Last of Summer 2011- Ghana

Hello Everyone,.

I'm not sure if I still have any followers left, but I will still finish off the trip in pictures. I have been kept very busy back at home, and so my apology in the delay of updating. It's hard to be back, and especially hard to be back without Philip!! As I'm sure you all could imagine. (or try to :) )


My flight was to leave Ghana around 11pm. We knew that it takes time to get anywhere, so we left early. We left the house around 6:30pm, which should give us time to get checked in and then maybe grab something to eat there at the airport and spend the last few hours together. Well, the usual 45mins to 1 hour taxi ride to the airport only took 15 mins, so was great, we were thinking that we would have lots of extra time to talk and be together. Well, much to our surprise, when we arrived at the airport, there was a line up of the entire number of people that are flying on my plane, waiting in line.... We ended up spending nearly 3 hours standing in line to get checked in. Anyways, we made the best of it, enjoyed people watching and talked a bit more.

This is our sad ride to the airport :(

The crazy lineup was zig-zaged back and forth through the airport...

Philip entertaining me with the luggage cart :) We had to do something in this line that was moving an inch an hour it seemed. haha.
We did even find some smiles to pass our time :)

It was a sad ride to New York.... I ended up having quite a trip across USA with my connections. I arrived into New York, then went to Chicago, then Minneapolis, and then finally to Spokane where I finished.. Anyways, all my flights were pretty good, and wasn't long and I was back with Mom who came down to Spokane to pick me up :)

This is a toilet in New York...I had to take a picture because I have travelled a lot, but have never seen such a system..very smart indeed!! This toilet has a seat cover, and when you wave your hand in front of the sensor, it pulls the cover in one side and a new cover comes out the other side. How creative and so sanitary ;)

I made it home safe and sound, and started work a day after I got home. I had a rest day and then back into the swing of things.. :)

Well, as you have seen from some of the pictures on the previous post, I did get my hair braided before I left Ghana. I kept it in just over a week, and then decided to take it out.... It took mom and I 2 hours 15 mins to take all the braids out.

This is my hair after the braids came out!! Who said a white girl couldn't have an afro ;)

This was all the pieces from the added hair they put in to make the braids look so nice :)

Almost looks like I'm holding a poodle! :)

Time has passed, and I'm already thinking of when Philip is coming here to visit or when my next trip to Ghana will be. Thanks to you all for watching and commenting, and hope to hear from you all again on my next excursion. I will keep you posted ;)

Talk to you soon,
the true Ghanadian,

Leah :)

Last Days in Ghana...

Some more pictures from my last days there...

Here is what the shower looks like.. Each person has their own "sponge"/color, and I tell you these are the best scrubbies ever! A shower never feels as good as when you are scrubbing the dirt and sweat off your skin in Africa :)

I'm not sure if this is politically correct in Canada, but I suppose anything goes here :)

Aug.16, 2011 Marked two years for Philip and I. We went out to a fancy hotel/restaurant for supper and the evening. This is Philip enjoying his food :)

Not sure how I'm going to eat all this :)

Very good evening. Was good food, good times, and good fun! Some American foods and some traditional.

After supper, we went out by the pool to try take some pictures of us. The lighting was beautiful, but the man we asked to take the pics wasn't so good, so we had to set up the self timer, and this is the result. Philip had some fancy footwork to run back and forth in the 10 seconds :) But, hey, we got some nice pics!

Inside the hotel.

Us again...note the 2-- 2 years for us ;)

We survived 2 years and still happy :)

Our little friend Benadicta, and Philip

Out for lunch one last time before I left. We shared this beef burger and chicken stir fry. It was super duper good. However, the beef patty inside the bun was hiding-it was about half the size of the bun :)

Stopped for a snack in the afternoon :) There's always time for Coke and kabobs :)

While we were having our snack, the people kept coming around and trying to sell me stuff. I did buy some wooden spoons from this lady. These wooden spoons are like none we have at home :) Not gonna break stirring something thick, that's for sure!

The markets again. Philip is great, he is so patient with me in the markets while I try and get the cheapest price :) Even though they always want him to help them get a better price and rip me off! haha. We have lots of fun bargaining in the markets.

On our way back home from our day of 'marketing' :)

I'm not sure if you will be able to understand what this picture is, but it was hilarious....this man's shirt had the collar of his shift around his neck, and shreds of the shirt left around it..haha, quite a site. I was in a bus driving by, so couldn't get a great picture.

