5:35PM, on a Thursday

This will be my last post from Ghana. Tomorrow I am taking (or hoping to take) a 7AM coach bus to Accra, where I will check into a bed-and-breakfast hotel. I will spend the day/night there and charter a taxi to the airport around 6:30AM on Saturday. My flight is scheduled to depart at 9:55AM, and I am not going to miss it for the world. If all goes according to plan, I will be in DC by 10:45 on Saturday night! I'll just share two more experiences before I quit for the day.

I felt poorly earlier this week and thought I would get a malaria test, just in case. I went to a medical laboratory close to ProGhana. No one was waiting, so I was admitted to the attendant right away. He pricked my finger (without wearing medical gloves), smeared my blood on a slide, and sent me out to wait. After about 20 minutes, I was handed a slip of paper with the results: negative. The entire thing was done in less than half an hour and cost only 2 cedis. I think the US could learn something here...

I had one last bad experience to send me off, unfortunately. I got into a cab yesterday, and the man in the middle seat leaned over to fiddle with the window/lock. I thought nothing of it. I now realize that he had locked my door so when I tried to get out at my stop, I couldn't. He then pretended to help me open the door without unlocking it. While he "struggled", the people in the front reached back to help as well. In all the commotion, I believe the instigator slipped his fingers into my bag and stole 60 cedis that were supposed to pay for my transportation for January, because I had it when I got in the cab but not when I got home. Moral of the story is that while many Ghanaians are genuinely just trying to help you, you cannot let your guard down because there are thieves in every country who will take advantage of you!

I hope you have all enjoyed the chronicles of my time in Ghana. I am going to save final thoughts and reflections on my experience for when I am home and have had time to digest everything.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me. Despite all the challenges and frustrations, every minute has been worth the struggle.

Goodbye, Ghana!