Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I have to describe our bus.  It does have air conditioning and a place to carry luggage underneath. There is no microphone and no lavatory facilities on the bus---we knew this in advance and brought our own little tents and pottys (thankfully we haven't had to use them yet). There are two drivers for our bus and one younger boy who helps with the loading and unloading.  They all have to fit in the cramped space up front.  We also have a van and driver (our friend "Jeff" from Ric's previous trip to Ghana).  The van takes care of the speakers and extra water we are constantly buying and loading since we cannot drink the water here.  In this heat and humidity.....well you can imagine how much water we go through.  As we left the hotel for Koforidua this morning, our bus driver pulled over to a tiny Ghanaian house, a lady climbed on the bus and a few miles later, we dropped her off.  So Ghana! 

 

 

 

We have access to very little freeway which makes for SLOW travel but the advantage is that we drive through all the little towns and watch and learn about Ghana first hand.  People here work hard physically. Almost everyone walks and carry whatever they have on their head--no hands. The mothers swaddle their babies to their backs with a long piece of fabric and go about their business. People swarm among the traffic on the road selling whatever item they have on their head....fufu, plantain chips, brooms, fabric, clothing, dishes---you name it, they sell it right at your car window. 

 

 The roads are pocked with pot holes and traffic is "whoever can get there first".  Our bus driver has a heavy hand on the  horn and the people and cars scatter when he honks---no question who would win in a show down.  If we do find a gas station with ONE bathroom, chances are it is dirty and there is no toilet paper.  We have been thankful for our shopping trip in Accra prior to leaving for Koforidua

 

 

 

We had toilet paper, hand sanitizer, an amazing first aid kit I had put together before leaving, laundry soap, bleach, water, oh yes and MORE water.  The first conference at Koforidua was amazing.  What a talented group of young eioke we are travekubg with.  We also became aware we had left Rexburg with a nasty stomach flu bug and one by one, the  students were sucumbing.  There was not a whole lot we could do but pray, hand out pepto and immodium, and try to hydrate, and wait it out.  The grueling schedule of tour had begun and we just had to roll with the schedule the best we could.