Welcome to Ghana! by Jay Patel

The lads landed in Accra after a long 12 hours. I count the flight as the start of the trip as the boys and their seat partners began to bond as brothers. We trudged off the plane with big dreams and heavy luggage and made our way towards the customs gates. There were no issues there if we don’t include the couple customs officers who decided to crack some hilarious jokes about not letting us enter the country. We grabbed the checked luggage and were greeted by the cheerful Squads members as we exited the airport and went to the global exchange.

With our bags on our bus and with Cedi’s in our wallets, we began our voyage to our first destination of the day. Our first stop was a small market within the capital city of Accra. Some highlights in the market were intricate wooden sculptures, colorful canvas prints and patriotic national jerseys. We brigadiers learned to bargain and talked some vendors down up to fifty percent. 

We left the market around 11am and loaded the bus back up for the long haul to Salt Pond. The journey was something quite foreign to the most of us. Some of us may listen to songs like “Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean, yet our encounter with this dirt road was not as smooth as Mr. Aldean’s voice. Honking is as common as the turn signal in the US. After about 4 hours of seeing beautiful buildings and trying not to make eye contact with wandering street vendors we made it to the Swatson Hotel. Our accommodations are sleek and clean but the lack of water pressure was eye-opening at least to me. First, we ate a satiating lunch before being released to our rooms for a refreshing shower (My first in around 45 hours…).

A nice break recharged the crew and we met again to discuss the itinerary and do some icebreakers with the whole group of volunteers and staff. The staff members radiated good vibes and brought excitement to the group for our mission and learning experiences. We then explored the compound before another quick rest and then dinner. After dinner, we learned some Fante phrases and learned about Ghanaian culture. Everyone was about ready to wrap up the night and head to bed when there was a surprise birthday party for our very own Cameron. The cake was phenomenal and that fact was shown by how fast it was gone. Finally the boys retired to their rooms for an early night after a long day. Day 1 out!