Leaving Ghana - May 6

At the airport in Accra, supposedly one of the most modern buildings in the area, I was shocked to find this toilet! It seemed like a concession to travelers from this and other third-world countries, who only understood "holes in the ground" for toilet facilities. It was a combination "hole" with a modern tank attached (though I'm not sure why there was a handle on it, up about 10 feet off the floor!). Well, I have to admit, that's one of the things I really liked about Ghana - it's a combination of old and new, familiar and unexpected, ancient and modern. I'd definitely like to come back to this peaceful African republic. Last month, Ghana celebrated its 50th anniversary of freedom from British rule, and it was formerly known as the Gold Coast. The country could be so much more advanced if what they receive in aid from foreign countries and organizations would be put to use for the benefit of all the people. The US evidently donated about $50 million recently, with which the government could have improved the electrical and water systems in the country. Instead, however, they bought fleets of fancy cars for dignitaries and transported all the beggars to a distant area so the visitors during the ceremonies wouldn't see them. There is corruption at every level here - such a shame!

We finally arrived at the waiting lounge (I use that term loosely - it was more like a waiting room) that was not air-conditioned. We had passed through at least 6 official check-points by then - some for documents, some for luggage. At the airport, like many places in Ghana, there seem to be a lot of employees because it's very cheap to hire them. At the fancy foreign-owned grocery stores, the help gets paid about $1 per hour, so it's easy to have plenty of people to stock shelves and carry out purchases to the car. Here at the airport, there were employees who looked official in their tidy uniforms, but didn't really seem to have any definite purpose. At one point, in the customs line, a lady told all the Delta passengers to move to the front of the line. But when we were all clustered up front, nothing else changed - there were still only 2 officials tagging the baggage (not even opening it, mind you, or asking any questions, just applying a sticker to the outside). In essence, the big move to the front of the line served no purpose whatsoever, but I guess it gave the employee something to do when she told everyone to move. It's a good thing they told us to be there 3 hours before departure, because it took almost every minute of that to go through all the processes. At the final checkpoint, where they checked our carry-on baggage, the official saw that I was carrying snack bars and said "Can I have your candy?" I looked at her to see if she was joking, but there was no trace of a smile on her face. So I countered "Sure, help yourself." Again she said, "I can have your candy?" I started thinking that she wanted the unopened box of 6 multi-grain bars and the two sweet-n-salty bars, so I said "If you'd like one, go ahead and have one" (rather emphasizing the "one" bit). So she actually took one of my bars and kept it for herself! It seemed a bit unofficial to me but, hey, we were in Ghana and maybe that's how they supplement their food budget! It reminded me of being in the marketplace earlier in the week - when "quick dash" or "dash me some" were common phrases meaning give some money for taking a picture of them, or helping a beggar, or buying something to help them out, etc. I felt like this snack bar was a "quick dash" of food instead of money.


Here we are, boarding the Delta Flight 167 to return to New York City. I was surprised when we were asked to start boarding one entire hour before the scheduled departure time. However, it was amazing that when 10:30 a.m. rolled around, our departure time, we were actually IN THE AIR just after take-off! I don't know when I've ever been on a flight schedule that was THAT efficient! Sitting in front of me on the plane were 3 freshman high school students from Ohio who had just spent a week in Ghana also. They said that, in the beginning, many students had wanted to be part of the trip with a teacher as guide. But in the end, only 4 were able to afford the trip, about $3,000 US. What a fantastic experience for those kids, to see parts of the world that most never will. (And what a wise investment for their parents to pay for their teenagers to have this opportunity! - or do you think it was just to get rid of them for a week?!? - ha ha)

This photo is from the airport in New York City, where a passenger has a baby loaded on her back in the Ghanaian fashion, freeing her hands to collect her baggage. (I was trying for a better angle on the next shot when the airport security told me to put the camera away. Yes, sir!) The babies carried this way are very calm and quiet. They have the advantage of being near their mother and feeling her constant touch, but the disadvantage of rarely seeing her face or interacting with her. There were no strollers in Ghana - all babies are carried this way. We'll miss Ghana, which was like taking a step back in time about 50 years at least. Some of the "old ways" create a deep sense of community and inter-dependence among the people. But being back in New York was like a breath of fresh air - literally, the air was cool and not muggy! Things were orderly and worked as expected. It's great to travel, but it's also great to be back on U.S. soil!