Safari Trip - Ngorongoro Crater

On Tuesday, August 7^th, which coincidentally was Melissa’s 21^st birthday, Dave, Daniel, Melissa, Benjamin and I headed for the airport to board Ethiopian Airlines to begin our trip to Tansania.

I am not usually too stressed out about travelling. I always figure things will work out….even after I had to rebook 21 people from a western Mexico cruise to an eastern Caribbean cruise three weeks prior to departure - all due to the Swine Flu!

However, there were several things that made me apprehensive about this trip. First….the flights. I’m a well-seasoned flier, and would actually prefer to fly to Carlin rather than drive the 18 miles! I booked our entire safari trip through a company out of the U.K. - Africa Direct. It was recommended we fly Ethiopian Airlines rather than Kenya Airlines due to a significant cost difference. I really didn’t think either one sounded better, and I was worried that I was saving money ahead of safety. It’s funny, because I really never give that a thought in the U.S. Of COURSE, I’m going to choose the cheaper flight!

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Airport

I guess being American, I have a skewed idea of Ethiopians, and didn’t really have much confidence in the airline. Dave, being his witty self, asked out loud, “I wonder if the people on board will look hungry.” Valid question, and no….they didn’t. Regardless, this whole trip was completely out of my comfort zone, but I tried to put on a brave face, and boarded the plane.

The other reason I was pretty apprehensive about this whole trip (again, unlike me), is because I had placed all of my trust in a travel agent and maintained very little control over the trip. Our flight to Tanzania was NOT a simple one. After leaving Accra just after noon, we landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia six hours later. We then boarded a smaller plane that set out for Mombasa, Kenya at 10:30 p.m., landing at around 1:30 a.m. While some people deplaned, we didn’t. We also picked up several new fliers, and were in the air just 45 minutes later, bound for Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. It is now 3:30 a.m. Tanzania time, which is 10 hours ahead of those living in the Pacific Standard Time.

According to the itinerary, we were to picked up at the airport and transferred to the Meru Hotel in Arusha for breakfast. Honestly, I was shocked to see our name on a placard as we exited the airport terminal before the dawn has even broken. We were all exhausted, and since it was still dark, the road was a bit bumpy, we all nodded off…until Kim, our driver, would randomly point out something, which we really couldn’t see because it was dark!

After about an hour’s drive, we arrived at the Meru Hotel where Kim deposited us and our bags, and informed us that another Africa Direct representative would be meeting us at about 8:30 a.m. to provide us with further details. We were told that we could eat breakfast, but the restaurant didn’t open until 6 a.m. I was absolutely exhausted by now, and just needed to lay my body down for just a few minutes. We found a relatively quiet area in the lobby, just off the front desk.



Taking a short snooze after a long flight from Accra.



I’m sure the owners of the hotel wouldn’t be too happy seeing the homeless travelers sprawled out on their couches, but fortunately there were very few people moving through the lobby at such an ungodly hour.

After a pretty tasty breakfast, we were met by our next Africa Direct representative, Kahlil, who basically took us over our itinerary for the next week and answered any of our questions. He then introduced us to our driver, Mbaga (em-bah-guh), who would be taking care of us while on safari.

We drove through the town of Arusha, which is pretty similar to driving down the streets of Accra. There is lots of dirt, people, chickens, goats, and stands where folks sell their wares. We did make an unexpected pit stop so Mbaga could pick up some medication (random).

It was fairly difficult to engage Mbaga in any meaningful conversation.  We were pretty tired ourselves, so the effort seemed that much harder, I suppose. About an hour or so into our drive, Mbaga slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. (By the way, Tanzania’s drive on the opposite side of the road!) We had a flat tire. He walked over the guard rail and down the hill a bit; first to take a leak (yes, folks….he had to take a leak), and then to pick up some sagebrush like looking bushes, which he used as red caution cones. No, they were NOT red. They were sagebrush-colored. Regardless, it worked. Passing vehicles moved to the other side of the road, although most of them did not slow down.

Two other guide vehicles stopped to help Mbaga change the flat tire. It was obvious that this was a common occurrence. After about 15 minutes, we were back on the road. We quickly learned that the Maasai tribe is one of the oldest and most prevalent in Tanzania. We passed several young boys who were dressed in black garb, with their faces painted black and white.

According to Mbaga, these are Maasai boys who have recently been circumcised. When the boys are ready to become a warrior (Moran), all boys of the same age group (ages 9-14) get circumcised, after which they dress in the aforementioned manner for approximately three months. After this period, they officially become a Moran.

Mbaga told us a little bit about the Maasai people, which we found to be fascinating. They are a somewhat nomadic group of people located in Kenya and Northern Tanzania. They have very distinctive customs and dress, and usually live very close, or even on the game reserves.  I’ll go into more detail about the Maasai in my next blog as we had a unique opportunity to visit a Maasai village.

After several hours we came upon the entrance to the famed Ngorongoro (in-gore-un-gore-oh) Crater.

Our paved roads were now gone, as the next part of our trip would be on bumpy, unpaved roads. Before Mbaga went to pay our entrance fees into the park, he told us to make sure we rolled up our windows as the many baboons in the area were quite adept at stealing tourists food and whatever else they could get their hands on. Well, we all rolled up our windows and got out to stretch our legs. Mbaga, however, did NOT completely roll up his window, and a baboon quickly took advantage. Fortunately, we were able to scare him away.

On our way to our hotel, we stopped for our first look of the Ngorongoro Crater. Basically the crater was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself 2-3 million years ago. Mbaga called the crater a volcanic caldera. According to my research, approximately 25,000 large animals live in the crater, although the population changes based on the migration patterns of the zebras and wildebeests.

Here, we are standing on the rim of the crater. It was a spectacular view.

After MANY, MANY hours on the road, Mbaga dropped us off at our hotel, the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.

The lodge was very basic, but clean. We were all thrilled just to take a shower, and then we headed to the restaurant for a bite to eat and a few drinks. It took all that we had to stay awake until 7 p.m. (especially poor Benjamin who was slouching in his chair looking as Japanese as I’ve ever seen him look). The view from the lodge, overlooking the crater was magnificent!

After a peaceful sleep, we were at the lobby at 6 a.m. to begin our first real day of safari! The nights in Tansania were fairly cool (jacket weather), and this early morning was no exception. It was also quite foggy and I was really glad I wasn’t driving the narrow and bumpy roads that curved along the rim of the crater. I was staring out the window, mostly still asleep when out of the fog I saw a giraffe. “Giraffe,” I yelled. Mbaga stopped and I pointed it out to everyone. It was surreal. It was like something out of a movie. This picture is somewhat blurry, but it’s one of those that I will have imprinted into my mind forever. It continues to be the first thing I think of anytime I think back to the trip. It was an breathtaking way to begin our first day.

