Travelling to Ghana

On my last night in South Africa, Roger and Melissa came round to say goodbye and to have fish again, yay! My last chance to take in succulent, meaty and delicious fresh food.  Roger's surname is Mann, so we were having fun with what he could call his children one day.  If they were boys they could be called, "Wadda" "Heeda" "Yoouda" or "Iymda".  If they were girls, their names could be "Needa", "Wanna", "Getta" or "Fynda".  Hysterically funny for us!

 

Saying goodbye to my girls and Kelly was difficult - we were all so sad!  The light at the end of the tunnel, though, was that Porks, Gundi and Genie were waiting for me on the other side and I was ready to go back.

 

 

Bye bye my darling girls.



I woke up on Tuesday morning at 4am terribly sore where my wisdom tooth had been pulled out, so on the way to the airport I phoned the dentist and he gave instructions to the chemist at the airport to give me a prescription for anti-biotics, mouth wash and pain killers.  We were flying at 9.50am and only had an hour and three quarters stop-over in Johannesburg, so this was my last chance to get assistance.  Thank goodness he and I have a great working relationship!  The two other South Africans flying with me turned out to be three and one of them handed in a second suitcase of mine as their luggage.  This time we insisted that they place a "priority loading" sticker on them!

                                                                 
Our last view of Durban. I had a window seat and an empty seat next to me but also a very helpful young guy on the isle who had a wonderful sense of humour.  We didn't chat too much so didn't feel I could be invasive, take a photo of him and put him on my blog.

 

 

We arrived in Johannesburg and Deon, Harold and Hans were waiting for me and looked after me, carrying my hand luggage until we had to board the flight to Accra.

Flying over Botswana, Mr and Mrs Orford and family!

I managed to get seat 55 K again, window seat in the front, and Derick Koekemoer was seated next to me.  He was flying to Accra to see if he could set up a Spur there as well as one in Lagos.  What a lovely sense of humour he had.  I told him about Wesley and his eksent and the sarks and he had to "one up" me. 
There was this Wesley-like chap riding a bicycle behind a very large man on his own bicycle. The guy behind shouted at him...."Hey jay, daar's `n fiets wat uit you gat uitsteek!" (npf)

                                                                                                                                                                   

So I told him one that we had heard.  A similar man was walking along the pier and noticed a man sticking his head out of a porthole of the ship. "Hey jay. Jay met die skip om jou neck!" (Well, we both thought they were funny and love the fact that this country is made up of so many colourful races!)
He continued to tell me amusing stories of his daughters, Kayleigh and Tyler who have taken on the saying "Oooo  e e" (with upside down v's on the e's) from the advert and eating food with their hands because of their new found friends as well as his Travolta-like showing off knee slides up to his wife Bridget on the dance floor and pulling his muscles (so it fell terribly flat!) 
One had to be there to hear his descriptions and see his facial expressions to really appreciate the humour. I was wiping my laughter tears away!
He suggested that one of Roger's sons names could be "Beer". Get it? 
If you are reading this, thanks Derick for making the 6 hours to Accra fun and light-hearted!


                                                       Our first sighting of Accra.

We arrived in Accra on Tuesday evening, had a quick freshen up at the hotel and then the guys and I went to another hotel for supper. We had an early start on Wednesday morning for the flight to Kumasi.  The men were told that they had a meeting in Kumasi first, before driving to Bantama, so my special driver, John and I took the trip home on our own.

I arrived home and a beautiful Orchid was waiting for me!  Porks, Gundi and Genie all remembered who I was and welcomed me with open arms, paws and gentle mewing sounds!!!

I opened the parcel that had arrived on Sunday (that should have been here in February) and there were some surprise "love gifts" from Pips and Hazel. Thank you my special friends.  I'm sorry they took such a long time to get here but you know how much they mean to me!

I started unpacking my suitcases and by the time the three guys arrived for supper after their meeting, I could hardly walk!  The "pulled muscle" that I got in South Africa was just on hold.  Whenever I arrive in Ghana, it just reminds me not to take my health for granted. Remember the last time?
Fortunately Porks had got Sarah to cook supper for the five of us so I didn't have to stand and cook.  We had some good bantering and some satisfying and supportive discussions and I hobbled to bed.

Thursday I just lay around, not eating or drinking and just wanting to keep still and sleep. I limped around the house when I had to, hunched over, holding my back and with shooting pains down my left leg right down to my knee. Agony!  If it would have helped to cry, I would have and very nearly did!

On Friday morning, Porks drove to Kwame Danso "hospital" to try and get a voltaren injection for me but no luck.  So he arranged for me to see a doctor in Kumasi.  We left at 8am, got there at 12 noon, left at 5pm and got home at 9pm.  It turns out it is a slipped disk and the doctor wanted to admit me to hospital for two weeks bed rest, lying flat on my back as well as physiotherapy!  No way Jose`, or anyone else for that matter!!!

We have placed a bed in the lounge so that I can watch TV and get to my computer and cell phone if I need to, when there is signal.  I have my ipad, (Mike and Von are life savers!) books from friends, water and medication and my Gunds and Genie to keep me company while Porks is at work.  I find it very difficult to ask for help and would much rather do things for myself, so this is going to be a challenge for me (and for Porks who doesn't enjoy nursing too much!)  If this doesn't work, I'll have to fly home and get the rest that is required for healing in hospital there.

Theresa, on Thursday, went home for lunch and came back with some "deep heat" smelling ointment for me to rub on my back as she had seen that I was battling to walk.  John, our driver, who offered his arm and shoulder as a crutch walking to, through and from the hospital has visited our home twice already today to see how I am doing. Another Ghanaian driver, Isaac, with whom I get on well, asked Porks every few days while I was away how I was.  He, too, has phoned Porks twice today to find out my progress and has come to see how I am. How can one not love these people?

I am presuming that this will be my last posting for a while as I am not going anywhere or doing anything! Unless of course you want to know exactly when I take my medication, which TV program I am watching or what Porks is making me for breakfast, lunch or supper?!