Sidewalk=Toilet

From Yesterday-
It's amazing how much I take for granted in the USA.  I started having this sinking feeling in my stomach when I realized that I was going to be here for five months... it seems like an awfully long time, especially given that I haven't been able to sleep longer than two hours at a time so far.  Today, I met two German volunteers who were finishing their time working in an orphanage and headed to Germany Wednesday.  They spent three weeks in a rustic town in northern Ghana without running water or electricity- they originally signed up for nine weeks, but then, the monotony and the inconvenience of life there got to them. 

I bought a phone and a SIM Card today- turns out that I was supposed to bring a phone from America and put a Ghanaian SIM Card in it.  But after the unfortunate incident with my American phone, I had to buy a phone here.  The plan and the phone cost 39 cedis-equivalent to 26 dollars.  I bought the cheapest plan but I am going to need to purchase an international phone card.  

When I was outside in the Old Accra (downtown) to purchase a phone plan, I was literally mobbed by people on the street trying to sell me things.  I would say "No thank you."  and they would be like, "you want sandal?  you want sandal.  you want sandal!"  and chase me around.  While driving on the road in Accra, I saw a flock of goats, two dozen strong running with the oncoming traffic, a woman in the sidewalk ally taking a dump, and we were inches away from hitting street vendors and people on numerous occasions.  Oh yeah, we also drove on the sidewalk half the time.

The transport system of choice here is called a tro-tro.  They are, or were, vans designed for eight people, but they have been modified to seat 25.  It looks like a Nazi transportation system for the Jewish people.  But you have to make do when you make $ 400 a year.  For a stark comparison, it takes 82,500 Ghanaians to earn the same amount of money that A-Rod makes in a year.

 

Yeah, so it's pretty crazy here, but I'm trying to adjust... and I don't know why I can't freaking fall asleep!!!