Four Months Away

Dave and I have been living in Ghana for more than four months and are set to return to the U.S. again in September, which is good as I am in need of more meat!

We have each settled into somewhat of a routine; Dave working, and me discovering how to manage my day. In speaking for Dave (since I don’t think he reads this blog, much less contributes to it), his primary concern at work these days are the upcoming negotiations. There are two unions with which his team must negotiate and talks were originally scheduled to begin in April of 2011. Well, here it is August and the two sides have yet to meet. There seems to be no sense of urgency (except by Dave), which has him a bit worried. His lead negotiator is Ghanaian, and although Dave is a little frustrated, in listening to him at dinner, he is providing significant mentoring to the individual. This will ultimately lead to capacity building and further strengthen his department. Fortunately, Dave is patient and a natural teacher, which are two critical components of success in Ghana.

Me? After a too quiet July in terms of workload, I am again busy with my grant writing business. Part of me wants to go after more work, while the other half tells me to enjoy the freedom I have. I have worked full time virtually my entire adult life, and it has been an adjustment to have so much free time on my hands. I spend way too much time of Facebook, but it does make me feel connected. I am at the gym almost every single day, which is definitely good for the mental state! Every afternoon while I’m working I listen to Dave Pratt’s radio show (www.daveprattlive.com). For those of you outside of Elko, Dave Pratt graduated from Elko High School and is now a well-known and very popular radio personality in Arizona. After two years of being off the air (long CBS feud story), he reappeared on the Internet. His show has since been picked up by an FM station, but he can still be heard via the Internet. I love listening to him and his crew. I get to hear some good old American music, funny stories, and catch up on some of the happenings in the U.S.

So, what is going on in Ghana these days?

First, little did we know, but homosexuality is ILLEGAL in Ghana. And let me tell you, these people feel strongly about it! It is currently a hot topic in the region and, in fact, if an individual is aware of anyone who is a homosexual, he/she is obligated to report the person to the authorities. Admittedly, this is also a volatile topic in the U.S., but for different reasons. In America the argument is whether or not gays can marry. In Ghana….it’s whether or not they can be free! Ghana is an extremely religious country, and sometimes it feels like we live in colonial times over here.

Speaking of hot topics…we are inundated with world news in Accra. The recent London riots were, of course, widely covered and since we had just visited the city, we were much more aware and interested in what was happening.

The pursuit of freedom and democracy is evident in many of the most recent conflicts. The Sudan region (northeast of Ghana) has been big news what with southern Sudan seceding from the north and establishing Africa’s 54th country. Southern Sudan is different culturally and religiously (Christians) than those in the north (Arabs and Muslims). Had I not been living in Ghana, I wouldn’t have given this topic a second thought.

The Ivory Coast (or Cote d’Ivoire) is just to the west of Ghana and has seen its fair share of political unrest. In November of last year, an election was held and the then President lost but refused to give up his position. In April he was captured and taken into custody by the man who actually won the democratic election. There were demonstrations throughout the country, and many people left the country as they were scared. But, it all seems to have died down now.

The drought in Somalia is probably one of the most heart-wrenching problems in the news. Many Somalians are leaving their homes for refugee camps in Kenya, only to find the conditions just as bad. The U.N. estimates that 10 million people are in need of aid; 2 million children are malnourished. Can you imagine? Millions of people! One woman lost three of her children during a 35-day walk to reach the camp.

On a lighter note, I took a day trip with Michael, my driver, to the Eastern Region to visit the acclaimed “Bead Market.” Once we finally got out of the city, we drove into the most beautiful area I have yet to see in Ghana.

The Eastern Region is hilly (mountainous to the Ghanaians) with lush forests and pollution-free skies! The Bead Market is held in the city of Kofodirua every Thursday. Buyers and sellers come from all over the country. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but there were tables and tables of jewelry and loose beads.

The beads come from all over (Ghana, Mali, Kenya, and Benin). They are made from a variety of sources like camel bones, terracotta, agate, and recycled glass. I found the men to be very knowledgeable, helpful, and anxious to sell their wares, while most of the women didn’t even speak to me, much less look at me.

As I was leaving the market, a group of children gathered around me as they saw my camera. They are so funny....they just LOVE having their picture taken!

We have a new restaurant in town called the Villa Monticello. I have been there twice now; once for a massage (lovely) and once for lunch with a friend. It has only been open for about four months. It is very modern, wonderfully decorated, clean, and fresh smelling. It might be my new favorite place to go!

Shortly before our trip to London we started hearing noises on our roof. Well, Dave tried to convince me the noise was ON the roof; I thought it was in the attic. I would only hear it in the afternoon/early evening as the sun was going down. When we returned from London, the sound became more frequent. Basically, it sounded like a four legged animal sprinting from one side of the house to another. One night – well it was actually about 3 or 4 a.m. – we both woke up to a scraping noise right above our heads. Dave actually gets very animated when telling the story - explaining how it sounded as if the animal put on his safety goggles, powered up the chain saw, and went to work. It was SO loud! Anyway, the next day I emailed the Newmont contact for home repairs and told her I thought there was a rat in my attic.

The next day the Pest Management guy shows up – his name is Opare (oh-par-ay). He’s the nicest guy and loves to talk. I explained my problem to him and he told me it was most likely a rodent and that this wasn’t the first time he’s been at my house. He told me that the rodents climb the trees in the afternoon to get to the attic and that they can get in the smallest little holes. After finding a maintenance guy to help open the attic (you would think that would be really easy, but it wasn’t), he basically stood on a ladder and hucked bait into the attic. He never actually went INTO the attic. He threw about 10 things of bait, closed the attic door, and told me that it should be dead within a week. I asked him if they wouldn’t start to stink as they were rotting in my attic and he advised me to just put around some “smelly things” to cover up the odor. I informed him that if I started to smell them, I would be calling him back to have them removed! We continued to hear Randy the Rat (that was Dave’s name for our little friend; my name for him was not near as nice) for the next two or three nights, but each night we could tell he was getting weaker. For the last several days, we have heard nothing. Either he’s dead in our attic, or (hopefully) climbed out to find water and is dead in the neighbor’s yard.

