My First Day in Ghana

I’ve been in Accra for an entire day! This city is so vibrant, beyond my imagination! Surprisingly, it reminds me a lot of Shanghai, China with the modern buildings alongside the smaller houses and shacks. There are vendors on bikes and women with massive stacks of drinks or goods for sale, BALANCING ON THEIR HEADS. There is always music playing somewhere and people are so kind.

Another pleasant surprise is the Chinese presence in Accra. I bought a bottle of soy sauce for $3!! And there’s a ton of Chinese restaurants. I tend to really crave food from home at precisely three weeks away so I will gladly hit-up some of these restaurants.

I also had a bit of a scary experience seeing a child hit by a car. It has a happy ending, just some bloody cuts and bumps that needed no more than bandages and ibuprofen. However, it was a shocking to the reality of some of Ghana’s infrastructure. Lanes and red lights are suggestions and crosswalks don’t exist. Other things are open sewage drains on the street which tends to make some parts smell pretty rancid.

To end on a pleasant note: the mangos here are as big as my head and less than a dollar, and the food her is SPICY, SPICY, SPICY! Which is great! I thought I was tough with spice but here I am such a wimp. I’m excited for my next five weeks in Accra and tomorrow is my first day at the hospital and I’m pumped to get started.