Next, we came upon a male lion just snoozing away. Other safari jeeps were driving by him, and it was obvious that he was quite used to the traffic. 

I like how he is holding his paws in this picture.

Not far from the first male, we came upon several jeeps stopped, and we quickly saw why. The pride had killed a zebra that night and were having a bit of breakfast.

I’ll never get over these pictures. It was strange, because if I would have heard about this, I would have thought it was gruesome, but being there; experiencing it live....it wasn’t gruesome, it was just nature. It was very quiet, so we could hear the cracking of the bones as the lions ate. We even watched the male lion "lovingly" lick the zebra's head, and then pull out its tongue and eat it! Can you see the zebra's teeth?? CRAZY!!

Can you see the cub? Three of them got in on the action!

Below are pictures of several birds we encountered on our trip. The birds in Tanzania were very colorful and many were enormous.



Some sort of eagle with a very strange bird call.





Had no idea ostriches were native to Africa.





Secretary Bird



Soon after seeing the lions eating the giraffes, we stopped for a box breakfast at a hippo pond. As you can tell from our jackets, it was still pretty cool at this point. Those mounds in the back of us are actually hippos - they just look like rocks.

Here is a picture of the first hyena we saw. Let me tell you, he was a scraggly, ugly looking thing. I called him, “Ed.” J

We saw lots and lots of baboons, usually the closer we got to lodges or people.  The babies ride their mommas like horses.





This one totally looked like an alien monkey!

Here was our first picture of an elephant. We were heading back to the rim of the crater when we came upon him on the right side of the road. This is a magnificent picture. I would guess we were 30-40 feet away. There were two or three others on the other side of the road.

After spending most of the day in the Ngorongoro Crater, we were off to the Serengeti, where we would stay that evening.

Our Safari Trip - First Leg Elko to Accra

Dave’s assignment has already afforded us several awesome travel opportunities, but the safari may have been one of the greatest! I flew to the states in July to celebrate my parent’s 80^th birthday with my family.  As it happened, I was also able to attend my 30^th class reunion in Douglas, Wyoming. I was planning on flying back to Ghana shortly thereafter, but Dave thought it would be a good idea for me to stay and fly back to Accra with our kids (yes….I guess they will always be our “kids,” regardless of their ages).

So, after more than three weeks in Colorado and a brief stay in Elko, Benjamin, Daniel, Melissa, and I boarded the 6 a.m. flight out of Elko on August 3^rd. I have been really fortunate in the last year and a half to have pretty minimal problems with flying to Ghana, but this was not going to be one of those flights.

Boarding the flight to Accra in New York City is always chaotic….it’s just the nature of the people boarding the plane. They are pretty aggressive in terms of getting on the plane first, and they always have TONS of baggage. This was no different. Fortunately, I was upgraded to Business Class (yes!) and the kids were already booked in Economy Plus, which is a decent step up from Economy.  In fact, they were seated just four rows behind me.

The flight from JFK to Accra has become regularly full, and this day was no exception. As a result, the crew was asking for volunteers, which ultimately delays departure as they have to take the bags of those who volunteer to get off the plane (can you imagine trying to find bags on a big ole 747??) and replace those with the bags of those who now have a seat. It’s often at least an hour process.

Well, after that was all straightened out, the pilot turned on the engines and discovered that one of the instrumentation panels was down (one of three….apparently they need all three, ha ha!). A mechanic was brought on board to make the repair. While it is always frustrating to be delayed, I’m glad that the problem was found PRIOR to being airborne. We were now two hours delayed, but the problem appeared to have been resolved.

So, off we go. We pulled away from the gate and began to make our way to the runway. However, I could see there was an issue as I was watching the flight attendants. The lights in the cabin are coming on and off. We get almost all the way to the runway and the plane does a U-turn. We appear to be returning to the terminal. The plane stopped and the pilot announced they were having trouble with the lights in the back cabin. At this point I’m thinking, “Who cares about the lights.” It’s 11 p.m., just close your eyes and go to sleep (ha ha). Guess the pilot didn’t agree as he informed us that we were going back to the terminal, but not to the gate. This would allow a mechanic to repair the problem. Unfortunately, he was not able to fix the problem on the tarmac, so instead we pulled back into the gate.

The doors were opened and the mechanic came on board. After an hour, the problem was resolved. But, just as I had suspected, the pilots were not going to be able to complete the flight as it would put them over the number of allowable hours. The Delta crew was very apologetic and explained that a new crew would be called, but it would take several hours. It was now midnight, Eastern Time. The flight attendants agreed to stay on the plane, and they quickly handed out sandwiches, as the Ghanaian natives were getting really restless. They were pretty vocal about their frustrations.

Travelers were allowed to get off of the plane and walk around the airport, but we were told that there was nothing open at that late hour. Regardless, about 70% of the plane departed, giving the kids more room to stretch out. In the meantime, we were fed dinner, I watched a movie, and at 3:30 a.m., we once again pushed off.

Instead of arriving in Accra at 11:30 a.m. on August 4^th, we landed at 6:30 p.m.  In spite of the very long day, we were very happy to see Dave and just as happy to see that he had made us his famous Sausage and Potatoes for dinner!

After a wonderfully restful sleep, we took the kids around Accra….which is just not much. We took them to the mall, then to Newmont's Regional Office. I think they were all surprised at the difference between the very modern North American Regional Office and the rather primitive African Regional Office. Let’s just say that Dave’s office is: 1) tiny, and 2) stinks of mold. It has ugly blue carpeting and there is a bathroom within his office (yes, a public one for all to use). The building is actually a converted house, although Daniel pointed out that the house was actually quite large; but, not really what you would call a good working environment. Newmont has since moved to a newer building, and yet Dave’s office is now smaller than the aforementioned office. It does smell nicer!

Sunday night we were invited to Dave and Michele Schummer’s house for a bbq. We were so glad that we could introduce our family to several of our expat family. We greatly appreciated the Schummer’s for opening up their home to all of us!

On Monday morning, we jumped in the car and had Michael take us to Elmina, which is where one of the largest West Africa slave castles is located. Dave and I visited two of the castles right after we moved to Ghana and we thought it was something that the kids should see.

On our way back to Accra, we stopped at Anamabo for lunch. As we were eating, I noticed this guy getting up into the rafters. He had actually taken a ladder and put it sideways. He’s resting a plastic bin on the legs of the ladder, and is standing on the bin….painting the roof. Safety first, NOT! I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t pass any OSHA, MSHA, or any other kind of safety protocols in the U.S.

We had another early night, just hanging around watching the Olympics and getting geared up for a long flight to Tanzania the next day where we would begin our safari adventure!

Ghana Be Another Day

Wherever I go, I almost always have my cell phone which I use to make notes about things I’ve seen or heard in my travels around the city. Oftentimes, Michael and I will talk about Ghanaian traditions, family, and just life in general. I’m finally taking some time to transfer all of those notes into a blog!