Last week we went to a bbq and I was telling one of the guys the story about Randy and he told me that it was likely not a rat, but rather a grasscutter. OK, this freaked me out a little bit more, because grasscutters are much larger than rats.

I took this picture on my way to the Bead Market. The young boy was selling it outside of the toll booth on the border of Greater Accra and the Eastern Region. Notice the guy in the background laughing at me! He must have been able to see the look of horror on my face!

Ghanaians actually EAT grasscutters. Charity (my housekeeper) said her family eats grasscutters, but they are hard to catch because they are very fast. She has never seen one around my house, but has seen a rat in one of the drainage areas. So, now I'm thinking it really WAS Randy the RAT!

With that being said, I heard that we are getting an actual, honest to goodness Kentucky Fried Chicken here! Hopefully, it’s really chicken…or maybe it’s just that grasscutters TASTE like chicken!!

A Ghanaian Tribal View of Justice

One of the more disturbing things about Ghana is the lack of respect for and standing of women in their society. That’s not to say it’s completely oppressive as the country is progressing, but it is most definitely decades behind that of the U.S. When I first came to Ghana, my friend and I attended a North America Women’s Association (NAWA) function one evening, where we listened to a female attorney speak about some of the atrocities that occur to women and young girls. She threw out several statistics that floored both of us, most of which resulted in high incidences of sexual abuse and assault; particularly for young girls.

Additionally, we have heard stories about witchcraft, voodoo, and fetish priests. Although the Ghanaians are a very religious society, they believe strongly in the spirits. There are formal law enforcement agencies – police and the military – but the local chiefs are highly revered. Evidently, so are fetish priests. Most villages have just one chief, but several fetish priests. According to one website I found, “a chief operates in the public, political sphere of life while a fetish priest operates in a more private, religious sphere.” Fetish priests are thought to be possessed by a god or spirit.

With all that being said, last night Dave brought home “The Daily Graphic,” the local newspaper. On the front page, in big bold letters I read, “Pastor Rapes 5 Sisters.” Below is that article. You have to read it to believe it…

“The Head Pastor of the African Faith Tabernacle Church, Rev. Paul Nkansah, has been arrested for allegedly raping five sisters at Akyem Achiase in the Eastern Region. Rev. Nkansah, who was alleged to have confessed to having affairs with the five sisters, said he committed the crime on the orders of some celestial powers.

The sexual escapade of the pastor came to light when a sister of the victims, Afia Baby, fell ill and was sent to the pastor for spiritual healing but died in the process. Not satisfied with circumstances leading to the death of Baby, her relatives consulted an oracle (a fetish priest), which revealed that Pastor Nkansah could not cure the girl because he had committed an abomination by allegedly raping five sisters and involving curses on a sixth person, who is a relative of the deceased.

On the basis of the revelation by the oracle, the mother of the victims confronted her daughters, who confessed that the pastor had raped them. The mother reported the case to the tribal authorites, who convened a meeting of chiefs to listen to the complaint.

At that meeting, which was attended by the Pastor and some of his church members, one of the victims narrated the circumstances under which Pastor Nkansah raped her. According to her, she visited her sister who was receiving treatment at his prayer camp. She said during the visit, the Pastor claimed that the spirit had revealed to him and that she was being tormented by evil spirits and therefore, needed deliverance.

Pastor Nkansah was said to have told the woman to bring a piece of cloth and also demanded GH¢ 1,200 (approximately $800) and advised her to add the cloth to the money, put them under her pillow and sleep on them for one week before submitting them to him.

The woman alleged that when she sent the items to the pastor, he told her to wait until midnight when the ritual could be performed to neutralize the evil forces tormenting her.

She said at midnight, the pastor poured water and oil into a bucket and sent her to a bush on a hill and instructed her to strip naked and bathe. She said on their return to the prayer camp, the Pastor invited her to his bedroom where he smeared her body with anointing oil before telling her that he had been instructed by the ‘Holy Spirit’ to have sex with her, which was necessary for her deliverance, a request which she resisted.

The victim said the Pastor dipped his hands into a glass and took some powder and sprinkled it on her face and body. She said she became unconscious and when she regained consciousness, she realized that she had been raped by Pastor Nkansah, who warned her not to reveal her ordeal to anyone, otherwise she would die prematurely.

The other four victims, including a 15-year-old junior high school student, also revealed how they were allegedly raped by the pastor using the same tricks.

After admitting his guilt of committing incent and casting a spell on the family of the victims, Pastor Nkansah was fined a ram and two bottles of schnapps.

The tribe then handed the pastor over to plain-clothes policemen who whisked him away to the Oda District Police Headquarters, where he was placed in custody to assist in investigations.”

Really? The chiefs fined him meat and alcohol? Thank God he was then taken to real law enforcement authorities. That’s not to say anything further is going to happen to him, but one can only hope that justice will prevail.

The Cliffs of Moher

One of last stop in Ireland took us to the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are one of the most visited places in Ireland, and our group would agree that you just can’t go to Ireland and not see this most amazing and natural landscape. They are located in County Clare just outside of the small town, Burren (where we had lunch).

They soar as high as 700 feet into the air out of the Atlantic Ocean and are on the western side of the country. The cliffs cover almost five miles of coastline.

