Everyone in Ghana is up about 05:00, and those who aren't, are up when the sun rises, which is 05:45. Because it's close to the equator (practically on it), daytime is always 6-6. Anyway, Aankit and Jeff didn't get up until about 07:00, so I just sort of watched out the window at what was going on. Kids started getting to school, and women and children were getting buckets of water. There were kiosks opening and people sweeping steps or entryways. It didn't look busy though, just active. People weren't walking as if they were the white rabbit, but just patiently making their way about their everyday business. It was calming.
Once the boys were awake, we all got ready to go. It was satisfying to be able to brush my teeth and spit over the side of the stairs (which had no railing, by the way). Jeff got donuts from a street vendor, and Aankit got me a water since I still hadn't exchanged money. Water comes in these little 500 mL bags that you gnaw a hole in on a corner to drink from. The bags are really sturdy, so they don't tend to accidentally break. You can also get bottles of water, but they're not worth it since you can't really reuse the bottles. Plus, the bags are made in Ghana, so you're supporting Ghanaian industry. It confused me at first because I didn't know where to put my bag when I finished drinking the water. There isn't a waste removal system in Ghana, so people just throw their garbage in the gutters on the side of the street. It makes the place look dirty by American standards, but somehow it doesn't feel dirty in Ghana.
We took a taxi to the Medina market, where we found a share taxi to the airport. A share taxi means that once there are four passengers, the taxi leaves, and it's a set price (unlike most things) to get there. We had to go to the airport to exchange my money, as well as pick up three professors who were coming to check out the program. We had to walk about half a mile, me still with all my luggage, which was starting to get heavy at this point. Once we got the professors, we found a tro-tro, which is like a minivan, to take us to Busua. Aankit held out in the market for an air conditioned vehicle so we'd be more comfortable. So, all of us packed in with our luggage, and we were off to Busua.
The ride there was long, about 6 hours, and the road was really good in places, really bad in others. Through Accra, and the other major cities on the way, it was a six-lane divided highway, and some corners even had traffic lights! The majority of the lights didn't work, so there was a policeman directing traffic at those intersections. The ones that did work were just like the ones here. (And by 'here' I mean WI, not MI since MI is just weird :P ). With one exception. The lights, before they turned yellow, flashed green once. It was a nice warning since, for most intersections, people just sort of go and keep going. There's some sort of agreement as to how things flow, but usually it's not organized, so drivers occasionally (mostly) ignore when it turns red until the other cross street starts going.
In between cities, the road was dirt and full of potholes like the ones through Medina. That actually felt safer since there were fewer people to hit and we were going slower. People on the side of the road heard the car and got out of the way. If they weren't getting out of the way, the driver would honk and they'd move. The car rarely slowed down, except for goats. (I learned why later). I spent most of my time looking at the plant life on the side of the road. It was gorgeous and full and green. A lot of it looked like what you might find in the Midwest, but some, like palm and coconut trees, were obviously different.
There were farms spaced out along the road, and occasional stands selling fruit or veggies. It was interesting to see the people as we passed, but I was tired, so I dozed most of the way there. We had two bathroom breaks, which consisted of pulling to the side of the road and watering a tree. The first time, I felt a bit self-conscious, but then I got over it. When in Ghana... :)
We pulled into Busua and the kids in the house came out to grab my bags and show me to my room. And then the adventure really begins.
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