Although Dave and I are living in Africa because of the abundance of gold on this continent, Ghana’s number one industry is actually cocoa. In the mid 1800’s a Ghanaian named Tetteh Quarshie, who was a farmer at heart, traveled to Equitorial Guinea (a country southeast of Ghana) with the intention of bringing back cocoa beans to plant. According to Michael (and folklore), Quarshie ATE the cocoa beans, and that’s how he safely transported them back to his home (you can deduce for yourself how THAT happened.)  

Between 1910 and 1980 Ghana was the world’s largest exporter of cocoa, and continues to be of the highest quality. The country has earned hundreds of millions of dollars annually from the export of the beans and processed materials. Nestle has a regional office here in Accra, which I was sure would mean that my choices of chocolate would be immense. Not so. While Ghana does have a small cocoa manufacturing plant in Tema (city about 20 miles east of Accra), there are no other such processing plants. The vast majority of the cocoa grown throughout Ghana is exported and processed in other countries.

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, Ghanaians LOVE signs (or sign boards, as they call them over here). There are signs EVERYWHERE, but this one, in particular, stood out. It’s just not something you would expect to see in the U.S. It was enormous; had to be 30 feet tall (hard to miss). Pictured was a little boy, about 5 or 6 years old, holding up his hand as if to give a “high five.” The sign said, “Pledge to get rid of diarrhoea….Life Buoy.”  I did not misspell diarrhea….the sign maker did! Obviously, Life Buoy is promoting something a little different than Dove! Another sign I saw the other day was “Toilet Puller,” (waste management). Made me laugh!

From time to time, Dave brings home the local newspaper - The Daily Graphic. In a recent article, I discovered that only 10% of homes in metropolis Accra have indoor restrooms. We’ve been told that there are 4 million people living in Accra, but I’m not sure how the reporter defines “metropolis Accra.” Regardless…that’s a LOT of people who have no access to restroom facilities. It is very common to see men, in particular, peeing by the side of the road. It’s not only common, it’s perfectly acceptable. No one blinks an eye….other than this Obruni! It still bothers me, mostly because it’s so unsanitary. Having said that….there are no public bathrooms. There are no “blue rooms.” And, according to the paper account, there is no other choice.

The lack of facilities also contributes to disease. The article went on to say that there had been 17 reported deaths from Cholera since January and more than 600 reported sicknesses. Keep in mind that these are only those deaths and illnesses that are reported. I would venture to guess that there are many more unreported cases, especially in the more rural areas of the country. Poor sanitation has been blamed for the outbreak as transmission occurs primarily by drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated by the feces of an infected person (have I grossed everyone out enough to quit reading??). 

Michael and I see many different things as we drive from place to place. One day we saw a whole line up of UN (United Nations) tanks pulling through town - no idea where they were headed. As poor as the people are here in Ghana, there are also lots of people who obviously have money. Although many of the vehicles on the road that are in terrible shape (wobbling wheels, windows broken out, doors and trunks bungeed shut), so too are their luxury cars.  This was a gorgeous white Porsche parked in front of us at the light. I told Michael I was taking the picture so that Dave would know exactly what car I wanted to buy when we returned to the U.S. in a couple of years!

On our way home from the gym one morning, Michael got to laughing and pointed out a man who was driving his motorcycle….with a goat laid across his lap. Michael assured me the goat was alive. Unfortunately, they were too quick to get a picture!

Abject poverty exists in Ghana still. Michael drove us past the Neema slum one day, and all I could think of was “Slumdog Millionaire.” If you’ve seen this movie, you’ll understand what I saw.  I’ve recently discovered that there is an even worse slum - Sodom and Gomorrah. It is not only full of very poor people, it’s also very dangerous, according to Michael. He refuses to take me to that area of the city. He told me that a couple of years ago the government tried to demolish the slum area, but were met with resistance (understandably so). While the government claimed that the location was not fit for human habitation, the more than 55,000 people who live there have nowhere else to go. Very sad.

Michael is very religious and serves as a youth minister for his church. Unfortunately, one of his faithful was killed in a tragic trotro accident in the eastern region in March.  As mentioned before, many of the vehicles here in Ghana are not road-worthy. This particular trotro was on the highway, probably moving at an unsafe speed based on the condition of the vehicle.

Ghana was the first black African country to gain her independence on March 6, 1957. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first prime minister of Ghana and was instrumental in the achievement of independence from Britain. March 6^th is to Ghana what July 4^th is to Americans.

OK….here is some GOOD news. Michael and his wife, Mabel, are expecting their second child in September or October. The new little one will join their 2 year old daughter, Nana.

Second good news….Charity and her husband, Enoch, are expecting again as well. Their son, Akufo, is 3 years old and she is due in December.  Unfortunately, this story isn’t ALL good. While I’m very happy for Charity (as I believe SHE is happy) she will continue to struggle as a woman in the Ghanaian society.

Third good news (and the BEST news) is Dave’s oldest daughter, Christine, is due with her second child and our first granddaughter. It’s going to be a VERY exciting year with all of the new babies in our lives!

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Back to Charity…she told me (without me dragging it out of her) that Enoch wanted her to have an abortion, but she refused. When I asked why, she explained that he wanted Akufo to be five years old before they had another child. Well….I had several suggestions about how HE could have prevented HER from getting pregnant, but I held my tongue. Charity said that all of their friends were furious with Enoch, and that he has now come to terms with the new baby. I’m not convinced.

This led Charity and I to having a discussion about her family. She told me that her dad is 90+! Charity is the youngest of 7 children between her parents. Her mom is 17 years younger than her dad and is the 1^st among 7 of his wives. Yep, you read it right - 1 of 7! Polygamy is a common practice in Ghana.  She calls his other wives her “step moms.” She figures that her dad has fathered about 22 children with his wives.

Charity went on to say that her father used to be quite wealthy. Although he and his wife (#1) are from the Volta Region, he moved the family to the eastern region (around Koforuidia) in order to make a better living. He owned petrol (gas) stations, cows, and land. When Charity’s three eldest siblings become “of age” (I suppose that magical age is left up to interpretation), her father handed over the businesses to them (Adam, Pat and Eva). They, in turn, basically ran the businesses into the ground and the family lost everything. The family is practically destitute.

Charity’s father is furious at his three children. Her mom, however, is furious at her dad for being mad at the children. She says that “what has happened, has happened,” and there is no use in staying mad. As a result, she refuses to visit him, sleep with him, or to even be around him. Charity has within her the potential to be successful, but it just seems like for every step forward she takes….she goes back two.

I’ll end this blog with a funny story Michael told me. He has a motorbike (that’s what they call motorcycles in Ghana) which allows him to travel to and from his house to ours much quicker than the taxi and/or trotros. On Tuesday night he was driving home and came upon a snake. He said it was dark out, but somehow he saw the creature. As soon as he realized it was a snake, he swerved to miss it, but ended up running it over. He is convinced that the snake (being angry that he was being run over), reared his head back and bit the tire.

