Friday, January 27, 2012

International Travel and Arriving in Ghana

My travels started at the Detroit-Metro Airport. For anyone who has never traveled internationally it can be quite an experience. The reason I know this is because I am one of those people. The first flight I took was from Detroit to Amsterdam. The flight was very long but I really enjoyed the food. Though I did not sleep much I was not very tired by the time that I reached Amsterdam; instead I was very excited. The layover in Amsterdam was about three hours but half of the time was spent boarding the airplane. The lines were not bad and security was easy. The only issue I came across was that I could not use a pay phone to call home, but in the end it turned out to be fine.

The flight from Amsterdam to Accra was about half full so it was very comfortable. The Airplane company equipped all of their seats with television so the passengers could pass the flight by watching some shows, movies, or listening to music. I did all three and it was very helpful in quelling any nerves that I had during the flight.

Upon landing in Accra we boarded a bus on the tarmac which took us to the actual airport. Going through customs was not difficult for me, I simply showed the lady my passport and she sent me on my way. Though I made it through without any problems it is wise to note that some problems do occur but usually if you are attentive you can get through without any trouble. I walked down a long ramp and found that my student guide Awushi was there to greet me. We took a ten minute van ride with Mr. Thomas, our driver, to Legon which is just north of the city of Accra. The van ride was nice and we made it to the International Student Hostel (ISH) without any problems. The fact that I was really in Ghana finally occurred to me after I signed in to the hostel and put my things in my room. Though I missed home I was ready for the experiences Ghana had to offer.