Chapter 15...The Departure and Arrival!

I have arrived...AND almost even done my first 24 hours in Ghana, Accra the capital to be precise! 

 SO much has happened since I left home at 10am yesterday to travel down to Heathrow airport, I feel like I don't really know where to start, but to save this from being the World's most boring blog post I will put my brain into gear and try piece it all together for you...

At 12am yesterday I found myself alone at Heathrow Terminal 5 with my backpack and daypack on a trolley and my helmet under my arm! As being dropped off at an airport alone to travel to somewhere unknown is nothing unusual for me now, it didn't really feel all that strange and there was not a tear in sight! That morning I had said goodbye to my best friend in the whole Universe (my little sister for those of you who couldn't guess), as well as my parents best friends who VERY kindly offered/got asked to do the airport run for me, so anyone would have thought the tears would be free-flowing! 

As there were no tears to occupy my time at the airport I decided to treat myself to some last food and drink treats and don't even ask why I chose these - an egg sandwich from Pret, a Starbucks strawberries and cream frappuccino and a bar of Cadburys fruit and nut! Me treating it as my last supper and really going all out (not)!

So to move this story on a bit quicker than it currently is...as it came time to head to the gate to board the plane I met the other volunteer I knew was going to Ghana with me (we had met at SKWID training, see chapter 12)! We were chatting away when suddenly someone interrupted us to take a photo (of them, not us) and as I turned around to see who this rude person was I noticed it was Kate Garraway of GMTV fame! She was also heading to Ghana, who knows what for, and was on our flight! Interesting I thought, maybe Ghana will be filled with loads of D list celebrities!

A VERY turbulent flight later where I had my sick bag ready for most of it, we landed at 21:30 in a 'cool' 28 degrees Ghana! Walking through arrivals with the other 4 volunteers I'd met en route, we were greeted by a young lady holding up a piece of paper with V.S.O typed up in big letters, a relief for us all to see someone there to meet us! But not only was there someone there to meet us, there were also 12+ other volunteers who had also been on our flight and were all heading to the Capital for a week of In-Country-Training...!

We were then transported by bus to Sun Lodge Hotel in Accra, which was described by one of the current volunteer reps (who I will be living with) as 'one of the best (mid-range) hotels in the Capital!' Brilliant I thought, I can definitely do this volunteering stuff, especially when we arrived and were checked into a huge room with a/c, TV, balcony overlooking the pool, fridge, water, kettle AND wi-fi...all luxuries in a developing country, as we all know, and all luxuries that I was told I should make-the-most of now, as there will be NOTHING like this where I'll be living! Great I thought, I knew it was all too good to be true :-)

So...today, Valentines Day, has consisted of a bus tour around the capital where a million photos were taken (surprise), AMAZING food which has been non-stop, good conversation and a spot of 'work' in the form of visa applications, emergency contact forms etc! 

My small backpack is at the end of the far bed! All the other bags in the room belong to my room mate! As you can probably expect everyone was VERY surprised by how few bags I had with me! I now think I maybe should have taken advantage of the 2x23kg baggage allowance and not just gone for my 20kg backpack!

Me outside the hotel we're staying in!

A Ghanaian street market!

Our yummy bus snack of a traditional African meat sandwich and waffles :-)

Independence Square!

The location of our lunch by the pool!

The pool!

Me on our balcony overlooking the pool :-

)

All-in-all a VERY good first day and start to my placement, I just hope the next year runs as smoothly as this, but we all know it won't...!