I know that anyone reading this blog is not going to get how funny it was to me as one just HAD to see Michael’s face and how his voice would rise anytime he would mention the snake. This is a grown man who was born and raised in Africa! Michael is terrified  of animals, and according to him, especially snakes! This was a black mamba, the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around 8-10 ft in length.  He said that this particular snake was about as big around as his forearm and that it stretched across the place in which he was driving (it sounds like it was on a very wide sidewalk).  It is also one of the fastest snakes in the world, and I guess Michael knew this because he said he just kept going and wouldn’t even look back (I think he was afraid the snake would be chasing him!!).

A little ways down the road the chain on his motorbike came off (probably because he was hauling ass across a field) and he had to stop. He parked the bike, called a mechanic, and ran the rest of the way home. When he arrived at his house his wife asked him where his motorbike was, and he relayed the snake story. Evidently, he called the mechanic and told him where he could find the bike. The mechanic picked up the bike and it’s fixed. He told Michael on Thursday that he could pick it up, but Michael is reluctant to do so. He doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with his bike. Dave is worried that the next time Michael is riding his motorbike he will be so worried about snakes that he won’t be focused on driving (which you really must be when riding a motorbike in Ghana) and will get in an accident.

I believe that Michael fears the snake is now a part of his motorbike since he bit the tire, and he is now forever cursed. OK….that’s my somewhat fantasy-based, warped theory.

Laguna Beach, California

Time has gone quickly since Dave and I returned from our Seychelles trip. After just three weeks we headed back to the U.S. as Dave had a global HR meeting located in none other than Laguna Beach, California. The meetings were being held at the beautiful Montage Resort which sits right on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We saw whales, porpoises, and seals along the coast. Our sisters, Amy and Lisa, were able to join us….ok, they actually joined ME as Dave was busy pretty much every day all day. It’s always nice to have a buddy or two to hang with.

In order to make getting around easier, I booked a rental car - Toyota Camry. It was a perfectly good car, but it just didn’t really fit in with the other cars pulling into the resort for valet parking, which included Bentleys, Mercedes, Lexus’s, Jaquars, Aston Martin, and others that I was SURE were way out of my league. I told the valet drivers time and time again that it was the powder blue BENTLEY, not Camry, but they always brought out my car.

And, we didn’t just see these luxury cars at the resort, but up and down Pacific Coast Highway. Everywhere we turned there was a lavish car. I know the economy is bad in many, many places throughout the U.S., but it wasn’t evident in this area of California.

Before Dave had to begin work on Monday, the four of us golfed at the Aliso Creek Golf Course just minutes from the ocean and our resort. It is a short nine hole golf course carved among the walls of the Aliso Canyon. The canyon takes a dogleg left at the end of the 1^st hole, and let me tell you….the wind HOWLS at the convergence of the two canyons.  The day was cool and pretty windy, but not enough to stop us from golfing around twice!

Because we were so close to San Diego, the girls and I headed down to Sea World one day. It’s always been one of my favorite places as I'm fascinated with the whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Strangely enough, we also ran across a legless lizard from Europe (not literally). One of the animal handlers had her out in a grassy area. It basically looked like a snake.

I was disappointed because the dolphin and killer whale (Shamu) shows seemed to be more about the acrobats and costumes than it did about the animals. During past visits I always remembered learning lots about the animals; their habits, how they came to be at the park, and other interesting facts.  The Clyde and Seamore (sea lion) show was really lame as the animals were NOT cooperating. It was more like watching humans trying to fill air time! Ha ha!

When looking at the park’s website I see that some of these more “informational” shows are seasonal, so I suspect that is the reason. On the other hand, we had perfect weather and absolutely no crowds.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the “Pets Rule show,” which actually had absolutely nothing to do with sea life at all. Instead they were dogs, cats, ostriches, and a pig or two. We were sort of awestruck by the fact that CATS were trained….and they were WELL trained!

One day we just hung by the pool, not far from the ocean. We were even witnesses to a small wedding that was held on the grounds of the resort….all sitting in our lounge chairs. And, of course no trip would be complete without a day of shopping.

After the week in California, Dave and I flew to Reno for a long weekend where we spent time with our four children, son-in-law, grandson, and Dave’s parents. It was a really, really nice weekend. Low stress and lots of time with family. On Mother’s Day we all met at a local park where some of the crowd played a friendly game of volleyball, Duane and Joann cheered on the teams, and Brody and I “roamed” the park, picking up rocks and anything else he could find on the ground. We had a picnic - a VERY rare treat for Dave and I these days. That evening Chap’s parents invited us out to their farm for hot dogs and smores roasted over an open fire, which was fabulous! When we travel people always want to take us to dinner, so a home cooked meal….especially roasted hot dogs….is awesome!!

Just to be clear…we also love eating out as American restaurants are delicious and we are grateful that we have so many friends and family who want to actually eat with us!

A New Kind of Paradise

On Thursday, April 5th, exactly one year after we landed in Accra for Dave’s overseas assignment, we boarded a plane bound for the Seychelle Islands. Having moved to Africa, I have learned more in one year about geography that I have learned (or at least absorbed) in the previous 46 years of my life. Seriously! I had never even heard of the Seychelle Islands before moving to Ghana. One of the nice things about our vacations is that many of the expats have travelled extensively and so we receive lots of advice and recommendations. We know three couples who have visited the Seychelles, and all raved about their experiences.

I always like to include a brief history of the places we visit. I know if I don’t write it down, I won’t remember later, and I find it pretty fascinating. In the early 1814s, there was a struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands. While Great Britain claimed the country, the Seychelles (say-shells) earned their independence in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993, so you can see that they are really a very young free and democratic society; even more so than Ghana! The Seychelles are made up of more than 100 islands and are located in the Indian Ocean just off the east coast of Africa. They are located just 7 degrees south of the equator, while Ghana is just slightly north of the equator.

The official languages of the Seychelles are English and French, although many, many of the locals speak Creole, which is a version of French. I could pick up a few words (after all I did take three years of worthless French back in high school) from time to time but was thankful for those who spoke fluent English. Historically, the primary industry on the islands was agriculture - cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut. When the Seychelles International Airport opened in 1971, tourists flocked to the islands and quickly took over as the primary source of income for locals. We quickly noticed a strong African influence upon our arrival. In my research I found that when the British gained control of the islands during the Napoleonic Wars, they allowed the French upper class to retain their land. Both the French and British settlers used enslaved Africans, and although the British prohibited slavery in 1835, Africans continued to be enslaved. The Seychelle islands have no indigenous population, so the current population are composed primarily of people who have emigrated (or brought as slaves) to the island.