The Cliffs of Moher provided the most beautiful natural geography I’ve ever seen. There are steps that will take you to the northern edge of the cliffs, and steeper ones that will take you to the southern edge. We did exactly the opposite of what our tour guide told us to do: “take the easier route and do not go beyond the signs.” We chose to take the more difficult climb (which was not hard at all), and I’m so glad. We also went beyond the “Do not trespass” sign,

where the views were even more majestic. Believe me when I say, we weren’t the only ones. People were taking pictures of the sign, and then crawling past it to see the most amazing scenery. We were very close to the edge of the cliffs, with just a walking path.

The natural beauty of the cliffs will take your breath away. Ireland, in general, was pretty cold and windy, but we all noticed that on top of the cliffs the winds were calm and it was warmer.

Not sure if that was some sort of anomaly or just a natural occurrence. As you turn away from the ocean and cliffs, cattle and sheep are grazing in the beautiful, green valley leading up to the cliffs.

As we looked over the side down into the ocean, we saw many birds flying. I googled them when I got home, and discovered that the cliffs are home to one of the major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds in Ireland and are a protected species.

Our stay at the cliffs was brief – only an hour visit, and we all agreed we could have spent more time there not only just marveling at the magnificence of the cliffs, but to visit the interpretive/visitor center. There just simply wasn’t enough time. I would have liked to make our way further down the southern edge and then over to the northern coastline, as the views are plentiful. Also, there are boat tours where you can view the cliffs from the ocean. That must be fabulous as well.

The visit to the Cliffs of Moher was a highlight of our trip to Ireland, and I strongly recommend everyone see them!

A Day in the Life of a Sheep Dog

While on our Ireland travels and around Dingle Bay, our tour guide informed us we would be making a ½ hour stop, but that participation was optional and would cost five euros each. We would be watching a demonstration of dogs herding a flock of sheep. I really wondered if something like watching dogs could possibly be worth money….but hey, it’s a vacation….and Bob highly recommended we attend. So, off we went to watch the shepherd, sheep dogs, and sheep.

The shepherd was an older gentleman who owns the land and runs approximately 250 head of sheep.

He told us that in order for a person to make a comfortable living off of sheep, he must own at minimum 600 head. In fact, he said that the wool he sells old barely covers his costs of shearing and shipping. Rather, the meat is where he receives his income, and even then, he only receives 1/3 of the price the consumer pays. I assume he provides this particular demonstration as a means to ensure he lives that comfortable lifestyle.

The shepherd has two dogs – Bess and Max. While they will respond to his voice commands, he primarily uses a whistle.

Each dog has a unique whistle that he/she has been trained to respond to: forward, back, side, and off. The dogs lie down (off), waiting for his command to move. In his first demonstration, he whistled for Bess to run up the hill (forward) and round up the 6-7 sheep. Subsequent whistles instructed her to move the sheep down the hill. Max, all the while, never moved from his spot and the bottom of the hill…although he was alert and ready.

The next demonstration allowed us to see the dogs working in tandem in order to cull one sheep out of the herd. It was fascinating to hear the shepherd talk to and whistle at the dogs, and how quickly they responded to his commands. They were obviously well trained animals.

Next, the shepherd had one of the dogs move the sheep from side to side, seemingly making them dizzy! The dogs then worked together again to move the sheep back up the mountain.

The speed of the dogs, particularly when they are running up a mountain, was extraordinary to watch. I wish I would have taken my video camera.

It was truly intriguing to watch the discipline of the animals and the rather gentleness of the shepherd. When the dogs would approach the sheep, they appeared to be stalking the animals. We were told that since dogs are descendants of the wolf, the sheep view them as predators, although they would never intentionally hurt the sheep.

The shepherd took many questions from the crowd and was eager to share his knowledge. He explained that when he intends to buy a pup, he goes to the seller’s place and asks to see his trained dogs in action. If the seller is unable or unwilling, he moves on to another seller. He firmly believes it is important to see the seller’s other dogs in action, to really get a good feeling for the quality of the animals being sold. On average, a dog is trained for 7 ½ months over a course of a year and a half. They usually work up to the age of about eight, when they tend to slow down. He has 5-7 dogs at any one time, and two who are in training. He told the crowd gathered that a dog’s hearing is seven times that of a human. He demonstrated this when both of the dogs were a good 500 feet up the mountain and he quietly gave them a voice command; one to which they quickly responded.

Next to the demonstration pasture was a smaller pasture with a variety of different sheep. I’ve included a picture of them, but frankly….I don’t remember what they were called. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of sheep.

We all greatly enjoyed this stop….who would have thunk??

R&R #1 - London and Ireland, Part II

An unusually early start awaited us on Monday, as we had to be to London’s Euston Station by 8:40 a.m. We boarded the train for a 3 ½ train ride across England to Holyhead, where we boarded a ferry for Dublin, Ireland.

The trek across the Irish Sea was quite bumpy, initially, making Daniel and Melissa a little sick to their stomachs. However, we made it to Ireland safe and pukeless, and were picked up by a unique and kind Irishman who taxied us to the Ashling Hotel in the capital city of Dublin.

After freshening up, we went in search of some dinner. I got a tip from a facebook friend about a place called “Temple Bar,” so we took off in that direction. Temple Bar is really a huge block full of restaurants, pubs, shops, and people all along cobbled streets. We stopped at Fitzsimmons Restaurant, where there was traditional Irish music and menu. I would have loved to do some more exploring in the area, but it was late and we had to rise the next morning. We did have one of many lively dinner conversations.