Auntie Betty and Uncle Tetteh had to leave to go to convention in Togo, the day before I left, so I was starting my goodbyes early. Hard to see them go. They are like my parents away from my parents :)

Later that day, I decided that I would try get my hair braided.....

And....3 HOURS LATER!!!! It was "FINALLY" finished!

There were a few things I wanted to buy before going home, so Auntie Teiko took me into town one last time. Here she is bargaining for some fish, which we ate later in the day with Fufu.

Smoked Tuna, another fish that doesn't have an English name :)

Some pots and pans for sale, all in one big area.

Later in the afternoon, I found Auntie Teiko like this....Sometimes sleep hits you, and you just have to sleep wherever you are, even on her sewing cutting table :)

The last day...relaxing with Esther, Fifi and Ami

Admiring my hair :) It took so long, I had to be sure I liked it. I guess it's okay :) They did it so tight, and so perfectly!

Well, there you have it! I left Ghana on Aug. 20, 2011 and am now back in Fernie. I went back to work on the 23rd, and have been working full time since then. Have to save money for my next visit ;) I'm just hoping that Philip can come to Canada before I have to go there again! I think it's his turn eh?!?! :)

Thanks to you all for following. I have a few pics left from the airport and getting home, but I will put them on another time, they're still on my camera, I haven't put them on my computer yet. So, you'll get maybe one more post! :)

Bye for now,

Leah

Convention has come and gone

Hello Everyone,


Convention came and went. We had very good meetings and great visits with old friends. I have been lucky enough to have had 3 conventions here in Dansoman, Accra in the past 2 years. I enjoy it oh so much. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.. I'm sorry but these are mostly pictures of people that many of you won't know, but I think you'll still enjoy them.

Uncle Sam helping stir the Banku for supper

(this is a rare sight, the boys don't cook too much)

Eunice had to change baby Ylona, and she had her helpers, Ami and Esther, however I don't think they knew how to help much :) they were being so careful as if she was going to break.

Doing the dishes, a good social event :)

My little friends :)




The place setup for meeting


Some of the older ladies visiting

Relaxing between the meetings

Nadia Adadjo (from Togo) and I

Me and my girls

Philip and his friend Yvonne

The meetings have finished, and now just visiting outside the gate.

Lorne Moore and I

Canadian Buddies!

An attempt at a family photo of the Oyortey's. Some missing, some extras,

but best we could do in the big crowd

Philip, and his cousins, Teye, and Fifi

Auntie Florence Webb, and some of the girls :)

Tom McGivern and David Holmes

David was in Ghana doing some school, and came over to Accra for the meetings.

Some of the Togo ladies with Auntie Florence

Some of the Brothers,
Tom McGivern, Stephen Akligo, Mervyn Hill, Benjamin Adadjo

Yours Truly :)

My Buddy Jamaica and I

Prince and Eunice's baby, Ylona

Eunice and Ylona

My turn for cuddles with Ylona :)

She is not at all shy, and only 4 months old. Such a cutie.

Yves and some of the kids :)

Another group of people

Uncle Allan and his little Friends,
Seetu and Yvonne

Prisca and Myself

The boys and I ;)

Matey, Prince, Jamaica, Michael

The boys were bugging Fifi to take a picture of the tag on his shoes, but I snuck a picture. Not really sure why he wants to keep it there a while, but we don't ask, just take it as it is :)

One of the friends from Benin brought a bunch of Crabs for Uncle Vincent. He is keeping them to feed and get bigger before they become "crab soup!"

Having the sing song Sunday night after convention, while we wait for supper to be cooked.

Uncle Sam and myself before he left for Tema

Rosanne Covlin(Canada), Klinton Jacques(Canada), Ann Quinn (Ireland)

Florence Terreberry(Canada), Lorpu Koiwood(Liberia)

Me and my kids :)

On Porridge duty!

Ami, Me, Auntie Betty, Esther

Monday morning, Everyone leaving back home, Togo, Benin..

Before the Workers left Mon. Morning, we had to be sure to get our CANADIAN picture :)

Rosanne Covlin, Lorne Moore, Myself, Klinton Jacques, Janelle Quist, Florence Terreberry

Piling into the van, on route to Togo

Saying our goodbyes

I nearly forgot to take pics of the girls sleeping tent, so they were almost all packed out, but here's where they slept. Many girls were in here, under their nets :)

This was the showers for the ladies-bring your bucket and water, and have your shower. There was also a out house stall on the left which you can't see here.

Time has come to take down the tents. Meetings are over until next year! Amazing how much work and effort goes into the 3 special days of Convention.

Another post will come a little later for all the remaining days after convention before I left.

All for now,

.... Leah