When we vacationed in Puerto Rico I was intent on finding a souvenir that defined that country and wanted to do the same on this trip. Unfortunately, because the aforementioned issue with no indigenous population, the islands lack a rich culture. So, our souvenirs were quite cheap! We scanned the beach for seashells and coral. Now I wish I would have brought a baggie of sand to put them in….maybe I’ll have to return!!

I originally attempted to book our vacation on my own, as I’ve come to be pretty good at making travel arrangements. However, I quickly concluded this was more than I could handle and it became clear that I needed some professional assistance! My travel agent recommended a beautiful location called Raffles Resort. They have hotels and resorts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia and come highly recommended. After looking at their website, I was happy to be spending a week in this resort.

When I was trying to book the trip myself, I found a flight that went from Accra to Nairobi, Kenya, and then onto the main island of Mahe (mah-hey), landing in the capital city of Victoria. My travel agent, however, booked us through Dubai. In hindsight, I wish we would have gone with Kenya Airlines as the time in the air would have been considerably less, although we would have had to spend an overnight in Nairobi….but hey, it would have given us time to explore. We flew Emirates Airlines from Accra to Dubai. They have the prettiest flight attendants. Really! These ladies are SO classy looking. I took a picture of them while we were awaiting our flight in Accra.

The airline seats were pretty uncomfortable and the leg room was terrible; especially for Dave. The flight to Dubai was just over 8 hours and we landed at 5:30 a.m. The Dubai International Airport is enormous and it was PACKED even as the sun was just coming up over the horizon.

There were people everywhere and they were buying, buying, buying. The airport is well known for its shopping, most of which is duty free. Someday I intend to return to Dubai and spend a week exploring (oh, and Dave intends to do so as well because he’s an excellent follower!).

With all of the commerce, you would think we’d be able to find an Egg McMuffin. Nope. We were in Terminal 3 and the only fast food restaurant we came upon was Burger King and there was NO breakfast menu. There were, however, lots of people chowing down on Whoppers and French fries….at 6:30 a.m. Go figure. Our stomachs just weren’t up for that kind of cuisine that early in the morning.After buying some of our own alcohol and snacks to take with us, we took a seat and waited for our next flight, which was also on Emirates.

We arrived in Mahe at a little after 1 p.m. (it’s four hours ahead of Accra, ten ahead of Colorado, and 11 ahead of our family in Nevada. The airport in Victoria is very tiny, especially when you look back at the huge plane in which we arrived. We were greeted by a 7◦ South representative who quickly took us through immigration and customs. Here are a couple of pictures of the Victoria Airport.

We had a slight anxiety attack while waiting for our luggage as they were some of the very last pieces to come off the enormous plane.

The representative guided us to our next location where we boarded a very small plane that would take us to our final destination of Praslin (Prah-lynn). Once we (all of about 10 of us) were all seated, the pilot started up the engines, turned around to us and said, “Ready?” and off we went. The 15 minute flight was hot (absolutely no air in the plane), but the time went quickly as we travelled over the blue and translucent Indian Ocean. A second 7◦ South representative met us after we landed and drove us to

the other side of the island to our home for a week, Raffles Resort. We were met at the “Arrival Pavilion” by resort personnel and treated like royalty. As we took some time to gaze out over the beautiful ocean, we saw three very large yachts. They are pretty hard to spot in this picture, but trust me....they were out there, and they were big!

We were told that the one on the right belongs to a Russian family, the middle by the Emir of Quatar and the one on the left was the Emir’s second yachy (one was hauling his sea “toys” like jet skis, etc.). Do you think there might be a bit of money coming into the Seychelles?? The view was stunning. The water is so beautiful and very calm. The islands rise majestically out of the ocean and tranquility just radiates. The island in the background is Curieuse Island. It looked to have a really beautiful, sandy beach, but unfortunately we didn’t have time to explore and find out more.

We were introduced to our private butler, Suranga (sur-ahn-guh) who took us to our villa, #183. This is Dave standing in front of our villa....not Suranga!

Surango is from Sri Lanka, and the guy LOVES to talk. His accent is thick and we had a difficult time following him at times, but nonetheless, he was at our beck and call. Raffles boasts 86 private villas and is located on a hillside. There are paved trails that traverse the property and guests and workers alike primarily move from place to place in what they call buggies, or what we Americans refer to as golf carts!

Dave and I often chose to walk to and from the pool/beach/restaurant on most days, and I think the staff thought we were crazy as the walking can get a bit difficult with the hills. But, we rarely get to walk in the country in which we are living due to all of the traffic, so we embraced the opportunity to be a little more active.

Our villa was outstanding. It was clean, comfortable, and functional. Everything (other than the VCR on the last day) worked perfectly. It was in a great location with no other Villa barely even in sight. The deck area was fantastic. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED sitting out on the deck in the morning and stepping into the plunge pool when we got hot, which was often as the sun is very intense that close to the equator.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful night time skies every evening. On this particular evening, we watched a beautiful full moon rise over the Praslin Island hills.

We downloaded a “Planet” app onto my iPad, which allowed us a 3D guide to the solar system. We may be nerds, but were thoroughly entertained and fascinated. Again….in Accra I rarely even see the nighttime skies (Dave sees them on his drive home). And, even when you do, between the pollution, humidity, and lights….there’s not a whole lot to see!

We were somewhat disappointed with the lack of meal options. The Raffles website boasted three restaurants and three bars. The Curieuse Restaurant was open daily. It was primarily a seafood restaurant, although they did offer a few meat and vegetarian items. Neither Dave nor I are seafood eaters, but knew that we could access the other restaurant for more choices - the Losean. However, the Losean was only scheduled to be open on two evenings (although it was scheduled to be open every morning for breakfast). The website says it was open daily. That really limited our options. I suspect it has something to do with the lack of guests but when we asked about it the staff would sidestep our questions.

To make matters worse (in terms of eating), on Easter Sunday the resort lost the use of one of their generators, causing some additional problems. Unfortunately, the Easter holiday made it even more difficult to get an engineer on site to fix the problem. Because of the loss of the generator, all of the breakfasts scheduled at the Losean Restaurant were moved to the Curieuse. The Losean breakfast was buffet style with many options. The Curieuse was much more limited and the staff seemed very, very out of sorts. It seems that they should have had a contingency plan for something like this, but it was obvious this was the first time it had occurred. This also meant that there was no in-room dining (which was a much more basic menu of nachos, pizzas, etc.), no services at Losean (so it was only actually open one day during our entire stay), no access to the bars or to the Tamaka Lounge. All in all, it really limited access for all guests. With that being said, the resort did provide each of the guests with a 75 euro per day credit to our accounts. We did appreciate that, but frankly we would have loved to have enjoyed the overall experience....but some things are simply out of their control.