I booked us on Railtours Ireland for a three-day trip through the southern and western part of Ireland (Cork, Blarney Castle, the Ring of Kerry, and the Cliffs of Moher). We boarded the train to Cork, which is in southern Ireland, debarked and transferred to a bus, which first took us to Blarney. The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the walls of the Blarney Castle. Here's me kissing the famous stone.

According to legend, those who kiss the stone receive the gift of eloquence or skill at flattery. Visitors must climb the 100 steps to the top of the castle, lean over backwards on the parapet’s edge, and kiss the stone. There was a guy there helping us, and you hang onto rails. Evidently, people use to kiss the stone while someone hung onto their ankles. This would have been a little more authentic to me!! It was pretty anti-climatic, but now all five of us can say we did it.

The Cobh (cove) Heritage Center was next on our list to visit. From 1848-1850, more than 6 million people immigrated out of Ireland because of the famine – over 2.5 million from Cobh alone, as it was a major port. The heritage center provided a history of the immigration, which was pretty fascinating. Additionally, Cobh was the last place the Titanic and her passengers visited before they met their fateful demise in the icy seas.

We were taken to our Bed & Breakfast in Killarney, which was actually a hotel. It was a nice, quaint town, and we had a good dinner at Failte Restaurant. Failte is the Irish word for “Welcome.” Benjamin chose his own live lobster, and ate every bite, except for what he identified as the lobster’s brains! Killarney is also the location of the 2011 Irish Open to be held at the Killeen Course at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club from July 28-31, 2011. Rory McElroy and Graeme McDowell are both scheduled to play in the tournament.

While the song, “The Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash played through my head time after time, we did, in fact, visit the Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry (or Iveragh Peninsula, which is its real name), has some stunning scenery. Kerry, in fact, is the name of the county, and the tour basically took us around the most beautiful county I've ever seen. During this tour, we stopped at Dingle Bay where we watched a demonstration of a shepherd and his sheep dogs – but I’ll go into more detail in a separate blog. After stopping at several places for beautiful views and pictures, we returned to our hotel in Killarney and went exploring. We were told there are only four roads in the whole town, but we are sure we found a few more….or got lost on the same roads more than once!

The next day we travelled to Limerick, which is the 3rd largest city in Ireland. We connected with our big tour bus which would take us around the area. I found Limerick to be one of the prettiest cities/towns in Ireland. Limerick is where the author Frank McCourt was born. He wrote, “Angela’s Ashes,” which was also turned into a feature film. My mom gave me that book as well as another, “Tis,” a story about his time in New York City as a high school teacher last fall….and I read both of them. Benjamin is sure that he and I watched the movie together. The bus driver took us by the pub where most of Frank’s father spent most of his money, sadly.

Bunratty Castle was the first stop of our day. It’s another castle, and was built in the 900s by Vikings. The castle was in disrepair until Viscount and Viscountess Gort purchased it in 1954 and restored it to what it is today. Unlike the Blarney Castle, the Bunratty Castle has old and unique furnishings included, which gives you a better idea of what it must have been like to live there in that time.

Our third day took us to The Cliffs of Moher, which I will write about in more detail in a separate blog. Suffice it to say…they are magnificent!

We stopped for a photo shop at the Burren. The Burren is a region in County Clare, and is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe (karst is a geologic formation often shaped by carbonate rock, such as limestone). I've included one of my favorite pictures with the kids on the Burren rocks.

Seven years ago a mass grave was found in which there were 35 bodies – men, women, and children. They apparently died of natural causes, and none were over the age of 30. Scientists believe they lived more than 580 years ago, I think. I say, “I think” because the notes I wrote indicated they lived more than 5,800 years ago. Not sure which is correct! There were supposedly a lot of flowers that were supposed to be growing between the rocks, but I only saw a few; one of which look like an American dandelion – damn…those things can really spread!

I suspect most everyone knows Ireland is famous for their green and lush countryside, but I don’t think one can truly appreciate it until they personally experience it with their own eyes. We were fortunate in that it did not rain while we were in the country, although temperatures were fairly cool (55-60 degrees). I have never seen more beautiful landscape in my life.

Ireland’s economy is in the toilet, with a 14+% national unemployment rate. Agriculture and tourism appear to be their primary industries, and their housing market did pretty much exactly what it did in the U.S. In other words, people applied for and were granted housing loans that far exceeded their financial capability. In the last year alone, more than 50,000 people immigrated out of Ireland; primarily younger people with an education; the largest mass exodus of people since the great famine.

At the end of our three-day tour, we had dinner in a true Irish pub and discussed our trip. I asked everyone what their favorite part of Ireland was and the answers weren’t too surprising:

Benjamin – either the sheep dog or the Cliffs of Mohrer
Daniel – Cliffs of Moher
Melissa – the history of Ireland
Beth – Cliffs of Moher
Dave – dinner every night with his family

Because most are unique in and of themselves, I will write a separate blog for each, as I think they deserve more attention than what I would include in this blog. I think we would all agree that we learned a lot about the country, we laughed a ton, we definitely tested a great variety of ales and lagers, and ate a variety of local fare. Our first R&R trip ended with family movie night in our hotel room in London Friday night. While it was hard to say goodbye to our kids on Saturday morning, Dave and I did it knowing we would see each of them very soon, and that we have many more adventures ahead of us.

R&R #1 - London and Ireland, Part I

Dave’s boss scheduled a teaming session to be held in London, and we chose to add one of our three annual R&Rs (rest and relaxations) at the tail end of his business trip. Fortunately, we were able to include Benjamin, Melissa and Daniel on our first adventure.

