David In Accra, Ghana
I am safely in Ghana after good help in getting to the airport in Toronto, where I had to repack my bags in the middle of the airport to meet weight limitations, good flights to London and then to Accra and VSO at the airport in Accra to meet the entire group. It was a long day and I was glad to get to the hotel and to bed.
There are 10 volunteers in our group - 1 Canadian (me), 1 Scottish lady, 1 Kenyan lady, 2 Indian men, 1 Filipino lady, 3 British ladies and 1 British man. The British guy and I will be doing the same work, only he will be in Wa, Upper West Region and I will be in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region. We are already looking forward to collaborating on the project, once we find out exactly what the project is.
We met with the VSO programme officers the other night and have a better feel for what we will be doing. But we both realize that the reality might be different from the expectation.
All is well here. The hotel is very nice with AC, hot water, satellite TV, good meals, and quiet. It has been a very gentle introduction to Ghana so far. Sunday we leave for our placements, and that will be the real introduction to Ghana.
I might not be able to post often as Internet access will be non-existent or limited in Bolgatanga. I will have to think of a good way to keep in touch with everyone.
Bye for now.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
David Going To Ghana
I received confirmation last week that my visa for Ghana has been approved and VSO is just waiting to receive it so they can send it to me.
Today I received an email telling me that my passport, including visa and travel arrangements, has been overnighted to me and so everything is a go.
I have spent the last few days getting things that I know I will need, things that I think I will need, and even some things that I hope I will not need or will ever have to use. In the meantime, I am sure that there are some techical tools that would be useful to have when I get there but I won't really have any idea what they are until I need them. Some of my technical friends back in Canada and the US might get personal emails asking for long-distance assistance once I have a better idea of what I will be doing.
It seems that the time is really flying by now. It wasn't that long ago that I had two months to get ready. And now I have only a few days. I am organizing my bedroom for storage and so that it is not a nasty mess while I am gone. I am selecting clothes that I want to take with me. I am looking at the size of my bag, and that will mean reorganizing my gear. And then I expect that after I try to get it all in the bag there will be yet another attempt at reorganizing. I am sure that the final load will be determined when my ride to the airport gets here and I have to seal my bag for the trip.
The good part is from my past experience in Nigeria, I know that I can get by with what I take with me. I might miss a few things but in the long run, I will manage. In fact, that was a motto for Nigeria - we'll manage. I expect that it will be similar in Nigeria.
My next entry will be from Ghana. Perhaps I will have the chance to add some interesting photos, or at least some interesting information about the country.
Today I received an email telling me that my passport, including visa and travel arrangements, has been overnighted to me and so everything is a go.
I have spent the last few days getting things that I know I will need, things that I think I will need, and even some things that I hope I will not need or will ever have to use. In the meantime, I am sure that there are some techical tools that would be useful to have when I get there but I won't really have any idea what they are until I need them. Some of my technical friends back in Canada and the US might get personal emails asking for long-distance assistance once I have a better idea of what I will be doing.
It seems that the time is really flying by now. It wasn't that long ago that I had two months to get ready. And now I have only a few days. I am organizing my bedroom for storage and so that it is not a nasty mess while I am gone. I am selecting clothes that I want to take with me. I am looking at the size of my bag, and that will mean reorganizing my gear. And then I expect that after I try to get it all in the bag there will be yet another attempt at reorganizing. I am sure that the final load will be determined when my ride to the airport gets here and I have to seal my bag for the trip.
The good part is from my past experience in Nigeria, I know that I can get by with what I take with me. I might miss a few things but in the long run, I will manage. In fact, that was a motto for Nigeria - we'll manage. I expect that it will be similar in Nigeria.
My next entry will be from Ghana. Perhaps I will have the chance to add some interesting photos, or at least some interesting information about the country.
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