The fitness gym was small but functional. It was clean, cool, and empty! I was planning on taking advantage of the beauty salon, but was informed upon our arrival that there was no hairdresser on site. Again....their website indicates that service is available. The Raffles Resort is a five star resort, but we didn't feel like we received five star service in the restaurants. We've stayed at five star hotels in London and the U.S. where staff provided true five star service. Our every need was addressed. Raffles staff is VERY, VERY nice, but they didn't always provide the same information. In some ways it felt like the resort had opened only recently, and we really felt the Ghanaian influence. One of many examples: The first evening of the "loss of power" we sat down for dinner at Curieuse. We were one of the first guests and our waiter asked us if he could also bring us the dessert menu at the same time as the dinner menu. We, of course, said that would be fine, but we felt like he was already hurrying us. We received our meals promptly, as well as our dessert. But, we waited more than 30 minutes for our bill and finally had to wave down a waiter. In the meantime, we sat at the table with no water, no wine. If nothing else...we could have had an additional glass of wine. This is not five star service. They are all really little things, but those little things add up over a week's time.

Dave and I decided that we would try and get scuba certified while on our trip, so I booked the training with Octopus Diving. We were picked up by a taxi on our first full day in the Seychelles and were transported to the Octopus Diving Center where we met our instructor, Juliette. Juliette is just 20 years old with a beautiful smile. She was born and raised right there on the Praslin Island. She was an excellent instructor and made both Dave and I feel very comfortable in the water.

On our first day she taught us the basics of scuba diving while sitting in the Center. After a couple of hours she taught us how to assemble our gear and then the three of us walked from the Center down a block to the swimming pool where we would do our first dive. The thing I found most surprising of ALL of scuba diving was how heavy the tanks are! I consider myself in shape, and my legs were shaking by the time we got to the pool! Making our first dive in the pool was perfect as it helped ease our fears and anxieties about scuba diving. We spent the rest of the day at the pool practicing the basic elements of diving. Juliette was very patient with us, and (if you know my husband) was kept on her toes by Dave and his humor!

On Easter Sunday, we took a taxi to the other side of the island where we spent a day golfing at the Lemuria Resort.

Side note here. Our driver’s name was Selby. He is also a native of the island, has three children (21, 15, and 6). When he was a child he was adopted by a woman who raised him. He came back to the Island to take care of her (she is now 88 years old). In addition to driving his taxi, he also maintains a small farm on his land. He sells his produce to local hotels and resorts. He was a genuinely nice man who obviously works very hard. Our only criticism of him would be that he proceeded to tell us about the recent (year ago) shark attacks that had occurred just off the beaches of the Praslin Island. In that sense, he wasn’t a great ambassador for his country….especially since he was transporting two people learning to scuba dive in those shark infested waters!!

Back to the golf course: The course was spectacular, especially after having golfed in Ghana most recently. When we arrived, the gentleman checking us in asked if we had brought golf balls, to which we answered, “yes.” What he failed to ask was, “Do you have ENOUGH golf balls?” By the time we got to the 6th hole, it was quite clear to us that the nine golf balls we brought with us were not going to be sufficient enough to even finish out the front nine holes!! The golf course is lined with water and the fairways were extraordinarily narrow. Here is Dave hitting our last ball off of the 6th hole tee box!

The back nine holes are hillier, and were a bit kinder to us. At the 15th hole we soaked in one of the most gorgeous views I have ever seen.

It was absolutely stunning! Here we are overlooking Anse Georgette (Anse is French for “beach”). The hole sits atop a hill and the hole is WAY down there to the right of us. At some point we sort of stopped counting our shots and just enjoyed the experience.

Below is me pointing back up the hill from which we just hit. Lucky me....I hit the green. Poor Dave....he hit one into the trees and another into the lily pond!

Our next dive was on Monday, and this time we were taken by boat to a dive site not far from the beach (5 minute boat ride) with others who were also receiving instruction. While our time in the pool with Juliette just included Dave and I, she now had three additional students. On our first dive, we basically just swam around at about 10 meters down, getting use to the environment and the difference from the pool (like you can’t just stand up!). We saw two reef sharks, a turtle, and a jackfish, which was basically just an enormous fish! Surprisingly, we weren’t afraid at all of the two sharks.

After returning to the beach and eating a quick lunch, we headed back out for our second dive of the day where we adventured a bit further from the island. During this dive we went back to practicing the required elements of the course including clearing our mask, removing and replacing our mask, and buddy breathing.

We took a break from scuba diving on Tuesday and decided to spend the day at the beach on our resort. Unfortunately, there was a lot of seaweed both in the water and on the beach and so we ended up moving up to the pool area. (Look at the picture….don’t feel too bad for us!)

Wednesday was our last scheduled day of diving. During our morning dive we saw an Eagle Ray and again, more fish and practiced many of the skills we learned in the pool. After lunch, we were on the boat getting ready to go out for our very last dive. Thereafter, all we had to do to get PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Certified was to take a few quizzes and a final exam. Everyone except Juliette was on the boat. She had forgotten something and had to return to the dive shop. The engines were on, our gear was loaded, and we were ready to get to the dive site. As Juliette came down the beach toward the water, she was stopped by a gentleman. She returned to the dive shop when the co-manager (Flo) came out to the beach and made the “stop dive” sign. We all groaned….we so wanted to dive. Evidently, Indonesia experienced an earthquake, and subsequently a tsunami alert was announced in the Seychelle Islands!! The Seychelles were hit with a Tsunami in 2006, so the locals are very sensitive and reactive to the alerts. Having said that, we did not move to higher ground. In fact, we stayed right there on the beach and took our quizzes and final exam!

At one point during our test taking, we observed Flo’s wife get into an argument with the locals. (Flo and his family are French.) The locals had moved their boat from the water onto the beach….right in front of the dive shop. Flo’s wife was asking them to move the boat to a better location. You know….in case the tsunami hit the boat which would then be thrown directly into the dive shop building (and Dave and I!!!). It was actually quite comical as the Frenchwoman displayed her temper, and we observed the reaction of the locals.

Because we were called back to shore prior to our final dive, we returned to the Octopus Dive Center on Thursday afternoon and dove with Flo. When we discovered we wouldn’t be diving with Juliette, we sort of looked at each with a bit of panic in our eyes. However, Flo ended up being another fabulous instructor. After completing our final two skills, he guided us around a reef where we saw an enormous (and scary looking) moray eel, a couple of turtles, another eagle ray, and so much more. He took us under ledges and through crevices, which ensured we practiced our buoyancy control. After only 35 minutes we had to ascend to the top, as Dave was running low on air. It was another fabulous afternoon of diving. We were now officially PADI certified and can dive anywhere in the world!

On our final day, the resort allowed us to remain in our villa until our pick up at 6 p.m. As a result, we headed back to the beach, which was free of seaweed.