Our trip began late one Saturday evening as we flew from Accra to London, landing bright and early Sunday morning. Fortunately, we were traveling with a couple of other Newmont folks, one of whom (Dale) has visited London often and knew his way around. We boarded the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station where we then took a taxi to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Since we couldn’t yet get into our rooms, we ate breakfast at the hotel, and then ventured out to begin a quick tour of the area with Dale as our guide. We arrived at Buckingham Palace

where there were loads of people standing around and in which the roads were blocked. I asked several people why the roads were closed, but no one seemed to know. A tour-guide “wannabe” was spouting off, so I went and asked him. He claimed that the roads were blocked off because it was Sunday…and Sunday is the day for the Queen’s subjects. I still don’t know what that meant….but….ok. He also claimed that when the Queen is away, there are only two guards stationed outside of the Palace (which there were on this particular day). He informed the listeners that she was probably in Windsor, as that is where she spends most of her weekends. When she is in the Palace, there are four guards stationed on the grounds. Well, not long after a REAL tour guide came by and told the crowd that there was going to be a changing of the guard, and sure enough, we heard the music begin and a band of the “Queen’s Guards” moved towards us, and the reason for the blockage was evident. According to the official British Army website, “The Queen’s Guards in London changes in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11:30 a.m. every day in the summer and every other day in the winter.” We were fortunate to be there at the right time!

In addition, there was a big 10K London Race that was in progress which went right through the heart of London; another reason for the diversion of traffic. It was great, as there were no cars or busses on the roads, making the walking tour much more peaceful. We were able to cheer on many of the runners/walkers, and even watched an 82 year old gentleman cross the finish line in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.

After walking around downtown London, we headed back to our hotel for a short rest and a shower. Dave and I then wandered over to Hyde Park, which is one of the largest parks in Central London and right behind our hotel. We had some yummy ice cream and sat in the grass to people watch. There are tons of people of all ages in the park; lots of families, soccer games, volleyball games, paddle boats, and just generally people hanging around. For dinner, we took in some American food by going to the Chicago BBQ Grill and visited a pub. Pretty quiet Sunday evening in London, but a good way to begin our trip.

As Dave had meetings/teaming on Monday, I ventured out on my own. I took a walk down the street, headed towards the famous Harrods Department Store. There are 5-6 floors, but frankly, not as cool as Macy’s in downtown NYC…in my opinion. The clothes were gorgeous, but the stores are a lot different than those in the US, which seem to fill their racks with clothes. These racks are spread out, and there are only 8-10 pieces of clothing on each rack. The shoe section was fantastic…and I drooled over a pair of 710£ Jimmy Choo sandals (that’s about $1,200 US dollars!!). I even tried them on….just so I could say I did. I wandered around the store wondering what it must be like to have the kind of money where buying a 710£ pair of shoes is just a fact of life.

After Harrods, I decided it was time for lunch. I went from one of the world’s most expensive department store to McDonald’s! It was a nice treat, and gave me some energy to continue my exploration day. As I was walking through central London, I came across a salon, where I booked a manicure for later in the afternoon. Shortly after, I found another department store that had a hair salon…and treated myself to a London-style appointment. My hairdresser, Marcus, is from Brazil and studied in NYC before coming to London. Before he cut my hair, he took me to the back where a woman shampooed my hair and gave me a scalp massage. Loved it!! It looks nice, but pretty sure it wasn’t worth the money I spent. But hey…I figure I had one of many London experiences.

One of the only things any of our kids said they wanted to do while they were in London, was go to the opening night of “Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” I ordered tickets online and had to pick up the tickets at the cinema.

I decided to try my hand at the Tube, which is the underground transportation system in London. I found it to be quite simple, inexpensive, and fairly quick. I made my way to the Chelsea area, found the cinema, and did a bit of wandering and shopping.

On Tuesday I hooked up with Michele, her kids, and her mom, Claire, for some sightseeing. We left the hotel on a cool, early morning and headed towards Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Not really knowing anything about London, I always thought Big Ben was a clock. Not So! Big Ben is actually the nickname for the bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. So, when the tour guide asks how many hands are on Big Ben…the answer is “none,” because it’s the name of the bell, not the clock. Trivia, trivia! The Palace of Westminster is also known as the Houses of Parliament, and is where England’s two houses: House of Lords and House of Commons (like our Senate and Congress) meet.

It’s a beautiful, old building, with unbelievable detail and architecture. We were unable to go inside, as arrangements had to be made in advance, due to Parliament being in session.

Next, we visited Westminster Abbey, which is right across the street from Parliament. It is also provides a view into old England with its intricate, old, and fascinating architecture. There are thousands of years of history in this building, which was originally occupied by Benedictine monks in the 10th century. They established a tradition of worshiping daily, which continues today, and in which we briefly participated while inside the church. There are statues, paintings, stained glass, and other artifacts, but none so disturbing or interesting (depending on your point of view) than the tombs and memorials of some of the country’s most significant people. Taken as a whole, Westminster Abbey is home to the most significant single collection of monumental sculptures than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. It is most famously known for the site of the royal weddings of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and of course most recently, Prince William and Kate Middleton – now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We were able to stand at the front of the church and look down the long aisle through each of the brides walked.

Our next stop took us a little more north to one of Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants for lunch. For those of you who have never heard of him, Gordon Ramsey is the star of Hell’s Kitchen USA. He is a famous chef, who opened up his first restaurant in the chic Chelsea area of London in 1998. He has since expanded his many restaurants to include the Maze and Maze Grill, as well as establishments in the NYC, LA, Tokyo, Dublin, Paris, Tuscany, Sardinia, and Melbourne. Michele, Claire, the kids, and I ate at the Maze Grill. According to our waiter, Ramsey does make an occasional appearance in the restaurant, but primarily with the intention of eating with his children. The Maze Grill has a little more “kid friendly” menu as one can order hamburgers, spaghetti, and ribs. Otherwise, the menu is fairly unusual, in American terms, with roasted bream (fish), pork belly, sardines, squid, and pigs on toast (??). However, there are some yummy looking steaks on the menu, and the dessert was to die for!! Not sure the price was worth the food served, but hey….I can always say I’ve been to one of his restaurants, and isn’t that what adventure is all about? Trying the unusual? On a side note…I ordered the penne pasta with Bolognese sauce (spaghetti) and it was delicious! Not too adventurous on my part!

