Day 2: Arrival

We made it! As we landed (two hours late) in Accra yesterday at four, we were met by the smiling faces of Isaac, Moses, and Dennis. The airport was a cinch, and there were no problems getting our luggage through customs. So far, Ghanaians are as friendly as we have been told.

Isaac

We were accompanied to the beautiful Afia Beach Hotel, where the girls' room is not even 100 feet from the beach. We went out to dinner with Dr. Akunzule (Akunz) and his wife. The team was excited to meet this figure that has had such an impact on our projects (Anna says he gave good hugs too). This great doctor, entrepreneur, and volunteer was busy however, as his three phones were active nearly continuously. I was able to speak with the woman from Las Vegas who had donated the van that we will be using. Thank you Las Vegas, maybe we will see you at the international conference.

It was a productive meeting as well. We were able to confirm the travel plans and rough itinerary for the month that we will be here in Ghana. Today will be our last day in Accra before leaving for Yua. We are planning on picking up the solar panels and running a few other errands before leaving.

And Mom, as promised, here is a link to a map: Sirigu, Upper East, Ghana
Sirigu is actually where Google maps says Natugnia is, and Yua is east of Sirigu on the Burkina Faso Border.


Matt

Left to Right: Matt, Kate, Moses, Max, Anna, and Dennis

Great summary Matt.
What a wonderful welcome we had! The air is warm and humid, a great contrast to the snow we left in Flagstaff. Isaac has been an enthusiastic tour guide so far and Akunz a delightful man. Dinner last night was just what we needed. Rice with Hibiscus juice. Akunz had also told us of an island he plans to take us to within Volta Lake. The Volta is the massive body of water you can see on most maps of Ghana. It was created by the Akosombo dam, and is the largest reservoir in the world (for surface area, fourth in volume). It is thrilling to be given the opportunity to visit it.

Dinner with Dr. Akunzule

This morning we enjoyed the beach while preparing for our day. We plan on picking up the solar panels and getting cell phones in the city.  It'll be great to explore the city we only briefly drove through yesterday. Hopefully we'll have internet again soon. In summary, this trip is starting off perfectly! We are ready to head up to Yua to begin our work.

Anna