Dave wanted to do nothing more than sit in his lounge chair, rest, and read. I headed out to the water to snorkel as I just couldn’t get enough of the underwater world. After circling the rocks shown in this picture, I came out of the water and encouraged Dave to join me. He just had to see the cool looking trumpetfish!

The water was so clear and warm and was all done in relatively shallow water no more than 30 feet from shore. We were astounded at the variety of fish in just this one little area. When we would lie quietly at the surface, the fish would move towards us, and in no time at all we would be surrounded. Shortly after we got out of the water, the rain came. It was pouring. Neither one of us even considered looking for shelter. Instead, we waded in the water and walked down the beach, fascinated by the tropical world. There was not another soul on the beach. It was one of the most tranquil memories I have of our trip.

All good things must come to an end, and so the 7◦ South representative picked us up at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 13th to transfer us back to the airport for our short flight back to the Mahe Island. This time we had a few hours to kill in the Victoria airport, which is mostly situated outdoors. We played several hands of gin, had a couple of final Seybrew beers, and reflected on our amazing week.

Other than the limited meal options, there was only one other thing that happened while we were on our vacation that was disturbing. Dave and I were sound asleep Saturday evening (I think it was Saturday, I’ve tried to block it out of my mind) when what Dave thought was an alarm went off. He was obviously quite confused, and I gently said….”answer the phone.” I quickly looked at the clock and it was about 2:30 a.m. Somehow Dave hit the speaker phone and I heard the operator say, “Mr. Kern, I have an international call for you.” All I could say after that was, “Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!” I was sure someone had died. I was shaking and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. Who was it? It was Barry….my brother, and Jimmy….my other brother, and Benjamin….my son, my mom (who insisted she had no part in this), and my dad….well, he’s my dad. They were celebrating Easter dinner and they decided to give us a call and see how our vacation was going. Not sure how much alcohol had been consumed, but too much. Family: I know you all just wanted to check on us, but you scared the living hell out of me!! All is forgiven….but that doesn’t mean I don’t hold a grudge….and paybacks can be hell!

I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed scuba diving. I was a little anxious and was worried that I might begin the course and then wonder why in the hell I was spending so much money to become certified after one day. But, all of my concerns were quickly laid to rest the first time I went under the water in the swimming pool. And, once we moved to the beautiful ocean, I could have kicked myself for waiting 47 years to learn! Scuba diving is like being in a big aquarium (Dave’s wonderful analogy). There are SO many different types of sea life; big fish, little fish, colored fish, eels, turtles, sharks, sea urchins, starfish, and so many other animals for which I have no name! It was one of the most fascinating things I have ever experienced, and cannot WAIT to jump back in on our next vacation, part of which will be in Zanzibar, another tropical island in the Indian Ocean!!

One Year Down, Two to Go!

Today, April 1st, marks our one year anniversary in Ghana. In reality, our adventure began in November 2010 when Dave told me he was interested in exploring an overseas assignment in Ghana. My initial reaction was that of curiosity and possibilities. If nothing else, I was looking forward to an opportunity to travel to Ghana with no commitment.

Last week a couple from Battle Mountain arrived in Accra for their look see. They are in a similar situation as Dave and I were in when we first began considering a change. With the exception of a few years, Joel and Bernadette have lived their entire lives in Nevada. Family is important to them, and a part of their daily lives. A move to Africa would be a big adjustment for them. I was asked to take Bernadette around while Joel was interviewed. On the first day she looked tired and overwhelmed. I distinctly remember that feeling - what in the world was I thinking? But, by the end of the week I could see a difference in her (sleep can do that for a person), and she looked much more comfortable in this strange, new environment. Regardless of what she and Joel decide to do, I believe they soaked up the experience. I have said, and will continue to preach, that everyone should leave the comfort of their American homes at least once and experience how others live. It can be humbling, and will make one grateful for the things he/she has.

Our first year has gone amazingly quick, and it certainly helps that my schedule allows for full flexibility. I know that some of my friends must work around their children’s school schedules and are oftentimes left in Ghana alone while their spouses travel.

I continue to golf every Wednesday with a group of ladies, and is without question one of the highlights of my week. I enjoy getting outside, even though it can be suffocatingly hot, humid, and smelly. We have also started golfing on Sundays with another couple, and it’s an activity I look forward to each week. Golf makes me think of home, and is comfortable; albeit the courses in NO way remind me of home! Conversation between those with whom I golf is easy.

I joined a Book Club here in Ghana, and have attended two of their meetings. I’m not completely sold on this group as I don’t quite feel like I fit in; time will tell. I can assure you that there is no way I laugh as much over here as I do when my Elko Book Club convenes! However, I have read two books that I never would have even picked up, and that is one of the driving forces that keeps me going back. Dave and I just started watching the Showtime series, “Tudors,” and I actually understand what is going on based on the first book we read about King Henry VIII!

This week I attended my first Friday morning Canasta group. This is another group of women who have been getting together for several years to play the card game. Very nice ladies, and we were able to share some salads, sweets, and conversations. But, again….it’s different. Most of the women are from the UK and I sometimes find it difficult to engage in their conversation. As should be expected, they discuss current events in the UK, which I am mostly ignorant, including reality TV shows, current trends, and popular entertainment. I don’t always understand their “lingo.” For example, they were discussing how when they visit the U.S. they are always sure to pick up several “trainers.” They went on and on about it and I finally asked what “trainers” were….they are tennis shoes; Nike, Reebok, Adidas….you know….athletic shoes! Also, since they have been playing cards together for so long, there is a general connection that is lacking for me. Hopefully, time will take care of that issue.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a NAWA (North American Women’s Association) lunch. It was informal, and just an opportunity to get out of the house for an afternoon. I met three women - two from the U.S. and one from the UK. Mary is probably 60 years old. She volunteers at an orphanage here in Accra called The Beacon House. http://beaconhouseghana.blogspot.com/2012/03/educational-sponsorship-for-children-in.html.
Mary explained that The Beacon House often takes in children who are either physically or mentally disabled. While I have been told otherwise, she insists that Ghanaians are open to adopting healthy children, while those who have health concerns are rarely adopted locally. As we were talking I heard some noise on the other side of the table. I leaned over and saw the cutest little boy in a stroller. Meet Lewis.

Lewis was abandoned by his mother, likely because of a serious orthopedic issue (I believe Mary said he was born with his leg broken and bent over his shoulder). She said that when he was brought to the orphanage it was obvious that he needed personal and round-the-clock care, so….she took him home. Lewis has lived with Mary and her husband since he was born last July. The good news is that Lewis is being adopted by an American couple from the state of Washington. Mary basically acts as the liaison between the Ghananian and U.S. governments, and the couple. As I wrote in a previous blog, adopting Ghanaian children is never easy. Things take time….lots of time in Ghana. Mary and her husband are scheduled to leave Ghana for a life of retirement in June, but she insists she will not leave Lewis until the adoption has been completed and he is in the arms of his new parents.