As coincidence will have it, when I returned to my room that evening, I turned on the TV and came upon one of Ramsey’s other shows, Restaurant Nightmares, USA. So, I sort of came full circle!

Benjamin, Melissa, and Daniel were scheduled to fly into Heathrow at noon on Wednesday, and I had to get Dave and I moved from the Mandarin Oriental to our next hotel – Gloucester Millennium, while he finished up his day of teaming. After misspelling the name of the hotel several times over when trying to get a cab, I learned that the “u-c-e” are silent – Glah-ster. After I was settled, I stepped across the street to the conveniently located tube station to await their arrival. Melissa, unfortunately, puked virtually the entire way across the Atlantic Ocean as she contracted the stomach flu somewhere between Elko and Minneapolis. As they came through the station, I could see she was quite pale. I got her settled into her room with pepto and a suggested nap. The boys and I went exploring the Gloucester neighborhood, but didn’t get far (across the street), where we had some lunch, and sampled a few of the local brews.

Later that afternoon Dave met us at the hotel and we took off for the play, Wicked. The kids had a hard time staying awake, mostly because they were exhausted after a very long trip. I, on the other hand, LOVED the play and have rated it my favorite to date. The singing and acting were both absolutely phenomenal. I highly recommend to anyone who loves musicals.

After a much needed rest for the kids, we purchased tickets on the Big Bus Tour, which could take us all over the city. We stopped at Hyde Park, had a bite to eat, and then took off for Buckingham Palace and my 3rd visit to the Big Ben/Parliament/Westminster Abbey area. We decided to take in Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, so off we went for the closest tube station.
Later in the day, we chose to go on the “Ghosts by Gaslamp” walking tour. Sounds pretty interesting, doesn’t it? Just as we were heading out on the walk, Daniel noticed he had forgot his camera at the last pub/restaurant we had been at, so Benjamin and I waited for him while Dave and Melissa started the ghostly tour. Dave sent us text messages with directions on how to catch up to them.

• Go past super tall statue and across 2 street down north umberland ave.
• Left at Sherlock holmes restaurant, down craven passage alley.
• Thru arches shopping building.
• Right in front of Pret a manger then left thru gate by Treats and Gordon. Watergate walk.
• Walk a little way past tables then up stairs on left.

Maybe you had to be there, but the text tour was way more fun than the actual ghost tour. When we finally caught up with Dave and Melissa, they were at a wine bar, but alas…no wine was to be had as the tour continued. After another 10 minutes or so, we all agreed we were bored to death (no pun intended), and left the tour and went back to the Sherlock Holmes pub for a pint or two. After calling Dave’s mom to wish her happy birthday, we went back to the hotel for the evening.

Friday was the big premiere of the Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie, which we watched at the Curzon Theatre in Chelsea. The door to the theatre left a lot to be desired in terms of size, but once we got into the actual theatre, we found it to be quite large. The movie was a success, and we all enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went down the street to a pub (recurring theme, don’t you think?) and stood outside watching some pretty amazing cars pass by us –Lamborghini, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes. Chelsea obviously is an area where there is lots of money!

Because the Gloucester Hotel did not have rooms available Saturday night, we had to move to another new hotel. The concierge arranged for a “people mover” to transport us to the Park Plaza Embankment Hotel, which sits right on the Thames River. A people mover is just a better way to describe a minivan! This hotel was the least expensive of all three places we had stayed, and in my opinion, was the nicest and most definitely the most modern. The play, “The Lion King,” was on the agenda for Saturday, and we watched it at the Lyecum Theatre. The costumes were amazing, but we all agreed that the singing/acting were not as good as we expected. Both Benjamin and Melissa have seen the play in NYC, and both felt it was better there. With that being said, we still all very much enjoyed the experience.

The skies were threatening after the play, and we chose to go back to the hotel to get settled, as we couldn’t access our rooms before we left. As we exited the tube, the rain started to come down in buckets. We were getting soaked, even with the borrowed umbrellas we had gotten from the hotel concierge. So…yep…you got it…we stopped at a pub to get in out of the rain. The one drink extended into several drinks, and before we knew it, it was time for dinner. We stopped at an Italian Restaurant (Picos) and had a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel.

What happens in Picos….stays in Picos….right kiddies?

Now that we were down by the Thames River, we actually got to see a whole different view of the city of London.

We were on the opposite side of Big Ben and Parliament, which sits right on the river. I had no idea when I was on the other side! Also, on our side of the river were the famous London Eye and the London Aquarium. Michele and her family had ridden the London Eye and she didn’t recommend it, which was good, because none of us were really that interested in going up. Instead, we visited the aquarium. As were stood in line outside, the skies opened up again and the rain came down…hard! Thank God we had our umbrellas, and even then our shoes and pants were soaked.

The aquarium had an extensive collection of marine life, but my favorite was definitely the penguins. After all, who can’t love penguins!! There were tons of kids, and lots and lots of people, in general. I suspect the weather had something to do with it.

Ice cream was next on the agenda, as we sat along the Thames River, just taking in the view of the London skyline. While the Thames River is supposedly one of the cleanest rivers in the world, you could have fooled us. It was full of litter and quite brown. I guess it’s all relative….
We took off on a walk down the river, and ended up at the London Millennium Bridge, which Benjamin and Melissa pointed out was the same bridge that was blown up in the Harry Potter movies by the deatheaters. It provided another great view of the city.

