goodbye Ghana

 Before I leave tonight back to the Netherlands I want to share with you my last adventures. The past few days we have been practicing and seeing patients. All midwifes have been able to perform one cryotherapy, and I feel confident about them. Yesterday (Thursday) as we were kind of preparing for the certificate ceremony, I was suddenly called by the local PUM representative that I should go by night bus to Accra instead of flying Friday(today) from Tamale. Due to the hamatan many local flights are cancelled, and she did not want to take the risk I would miss my KLM flight today. So the bus was going to leave at 7pm.  10 minutes later I was called it was 5 pm!!! I had to hurry and could not even give the certificates. I had ½ an hour to pack!!We managed to get on time at the bus station; Paul had bought me a ticket. This is quite a chaotic experience. Many people crowding around the bus with a lot of luggage. I was the only one with a suitcase, the rest was boxes and those big plastic bags they call here “Ghana must go “ bags, from the time Ghanaians had to leave Nigeria. While we were standing and waiting Paul saw another, more luxurious bus which was about to leave. As the ticket was only 50 GHC=12 euro, I agreed to buy a ticket for that one. But it was quite something to get through the crowd with my luggage to that other bus. Soon we left, to set off for what was going to be my longest bus trip ever. It supposed to take 12 hours to Accra, it took us 16 hrs. But it was kind of interesting experience. Next to me was a student who’s parents live in Amsterdam!. We stopped several times, for I don’t know what reason, there are a lot of police road blocks, and one time we were stopped by army people. These night buses are supposed to drive in convoy, but this driver had decide to go on his own. He got a fine from this very stern army man and the bus had to wait for a convoy (about ½ hr)   At that time I heard that this was done because of many robberies taking place during the night on thes buses, professional groups, “you loose everything……” That scared me a little, but we made it safely.

During the drive there was loud music from the speaker. right above me. It seems Ghanaian cannot be without sound or music. People were sleeping, but I had a problem.

last lunch with the midwifes, got used to local food

entering  in the morning

So I was very happy to arrive in the hotel in Accra, where they booked me a dayroom. After a rest I am now enjoying my las warm afternoon, outside in the hotel garden.  Tonight back to the cold again