Touch Down!

December 31st, 2009
We landed in Accra on December 28th after an uneventful (other than our Visa card being scammed) overnight stay in London; a perfect flight down. The temperature was mid-90s when we landed (at 9:15 pm) and hovers in the high 90’s most of the day.

The University’s guest house where we are staying is very centrally located and first rate in every respect – very friendly people, a great neighborhood, close to shops and good restaurants. People love our attempts to speak Twi and are very helpful in correcting our pronunciation and/or grammar.

The city looks much as we remember it from 2004: a vast spectrum from very poor to wealthy. There is also what appears to be a very large middle class – the new Accra mall is evidence of that. There is great excitement about the recent discovery of oil (leases have been sold to many Western companies), as well as about the success this year of the Ghanaian soccer team. New Year’s eve is also a major focal point – we will attend a large public preaching/dancing event tonight.

Success with cell phones and the Internet have put us right back on the grid (in some respects) and we look forward to getting settled in our bungalow on the KNUST campus in Kumasi on January 3rd. Having located a supplier of mangos and Golden Tree chocolate (in my opinion, the best in the world), we are definitely content for now.
-D and S