. Sounds like fun? It did to me....until I told my daughter. "What", she exclaimed, "Go to Mexico? You guys can't do that. Everyone goes to Mexico on holiday." So, it was back to the drawing board. Sitting in my armchair I toured the world. Finally I landed on Bali. Everyone wants to go to Bali, right? So I thought. But Ray said no. I think it was more the isolation of the writer's retreat that I was looking at that didn't appeal to him rather than Bali itself!! So, recovering from the rebuff of the Bali suggestion, I was cruising my FaceBook site when I saw the link for Overlanding West Africa posted by Tony Embling (our driver from our Oasis trip to South America). I opened it up! The picture in the banner that day was one of a palm-tree lined, brick-red dirt, avenue along the edge of the ocean. My heart pulled me through the pictures on  the web site of mud logged roads, baobab trees, children's glowing, black, faces, and colourful kente cloths worn by the local people. The trip description talked about wildlife, music, hiking and trekking, bike riding, beaches, getting stuck in the mud, and of course the unique and scintillating African culture.I was hooked. Fortunately, it didn't take Ray long to get on the bandwagon! And so....David, Jimmy, and Aminah.......here we come!!  Stay posted!! But a word of warning. I will try my hardest to keep this blog current, but I do know that there may be periods of time, up to or over 17 days, when we will not have access to the Internet. So, please be patient!!
 

The Defence (Feb 22 – Mar 13)

The most exciting event in this period is that Alanna has “passed” her Capstone. This was a 100 page research paper she did on the public interest in decisions made by regulatory tribunals. She successfully defended her paper in front of a small audience on Friday (March 11) morning. It was very exciting to see her present….but also extremely nerve racking and emotional. I was only “watching” so, I can’t imagine how nervous she must have been! We are very proud of what she has achieved and I am sure she is extremely relieved to have this completed.

She still has some minor revisions to make before she can close the door on it. She only has one more course to finish, and then she will be working full time (she is currently working 2 days a week) with the BCUC (British Columbia Utilities Commission) – first as Acting Commission Secretary for 14 months, then as a regulatory analyst. A very exciting time in her life. In the evening the three of us had a lovely “celebratory” dinner at Cardero’s in Coal Harbour.

Our stay in our “home away from home” ended on March 7. Then we spent 5 days with our friends Cindy and Murray in North Van, and are now spending our final few days with Alanna in the West End. Our life has been spent just living. We entertained our few friends in Vancouver, went over to their place for dinner, ran, shopped, and generally had a lovely time. I went to a Corporations Canada presentation on the new Not for Profit Corporations Act and connected with many people that I used to work with but some of whom I had never actually met in person. Ray and I also explored Furry Creek some more and an area just outside West Van called Seascape, both gorgeous areas built up the side of the mountainous cliffs and overlooking the Salish Sea. Our most recent excursion was to an area in East Vancouver called Strathcona or Mount Pleasant. This is an area of eclectic, brightly coloured homes, a Buddhist temple, a Ukranian Church, and other interesting cultural buildings on the edge of China Town.

Ray and I joined a bootcamp, with the compliments of our daughter! This is a “first-time experience” for Ray and we were both pretty “sore” after the first couple of times. However, we did manage to run 16 km this morning. I don’t imagine tomorrow at bootcamp will be very pretty!!

Along with the rest of the world we have watched the events unroll in Egypt and now in Libya, and the devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan plus the effects of the sunami in Japan. The world seems like a very turbulent place these days. During our visit to Torres del Paine in Chile, I remember saying to Ray that it was such an inhospitable place because it didn’t want humans to go there and destroy its beauty. It’s almost as if that is what the whole world is telling us right now. Sort of like its saying to man: “you have had your opportunity on this planet and you have screwed it up with your human excesses – now its pay back time!” Somewhere along the line I think we have missed the point of the battle between good and evil when the world can stand by and watch someone like Gaddafi committing mass murder, and taking his revenge on his country’s people and their resources. It feels as if we are watching the “unravelling” of the world as we know it. Anyway, that’s my view of the world today!!

Meanwhile, life rolls along. Our cat Chloe is on holiday in Toronto and has a Jack Russell for a house mate. We’re waiting to hear the latest episode from Sherry. Hopefully no flying fur, scraped noses, or tails between the leg!!! Relationship counselling as its wildest!!!

From beautiful Vancouver…..see you again soon!