Arrival in Accra

I'm in Ghana! Specifically, I am sitting in an internet cafe in Accra (with somewhat limited timing). We arrived last night, Ghana time, after a very long airplane trip which I not only survived, but during which I was able to watch an episode of Dr Who (trying not to be disappointed they only had a Matt Smith episode available - can't have it all I guess).

My first impressions are pretty basic. Mostly I can't get over the heat and the humidity. We travelled by Trotro for the first time which kind of gave me flashbacks to the minibuses in Ukraine (which I can't remember the name for at the moment). The markets are insanely busy and crowded and a little overwhelming . Our group stands out for sure, and I definetely got pinched (on the arm, don't worry) and yelled at a bit - I'm assuming because people wanted my business, though I can make no guarantee. There's a lot of English speaking, but also a lot of non-English speaking which adds to the whole disorientation thing.  I may not be a people person, but I have to say, it's nice having the group around going through it all with me. Awwww.....

Not much else really happened today. Ate some Ghanaian food, got some Ghanaian money, that kind of thing. Got woken up by roosters which was a little odd. To be honest I'm plum worn out at this point. Walking in the heat all day in a brand new city will do that to you I guess, and I'm sure jet lag doesn't help. I know I promised to be more interesting but I guess I'm not really a natural blogger. Um, what else. We're here in Accra until Thursday, when we leave for Nkawkaw to start our language lessons. After a week there, it's off to the village placements - probably the part I'm most worried about/ the part which will be the most interesting. I won't have Internet access during that time so it may be quite a while before I post again. To everyone back home - I miss you all! I'm also feeling really excited about being here and I'm glad I decided to do this. I can already tell it's going to be an amazing trip. Optimism abounds! Not a feeling I'm used to, but I think that's all the more reason to trust it.

Peace