It's a Small World After All

You know that old saying, "You can go halfway around the world and meet someone who lives five minutes from you?"  No?  Well that's because I think I just made it up!  Anyway, that has happened alot over these past two days in Ghana.

Today, after sleeping late, jumping around in the pool and having some of the best "fish and chips" ever (succulent grilled grouper, french fries and plaintains), I got dressed and went out into Accra with my Swedish buddies Ann and Roland - not a married couple, just long-time friends who came to Ghana to escape the 10 below zero temps in Stockholm right now.  Now Ann is a mid-50's feisty Swedish woman who could totally be a part of my family.  She spent a few years married to an African-American man she met in Sweden in the 80s and then came over here to the states and lived with him in Oakland.  I want to call her "Auntie Ann" so bad, I tell ya.  Anyway, they've since divorced and she's moved back to Sweden and this is her third time to Ghana, so she's an old pro (and she knows all about chitlins and grape soda, so you KNOW we hit it right off).  Roland is a retired divorcee who is now a part-time driver for the King and Queen of Sweden and is pretty laid back and nice.  When I tried to pump him for gossip on the King and Queen, he gave me the old "If I tell you, I'd have to kill you" spill.  These secret service types really take that whole oath of secrecy thing seriously don't they?!  HA!

Anyway, since I'm having some trouble uploading pics to the blog right now, I'll have to describe Accra for you - traffic jams for days and not a traffic light in sight, busy busy busy, lots of goods being sold on the street (from plantains and sunglasses to shoes and CDs), hot as hell in the daytime, music blasting from a range of different artists like Madonna and Faith Evans, lots of horn honking, an open drainage system along the roads so you really gotta watch your step, old and new buildings jammed in together - just AMAZING!  HA!  We had a great time walking down the street, going to the market and learning how to say "no" politely to tons of vendors offering up whatever they were selling.

Now back to the topic at hand - it's certainly a small world after all for a few reasons:
- Well I already told you that Ann knows all about soul food and offered to fry me some chicken and make me greens and hamhocks when I come to visit her in Sweden.
- There is a couple with three boys staying here at the hotel on their way to Liberia who live in Vienna, Virginia.  More than that, the wife works at IMF and knows the woman who I met at the Children of Uganda fundraiser from Ghana who put me in touch with her nieces and nephews here in Ghana.
- I saw a guy while in Accra today with a Washington Redskins shirt on.  So I go up to him and learn that he lives in Rockville, Maryland - a few minutes from where I live. 

Can we say HOWDY NEIGHBORS?!  HA!

I love how small the world is and can't wait for more good stuff tomorrow - on the agenda is Labadi Beach, getting some dresses made and possibly hanging out with Jackie (Zenobia I can't thank you enough for putting me in touch with Rene's cousin, she sounds soooo fun and wants me to go to this happening club with her while I'm here).

Anyway folks, off to bed, might try to go to church in the morning...and since it goes all day, I could probably stroll in at anytime really.  Also, I've decided to extend my stay in Accra a few more days and spend less time in Cape Coast and Kumasi since the general consensus is that I can do both of those places in two days.
 

Oh, hello there traffic.

What did I tell you?  Even Billy the Goat is over the traffic! 

 Bump the traffic, I'll be in the pool if you need me.

 

The women here have the "balancing act" down to a science.

 Gotta love the random Mercedes in the "hood."  This is right outside the Paradise Inn near the church where they were rocking until 3 in the morning.