The Long Flight into beautiful Africa

 After landing in New York at the Kennedy Airport, we waited for the next flight to Ghana. I about gave Jeffrey a heart attack as I took a walk about the Airport and ended up being the last ones on the plane. Maybe some standbys got on 15 minutes later, but still I'll try not to do that to him again.

No leg room for 10 hours though we flew towards the daytime while America slumbered. Of course I just took pictures and wiggled around for a comfortable spot in a seat that would not lean back. 

Starting out in New York

A joy to find we were half way across the Atlantic Ocean

Flying from the night into tomorrow's daylight

After picture - pretty much the same though I at least took off my sweatshirt

Made it to Africa!!

I am not sure how many hoops that people jumped through to get off a plane last year, but this year of the COVID scare, we got off the plane in New York to be met with military troops having us fill out information sheets on where we came from and where we were going in New York and the airlines checked our negative status of our COVID test results. In Ghana we were greeted at the door of the departing plane ramp by a man directing us to a series of stops. The first was similar to New York but it was online. They wanted to know our COVID status, where we were going, and where we would be. Then we stopped for a woman who checked our papers that we had paid for another COVID test, after which we got a COVID test. 

Airline personnel look down on those taking pictures in the official airport administration, so I'll just have to describe little glass partitioned rooms that each passenger went into and a nurse in full protective guard would snap on a new pair of gloves, put a swab up your nose, and then cut off the tip and put it in a tube which was brought to the window of a lab down the hall. Then it was another line to check off something else. Luckily Jeffrey was accounting for our papers, passports, immunization, and health records every few minutes. I think my passport was looked at, given stickers and other papers, entry forms, and receipts with stamps about eight or ten times. It was an hour of waiting in a line to get checked about one thing and then another before we finally finished with the customs entry booth and went to pick up our luggage. I seem to remember customs being the one line to run through on our previous flights. Hey COVID year is different. I just wonder how this is going to change life down the road. I think our normal will be a new normal going on.

I don't know the values and exactly how to count it yet. I'm sure I'll figure it out fast.

Brother Belnap greeted us coming out of the airport, drove down a busy street, took a picture of us at the temple here in Accra, showed us our cool apartment (very nice), took us to get some Accra money, drove down other streets, showed us the grocery store to get a few items for the weekend, showed us the best fruit and vegetable market, back to the apartment to drop off the groceries, on to his apartment to pick up his daughter Rebecca and meet his son Nathan and on to a very tasty dinner and some lovely conversation! This paragraph may sound quick and easy but it took us from 2 in the afternoon until about 9 pm. 

In our drives up and down the streets and hi-ways, I noticed these women carrying everything on their head. I have got to get a hat or whatever and do that! They gracefully walk with all this weight on their heads, stopping to chat or talk with other people. 

How do they do that?!! She is even carrying other things in her hands.

This is definitely a talent I want to learn

When we got to the apartment, I unloaded my bags and thanks to Rachel it was easy. Everything was in its own little plastic bag and slipped easily into the drawers and cupboards. Thanks Love! I was beyond tired but not ready to sleep until I put everything tucked in its place and then crashed on a very wide King size bed. Jeffrey crashed about the same time but he woke up very early and went to do some things. I woke up at 6 am and now I'm puttering around and doing fun stuff like this blog:)

It is great to be here! I look out over lush trees from my balcony window. It is beautiful here.