Monday, June 28th: TRAVELING TO ACCRA, GHANA

After an exhausting four days in London, we were finally heading to Ghana. We had to be on the road at 7:30AM (that is 2:30AM Michigan time!!!) to make our 12:30PM flight. The Gatwick, England airport is a zoo. There is a holding area prior to gate assignment. Gates are not posting until boarding time. Once posted, it is off to the races to get to your gate and board! Our first leg of the trip was Tripoli where we had a 2.5 hour layover. Though we have to stop there on the way back, it will be the last time Leena and Beth willingly stop in Libya. It was an interesting experience. The country is Arabic speaking with minimal English translations. The Tripoli airport was a culture shock in itself. We found that the majority of the workers and travelers were men and found it difficult as two traveling women to find assistance. It was challenging to maneuver through the airport as security was strict and multiple stations along the way. The flight to Accra was delayed but finally we arrived at 12:00AM Ghana time (that is 8:00PM Michigan time). We were ready for the challenge to collect our baggage, exchange money, and hale a taxi to the hotel. We were surprised and relieved to see Janaan and Ross there to pick us up and already have a taxi waiting. Once at the hotel, we settled into our room and quickly fell asleep.

THREE CHEERS - we made it!!!! Leena and Beth