5.10.2015

HELLO ACCRA!:)



                      

That was how the announcement took me off guard; all I ever did was raising my eyebrows in disbelief! “gurl… I didn’t see this coming”, my subconscious pinched me and wiggled. Excitement drooled all over me like a puppy. It would be my first time to get on a plane to Accra! I scratched my head and tried to remember all the clothes I had in my box,  I tried very hard to do all the possible combination to appear really sweet on the D-day. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the trip, all the beautiful things I had heard about Ghana and even to confront my Ghanaian friends that I have been to their country. And now all those stories would be for real- yes! I quickly updated my BBM status to “Hello Accra!” my contacts should count their teeth with their tongues.

THE TRIP.

We have all been “jjc’s” at some point in our lives. Getting to the airport was a “jjc” (jonny just come) situation, so I scurried along with my family, we did all the necessary procedure before we boarded the Arik Air plane. Fresh huh? Well yea…Arik is like one safest and coolest airplane and we had the Economy class- not bad for a first timer like me.

In reality the plane looked way bigger than what I see in the air, it was beautiful and looked like a shark-only that it had no teeth of course! I finally got on the plane, the air hostess welcomed everyone on board and we were given some instructions to follow. Amateur like me, I had to struggle to find my own seat –in fact, I sat on someone’s seat and trying to figure out how to fasten the seat belt but I was soon confronted by the passenger who the seat belonged to. “But this isn’t a molue  ehn! Omo yii.. or you don’t know your seat number?” the seat owner questioned. I looked at him in defense and gave an embarrassing smile. He must be either hit with Alzheimer or a personality disorder to have questioned me like that! It dawned on me to check my boarding pass and the seat numbers on the plane to really understand the arrangement of the seat and that where I was, was actually the old man’s seat.. lol.. I guess I must have been hit with Alzheimer! The whole situation got everyone laughing. “shebi they are laughing, it only takes a monkey to know a monkey” my subconscious comforted me. They have been in my shoes too, I thought in affirmation.

 The air hostess, pretty, nice and neat soon came with light refreshment and says “welcome”, In M.I’s voice “she dey form Rita Ora”. The fact that she works on the plane doesn’t mean she has been abroad and why is she forming accent? You won’t blame me, these days people go to even Ghana and come back with British accents …habaa! “You are just beefing the poor air hostess”, my sub conscious giggles. To be honest, I wasn’t comfortable in the airplane the noise was really piercing through my small ears but that didn’t last because the flight from Lagos to Accra was 45mins excluding traffic…lol.

ARRIVAL

It is no mistake to say Ghana is beautiful! From the airport down to Accra was neatness personified. They had a warm welcome and the bill board had “Welcome” in Ghanaian language as “Akuuaba”. Again the usual immigration procedure had to be undergone. One amazing thing I didn’t see in the Nigerian Airport was the advanced health scanner the intending passengers have to stay in front of- It was the Ebola health scanner. All you have to do is stand in front of it and you look like zombies from World War Z. We got our luggage and got ready to check in at one of Ghana’s prestigious hotels but yea we got there pretty late.

MY EVERYDAY STAY

It is no mistake to say that my first trip to Ghana was magical..yes magical!I lodged with my family at the exquisite La Palm Beach Royal Hotel in Accra. The hotel is extremely large and has different lodge for different purposes. The Ghanian Village, Homowo Convention Centre, The Chinese Restaurant, The ever crowded pool and The Beach!! Chaii!! There is God oo!! etc and surprisingly there are no storey buildings in La Palm Beach Royal Hotel.

I don’t need my medulla to order me to bounce on my damn bed! Thump! Stump!..I somersault on the bed, roll from edge to edge, I switch on the freaking television just to discover that television is booring! Deep down inside me I remember Passenger’s lyrics “you only hate the road when you are missing home” I miss the hell outta Naija..It dawns on me the usual things I munch e.g night suya and Nigerian dishes, gisting with friends, the no-light syndrome, the blasting generator sounds in the night bla bla bla..anyways, I’m here for a holiday getaway from the hustling and restless streets of Lagos. Most times, I spend it on social media and listening to radio programs on Beat Fm. My saving grace was the wifi- the forth need of the 21st century woman and the serene environment Accra had to offer. I sure would see angels in my dream.

                                                                                                                   …..to be continued.

                                                                                                                                                      

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