I told her how much I admired her for her sacrifice, but she wouldn’t hear of it, saying that she only did what anyone else would do. I also indicated to Mary that I was interested in volunteering if there was a need, but explained that I travel pretty extensively. I told her that I would call her, and have had it in the back of mind. Well, last week Mary placed an advertisement in the monthly NAWA newsletter asking for help in putting together a photo montage that will be played on a screen during a presentation that is being made in the U.S. for funding. I called her up and volunteered my services. So, after our vacation next week, I’ll be heading over to The Beacon House to give a little of my time. Hopefully, it will open some other volunteering doors for me.

I find that many of the women I meet here are overseas lifers, as I like to call them. They have lived the majority of their married lives following their husbands who are employed overseas. Many of them have raised their children in much different environments than we raised ours. Dave and I are very fortunate because our living arrangements are comfortable - we have a driver, a housekeeper, and people within the company (IT and site services, in particular) who seem to drop what they are doing when I present them with an issue. We are well aware that there are many people who may not think we are experiencing the true Africa, and they are right. There are lots of people who come to Africa without the indulgences we have, and I concur. However, I don’t feel it has changed the experience for us. It is still unique and special to us.

We have met so many really wonderful people, and our view of the world has expanded like I never even imagined. We both keep up on the local news in Elko via the Elko Daily Free Press website. The USA Today website keeps us connected to the nation’s top news, and I still listen to Dave Pratt Live every day to get my daily dosage of the good old U.S. of A. On the other hand, we are now SO much more aware of what is happening throughout the world, in particular in Africa. The coup in Mali was huge news last week. Newmont actually had a geologist stranded there and one of our friends was responsible for getting him out of the country safely. He takes his job seriously and was up every hour, on the hour for a couple of days getting updates on his progress. Mali is a couple of countries north of Ghana, so not to worry…we are as safe as we can be right here in Accra.

If Dave would ever contribute to this blog, I think he would say that he has been challenged by the different work culture, in particular when addressing an employee issue. What would seem to be a rather straight forward discipline solution in the U.S. can have multiple, and unforeseen, obstacles in Ghana. This could include curses, village Chiefs, and other cultural characteristics. I think that sometimes he feels he’s not accomplishing very much, but I know that’s not true. One of his managers told me that he’s the best thing that ever happened to Africa, and I didn’t even pay her to say that! He has a good team that works with and for him. His boss here in Ghana is supportive and they share many of the same philosophies, as well as frustrations. I think they compliment each other and draw off of each other’s strengths. The experiences he is gaining in this assignment will serve him well regardless of where the next move takes us.

Best Things About Moving to Ghana
I no longer have to work full-time. I am glad I have a way to stimulate my mind a few hours a day through my contract with the Elko County School District, but I do not miss the day to day grind of working.

We have a great circle of friends; ones who we consider to be our expat family.

I thoroughly enjoy talking to people from other countries and learning more about their cultures.

We are learning so much about Ghana, Africa, and the world as a whole.

Both Dave and I have acclimated to the weather quite nicely, and have decided that warm weather is the way to go!

Travel, travel, travel. I love the travelling opportunities we’ve had. I told my side of the family that I would be seeing them more than I ever did when we were living in the U.S., and that has been proven true! I think I might actually see Benjamin more during the school year than he sees his dad, who is living in Elko. In addition to our standard trips to Nevada and the Denver area, we were able to get to San Francisco, Virginia, and my 3rd trip to Washington, D.C. in one year!

Daniel, Melissa, and Benjamin met us in London, which included a trip into the beautiful country of Ireland. After Christmas, Benjamin and Melissa went with us to Puerto Rico for a very relaxing and sunny week in a tropical location.

I have already booked our next three vacations which will begin next Thursday! We are headed to the beautiful Seychelle Islands for a week. In August three of our four kids will join us in Accra for a few days before we take off for an African safari in Tansania followed by some more beach time in Zanzibar. And finally, we will join my parents and Dave’s son, Daniel, for a Mediterranean cruise that begins in Athens, Greece and includes ports of call in Italy, France, and Spain. In between all of that traveling, we will be returning to the states at least three times.

Frustrating Things About Ghana
Being so far away from family. Having said that, thank GOD for technology. We have fairly reliable Internet service, regularly Skype, and with Whatsapp, can text our families for free. Five years ago this frustration would have been more than just an annoyance; I think it would have made the move unbearable.

I am SO over flying overseas. It is so exhausting for me, and I do not handle jet lag very well. I wish I was one of those people who could sleep anywhere, but I’m not. It always takes me several days to recover, and it can be torturous (I might be being a little over dramatic here)!

Some days are just difficult, and oftentimes it’s just the little things. Here’s an example: The Friday Canasta get together includes a potluck lunch, so I offered to bring a broccoli salad. I had all of the ingredients, which is not always the case. The broccoli, raisins, and onions were all placed in the big bowl; all that was left were the walnuts. When one of the expats moved last summer, she gave me a baggie full of walnuts, and I pulled them from my cupboard, laid them out on the cutting board, chopped them up and scooped them into the salad. When I looked back at the cutting board, there were little black bugs jumping all over!! First, I about barfed, because I had put a handful of the walnuts in my mouth! I threw the contents in the garbage, spit out what was left in my mouth, and proceeded to make a batch of sugar cookies from the box.

Living in Ghana as a spouse, especially without children, can get downright lonely. I am used to working in an office where a little less interaction would have been nice from time to time. As an introvert, I have had to force myself to take advantage of situations that require interaction. It’s one thing to hang out with friends - that’s easy. It’s going to lunches, Book Club, Canasta, and NAWA meetings where you have to make an effort to make conversation. Dave works very long hours and his days are full of constant interaction. Some nights he has phone meetings with people from other regions that begin late at night and even end early the next morning. He has to have time to re-energize and that calls for peace and quiet, which I can appreciate.

Mosquitos - neither Dave nor I have contracted malaria, but they sure do love to bite me.

Traffic - driving in Ghana is an interesting experience. There are unwritten rules of the road, and I’m glad we have Michael to navigate us through the Ghanaian world of traffic!

Smelly - Ghana smells like a big sewer; some places worse than others. After Canasta the other day I was standing on the street waiting for Michael to come and pick me up, and the smell was overwhelmingly disgusting!

In addition to my family, I miss my cat. I miss my house. I miss working in my yard. I miss having my house all to myself. As nice as it is to have someone to clean, it means that I’m rarely alone in my own house. I miss all of the conveniences that Americans take for granted. But, at the end of the day Dave and I wouldn’t go back and change our path. We would come to Ghana all over again. We are two very lucky people who are trying to take advantage of a unique opportunity that came our way. Some days are better than others, but the good thing is….we are leaving for a beautiful tropical location in four days!! Here's a view of our resort from their website.