First Day

I’ve traveled enough that I should know this lesson by heart - first days in a new country are HARD. Things are different, and we are usually tired, jet lagged or both. Our first day in Istanbul involved driving a stick shift in rush hour traffic with people who view traffic rules as a suggestion. Our first day in Cape Town was easier, but we still had to change money, buy groceries, and figure out how to get places.

Last night we had our “first day” in Ethiopia, even if it was just an overnight. The airline arranged transport and a hotel for us, but almost everything was primarily in Ethiopian, we had to figure out where to go and where to wait, and eat a very strange (and spicy) continental breakfast.

This afternoon was our first day in Ghana, and I hit the “why the hell did we come here and when do we leave” moment about an hour after we arrived. It is hot, humid, and a lot more typically African than Cape Town.

Our taxi driver rushed through clogged streets, past pedestrians, motoscooters, and make-shift shops of all kinds. I sweated. 

These are not bottles of coke - they’re bottles of gas. Motorists or cyclists can buy fuel or bananas or soda or toilet paper right from their car, or with a very quick pit stop. 

On our way to dinner, we had another wildlife sighting - goats! A bunch of them. 

We walked the streets of Accra this afternoon in search of money changing, shampoo, a USB plug (I left our good one in Ethiopia this morning) and water. This Indian place was just where the guide book said it would be - and had lovely shaded tables amid trees. 

Right now we’re up on the roof of our hotel watching the sunset and feeling the cool(ish) breezes. To one side, there’s this compound with three or four family “houses” with a shared bathroom (or at least that’s what I think it is). 


On the other side, is a junk heap, but next to that is this nice house with a walled compound and trees. From street level I couldn’t tell!

The breezes are amazing, the lights are coming on, and the call to prayers are echoing across the city. I might survive Ghana after all!

Next up: Cape Coast