After saying our goodbyes, Emily and I headed back down to Accra; Emily to fly home to the US to start her economics PhD program at Yale, and me to meet with our Clearing Agent and continue the never-ending battle with customs.
After an early morning pick-up truck ride into town and a much drawn-out 8 hour bus ride (you would think that people could do better job coordinating their pee breaks!) we stopped in Kumasi to pick up gifts for donors at a local wood carving village. At the village, we met up with a Peace Corps volunteer who had coordinated our order, and Emily gave the wood carvers a run down off a website she was planning to develop for them. After a quick stop to drop off the carvings at a friend’s house in Kumasi, we headed back to the bus station for the ride down to Accra.
Because Emily was racing against the clock to make a 1am flight, we opted to pay the extra $3 and splurge on a “VIP bus.” After spending the past few weeks crammed in an increasingly ragged collection of tro-tros and pick-ups, the huge reclining seats, foot rests, and A/C was amazing. As we sped toward Accra, I got out my laptop and modem so that Emily could check her flight. Yes, I know it is hard to believe. Internet. In Ghana. On public transportation…crazy! Even the near-magical VIP bus couldn’t quite beat out the Ghanaian traffic to get Emily the airport in time, so we grabbed a hotel room for the night and she took a flight out of Ghana the next morning. I miss you, Emily!!
Emma