Friday morning, August 19
Wow, yesterday was a roller coaster. After I lounged around in my hotel room for a bit, I texted Michelle and they came and got me. We had a lovely morning at their place where we had breakfast that included fresh fruit, fried eggs, and bread. I also had Milo which is my new favorite drink in the morning. It tastes like hot chocolate but it’s an energy drink. We sat around for a bit longer out in Fii’s garden area and chatted until it was time for me to go to the bus station. It was so lovely visiting with them the past couple of days. I think helped my transition into a Ghana go a little easier. I also think spending some time in Accra and seeing how big that city is compared to Cape Coast was useful. Cape Coast really is very small comparatively. The other major difference is that Accra is set up for tourists, and it feels a lot more Westernized than CC. The two cities feel extremely different to me, and I’m kind of glad to be returning to CC, my new home.
These pics are of my hotel. I was the only guest there that night!
These are pics of our breakfast. That was red snapper. I tried some and it was really good!
The bus station was another overwhelming event. You pull up in your car and there is a lane for pickup and drop-off, but there is nowhere for cars to park, so that was stressful to begin with, for me at least. There is also a long row of vans going everywhere and you have to find the one you need. In addition to all the vans, there are rows of stalls of vendors selling any and everything. In addition to that, there are also individual people walking around trying to sell things. There were SO MANY PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. And all of them are trying to make a buck.
Fii rolled down his truck window to ask where the Cape Coast van was, and a bunch of people came over, talking in what I assume was Twi, but I couldn’t understand. Finally, we found the van I was supposed to take. Michelle went with me to that area so I could get on the bus. But alas, that bus was full so they said I would have to wait on the next one. They were just vans lined up everywhere. And the stalls of people. Just so many people. And it seems like everyone was yelling at everyone and I couldn’t understand what they were saying. And I was surrounded by everyone, in the middle of the vans, trying to figure out what to do and where to go. It was stressful because I just did not have context for what was going on. For this being my first time, I was in a bit of shock. Michelle asked me if I was good to go and I got all panicky and said no and tried not to cry, but I cried anyway! She came with me to figure out exactly the bus I would get on and how to buy a ticket and all of that. Michelle was so kind and patient and waited there with me until I was able to board the van. Once I got in the van and Michelle checked to make sure I was good to go, she went to go find Fii and they were off.
Once I go on the van everything was fine. I had to wait about another hour before it was full – it’s a 15-passenger van and they fill every seat. We finally pulled out at 1:30pm. This situation is just another one of those things that put me outside of my comfort zone. But I feel like it’s in these moments we grow. Every experience like this is expanding my comfort zone so that next time it won’t feel as foreign or scary.
The lady next to me was kind of funny because while we were waiting for the bus to take off, she kept buying things from the vendors who would come to the door. They were selling everything. She happened to buy some underwear and then some lunch and then some water, and I think a few more items. I watched with amusement.
The ride into a Cape Coast was relatively smooth. It took three solid hours. When we arrived at the bus station, I called the taxi driver whose name John had given me – Daniel. He picked me up and I asked if we could go to KFC on the way home. I needed some comfort food! So, I got some chicken fingers and fries and Daniel took me home. He also happens to be a pastor and invited me to his church on Sunday. I told him I’m going with John to church on Sunday.
I got to my house about 5:30 and ate my food and relaxed. Talked on the phone with a friend which was lovely because I got to tell her about my trip to Accra. Then I watched a bit of Netflix and dozed off to sleep and had a really sound night’s sleep. What an adventure the past two days have been!
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