We Made it to Ghana...

...but our bags did not!

Yep, we are safe and sound in Accra, Ghana tonight, watching "Eat Pray Love" and surfing the internet. All I have to do is think of the cold shower I just took or the plantains I had for dinner, and I realize that I really, truly am in Ghana.

Our trip here was a little more adventuresome thatn we first anticipated, but in the end, we made it. When we met my brother, Tom, at the airport last night, he already knew that our flight had been delayed from 8:05 to 8:50. No big deal. We said our goodbyes, got through security, and made it to the gate. Pretty soon, we noticed that our flight had been pushed even farther back until 9:40. Big deal. You see, our flight to Ghana was scheduled for 10:45 out of Washington D.C., which is about an hour flight from Pittsburgh. If our plane did indeed leave at 9:40, that would give us five minutes to get to our new gate and on the next plane. Thankfully, Uncle Cliff was already in DC waiting for us, so we called him and gave him the heads up. Thankfully, our flight did come, and we were off the ground at 9:50. We got to D.C. with five minutes to spare, and immediately called Cliff, who said, "Run as fast as you can." That I did, sprinting as soon as the plane came to a complete stop. I was feeling great, all hyped up on adrenaline and making my way toward C6 (24 gates away). Unfortunately, the 20+lb backpack, purse, and camera got heavy quick, and by about the 8th gate, I was feeling like a linebacker AND deer in the headlights, huffing and puffing, making my way down the hallway, looking right, left, yearing for C6 to come into view. Just when I was about to fall over, I saw Uncle Cliff, hands raised in jubilation, standing at an empty gate. The plane was waiting for us. We made it!

... But our bags did not. We had a fairly uneventful plane ride. I fell asleep before we were even off the ground. After dinner (vegan and hot! It pays to call ahead..), I started in on a 29 song playlist on my iPod. I woke up again and song #27 was playing. I don't know how long that was, but I do know that it was a pretty long nap for an airplane.

We landed in Ghana around 1:30 LT, pretty much on schedule. Without a hitch, we made it through customs and onto baggage claim. Pretty soon, our fears were confirmed when we realized that even though we had booked it and made it, our bags were still in DC. We filled out a form, exchanged phone numbers, and by this time, Cliff's friends Dave and Renae were waving at us from the loading area.

We made it back to their house, which also doubles as the Global Mamas office here in Accra. Dave and Renae's adopted son Ben was waiting for us, and we settled down with a beer and conversation. Soon, we headed back out for dinner (Renae was kind enough to give me a clean shirt - thankfully, I packed my toothbrush with me in my bookbag!). We ended up eating at a neat four story restaurant close enough to see the ocean. We sat outside and enjoyed a nice breeze along with our meal. I got red red, which is basically black eyed peas cooked in tomato sauce and served with plantains. It was really good, and so satisfying as it had been six or so hours since our "breakfast" on the plane. After dinner, we came back to the house and got a shower, which felt amazing. Although it's still hot and stuffy, I dont' think I'll have any trouble sleeping tonight.

We won't be able to travel to Cape Coast tomorrow because we have to pick up our bags at the airport when the (hopefully) come in on the next flight from DC. On Monday, we will take the two or three hour bus ride there. I have wireless here, but we may be pretty busy, so until next time.