We stopped at a bar (not a pub….but a bar – Oh? There’s not a difference?). Then, we stopped at a place to have some dinner, and was the first and only place Benjamin or Melissa were carded – and that was just to get in the establishment.

One thing about food in London. It’s not that good. We ate at a variety of restaurants during our week, and I can only think of two good meals I had, excluding McDonalds! I think there is actually better dining options in Accra. The variety of ales and lagers, however, is quite extensive!

Our next stop….Ireland.

Our First U.S. Visit

After just six weeks in country, Dave and I were back on American soil mid-May. Dave had meetings scheduled at the corporate office, four days of Leadership Training at Devil’s Thumb in Winter Park, and then a couple of more days of meetings in Denver.

After a very long flight from Accra to Amsterdam to Detroit to Denver, we found our way to Amy and Tony’s house in Windsor. This was my first taste of flying coach internationally (with the exception of Mexico). Since Dave was on business, his seat was in Business Class. He and I were paying for my flight out of pocket….so….I was back in coach. Business class is far more comfortable, and I’ll leave it at that.

As we walked through the Amsterdam airport in search of our next connection, we immediately appreciated the cleanliness of the facilities and the fact that things “worked.” It wasn’t mad chaos (of course, it was 6:30 a.m.), plenty of air conditioning, and security appeared to be on top of things, unlike in Accra where bribes can get you through quicker. It was modern and smelled good!

While Dave was at work in Denver and Devil’s Thumb, I primarily worked from Amy’s house. We were able to take in a round of golf, visit with friends (Chris and Craig) and family, and enjoy some home cooking with quality meat! The night before Dave flew back to Accra, Amy, Alex, and I drove to Denver to spend the evening with him. We ate yummy Italian food, bowled (makes me wonder if there is a bowling alley in Accra!), and enjoyed our last night together before his flight left the next day.

After 12 days in Colorado, I boarded a flight bound for “home.”
Unfortunately, home just wasn’t quite home anymore. Yes, our house is still at 1259 Dotta Drive. Yes, our Toyota Tacoma is in the garage. Yes, my cat (Marty) quickly came over to greet me. But, no….home just isn’t home. It’s now Daniel’s home, and he’s attempting to make it his own. Virtually all of the pictures are off the wall, with the nails still firmly in place. He has moved into our bedroom, and so to the “guest room” I went. The bed is hard and uncomfortable. But the worse thing? Marty wouldn’t come and sleep with me the first night. He went right into Daniel’s room.

I took in a long overdue “Body Pump” and yoga workout at Gold’s Gym, and then made my way to the school district where I planned on getting some work done during my time in Elko. Hours after I officially left the school district on April 1st, my desk, computer, files, and personal effects were moved into another room. Nothing like having the door kick you on the way out after more than 18 years of service! Walking into the office that last day of May was bittersweet. There were a few people I was anxious to see, but sensed that I was no longer truly a part of the school district. My dad has given me advice over the years, but one piece has always stuck out in my mind. “Don’t burn your bridges.” As a result, suffice it to say that I kept mostly to myself, took advantage of the quick internet connection, a printer, my assistant, IT folks, and the accounting department. I was able to get some important work done while in Elko, but I was eager to get back to the strictly online variation of my job!

I was able to visit with my Elko family, hosted a bbq for my book club ladies, finally convinced Marty to sleep with me, and even had a Mother’s Day dinner with Benjamin! I enjoyed my time in Elko, but I was also missing Dave. It had now been three weeks since we’d left Accra and I’d only seen him a couple of times during those three weeks.

But….off to the next adventure. My sister-in-law, Lisa, and I flew out of Elko bound for Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C.

My niece, Paige, was graduating from high school and I took advantage of the opportunity to stop on my way back to Ghana, to share in her special day.

By using a few of the miles Dave and I have saved up in our travels, I was able to include Lisa. Amy and Tony made the trip, as did my parents. We all met up in Virginia, where Tony and Toni live – in a beautiful decorated home on the 4th hole, I believe! While we weren’t able to take advantage of the golf course, we spent plenty of time exploring Washington, D.C. and the historical sites.

Since Lisa had never been to the D.C. area, we took in all of the sites via a tour bus. We walked “the mall,” although the reflection pond was void of water as it is under repair. There is nothing like the view down the mall while standing on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial.

After three visits to Washington, D.C., I finally got to tour the inside of the National Cathedral. This awe-inspiring church is a “must see.”

The three weeks I spent in Colorado and Nevada included cool weather, and even snow in Elko, while Virginia and DC both experienced record high temperatures during my visit. Guess it was Mother Nature’s way of preparing me for the African humidity and heat!

Before I left the east coast, I had one more piece of business to take care of….and that was to buy some meat to take back with me. Yep….I bought a cooler, hamburger, pork chops, bacon, kielbasa, and some hot dogs to bring back with me. My brother helped me with the dry ice and packing of the cooler. 45 lbs. later, I was ready to head to the airport for my trip overseas.

I was wondering how I was going to haul two suitcases, a backpack, my purse, and a cooler through the airport, but the people at Budget Rental Car were great. They helped me haul my belongings into the bus, and back out again. At Dulles, a gentleman was standing just outside of the bus, and he quickly loaded my things onto his cart and took them upstairs to the Delta counter. As I was attempting to print out my boarding passes, I ran into problems. There was a change to my itinerary, but I couldn’t see where there was a problem.

I finally was able to get a Delta employees attention, but he was having difficulty as well. After hitting the monitor at the kiosk several times, he moved over to the counter and again tried to log me in. He then said, “Oh, your flight to JFK has been cancelled.” I looked up at the monitor and was confused, as the monitor indicated the flight was on-time. He told me that the gal at the counter would help me rearrange my itinerary, and then he vanished.

The lady hardly spoke to me at all, and just had her head down, typing away. After several minutes she handed me my new itinerary and a taxi voucher. I was headed to Reagan National Airport in DC. She told me that the flight was scheduled to leave at 5 p.m., but that it had been delayed until 6 p.m. She assured me I would reach New York City in plenty of time to catch my overseas flight to Accra, which was scheduled to leave at 9:30 p.m. What she didn’t tell me is how in the hell I was going to get downstairs with all my baggage! Thank heavens we bought new luggage with four wheels, as I was able to push my suitcases, place my backpack on my back, and haul the cooler with the handle. I thought my arm was going to break off, as pulling 45 lbs. of meat is harder than it sounds!

A little side story here. While I was standing at the Delta counter waiting for the Delta gal to rebook me, there was a lady to the right of me in the same predicament. I overheard her say that she and her family were scheduled to fly out of NYC for Accra that evening and how could she get to New York in time to catch that flight. The Delta employee asked for her name, and her reply was, “Hinton – H-i-n-t-o-n.” I couldn’t believe it! My maiden name! I wanted to talk to her, but we were both a tad bit busy.

After a 40 minute taxi ride (and a $75 fee paid by Delta), I arrived at Reagan, and was taken to the first class line. (By the way, during my taxi trip, I looked at the Delta voucher, which indicated that my flight was “oversold,” not cancelled as the Delta employee informed me.) I told the Delta guy at the counter that before I taped up my cooler, did he want to look in it, and he said, “No, but the TSA people might.” So, after he printed out my boarding tickets, the skycap took my bags to TSA. When we arrived at their location I asked one of them if he would like to look in my cooler before I wrapped duct tape around it, and he said no. So, off to the side I went, where I began sealing it up. When I was almost done, another TSA gentleman came over and said, “We’ll probably just have to tear that tape off.” I looked up at him and said, “What? That guy over there told me he didn’t need me to open it. Do you or don’t you?” He just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. My patience was wearing a little thin by now. I was tired and hungry! I left my bags and cooler with the TSA and hoped to hell I would see them when I went to retrieve my luggage in Accra.

Finally! Time to eat. I had about an hour to spare before my flight departed, so I made my way to McDonalds for a truly American meal, ordering up a Quarter Pounder with fries. Yummy!

Shortly after returning to my departing gate, the airline announced that our flight was further delayed due to weather conditions in NYC and it would leave at approximately 6:40 p.m. I would still make my flight. At 6:30 p.m., another announcement. The flight probably wouldn’t leave until 7 p.m., and the flight was an hour and a half; meaning, if you have a 9:30 p.m. flight, you may be hard pressed to catch your connection. Travelers were told that if they thought they would miss their connection, they needed to go to the Gateway Counter (down the hallway) to have alternate arrangements made. Off I went, to encounter a line of about 25 people. I knew that if I stood in this line to rearrange my flight, I would miss the flight to NYC, so back to the gate I went.

Just as I arrived at the gate, another announcement. We would be boarding in just five minutes. About 30 seconds later, we started boarding. While in line, with a few of us a little exasperated at the confusion and seemingly unorganized announcements, I turned around and ran into the lady from Dulles! I asked her if she had been at Dulles, and when she replied “yes,” I asked her if her last name was Hinton, and again she answered, “yes.” I told her that I was standing next to her in line at the Delta counter at Dulles and overheard her say she was going to Accra and gave her last name. I told her I was on the same flight and that my maiden name was Hinton. She told me that she was from Oxford, England, and then I had to make my way down the gangway as she waited for her family.
Before our flight departed, the pilot informed the passengers that this was a mere 45 minute flight (not an hour and a half flight as was previously reported), so I felt comfortable that I could make my flight. But, the air traffic controllers didn’t care. At one point it felt like we were returning to DC, but rather, we were circling. Many, many planes had been delayed because of the weather, and now they were all trying to land at the same time. This added another 20 minutes onto our flight, and I was getting very concerned with my connection.

As we were waiting for the doors of the plane to open, I noticed that the Hinton lady’s husband was standing behind me, and so I introduced myself. I told him the story about meeting his wife. He asked me what I was doing in Accra and I told him that my husband worked for Newmont. He said, “Oh, we have a very good friend that works at Newmont. He and his wife’s name are Jennifer and Michael Hendrickson (sp?).” It’s a small, small world. Jennifer is the woman who introduced me to the Royal Seed Orphanage!

The doors opened, and there was a mad rush up the ramp. I was obviously not the only one needing to make a connection. As I exited the ramp, I found a Delta employee and asked her where the gate for the Accra departure was located. I was just sure it would be in a completely different terminal as we had flown in on a commuter plane, and were departing on an international flight. Nope…the gate was just around the corner. Luck was in my corner this evening.

Even though it was after 9 p.m., passengers hadn’t even started to board. Evidently, there was maintenance being done inside the plane. Anyway, after a long day of travelling, I finally boarded my flight for Accra. I was able to upgrade to a “premium economy,” for an additional $90, which basically means I had more leg room. I felt like it was worth the additional cost.

After leaving Tony and Toni’s house at about 1 p.m. EST, I arrived in Accra at 12:30 p.m. GMT (9:30 a.m. EST). I was tired, but when I walked into my house, I just breathed a sigh of relief….and laid down on the bed for a quick nap (but not before I transferred all of my meat from the cooler to the freezer - yea...it made it!).

I was home….until the next trip.