KMJ travels

From Lekpongunor we headed up and into the mountains to Akwadum for the afternoon.  We encountered heavier traffic/obstacles than usual, especially for  Saturday, so it was a difficult 3-hour drive and we arrived almost 45 minutes late.  The community had set up a canopy for us to sit under which was great since this would be happening in the afternoon heat and it was HOT.  The performance was amazing - a wide age range of kids performaed dances and role-played scenarios to promote HIV awareness.  The chief of the village attended, along with his entourage and a giant fabric umbrella to shade him from the sun, carried by an attendent who followed closely by wherever he went.  There wasn’t a huge crowd when we first arrived, but once the music started, everyone came out of the woodwork and the space easily filled up.  Shelby was on an end seat next me with several small admirers inching closer and closer - I thought a couple little girls might end up in her lap. 

(Note: I took some shorts viedos but I apparently can’t post them without purchasing a “space upgrade” so you’ll have to wait to see those.)

Once the performance was over, the Chief invited us back to his “palace” for three minutes.  Given our long visit the other day, I truly hoped he would hold true to his 3-minute promise and he did, so we we could hit the road back to Accra.  Because we had arrived late, this also cut down me & Shelby’s chance to discuss our book drive with our new friend Mohamed, but we did manage to get his email so we can start working on that.

What should have been a two-hour ride back turned into a horrendous three-hour journey.  Because of time, the delagtions had to go straight to dinner with no break and no freshening time, but apparently dinner wnet great.  I meanwhile headed to the airport to pick up the rest of the GHET who was now arriving for the actual retreat.  Luck was on our side and their plane landed 30 minutes early, so we scooped them into the vans and and back to the hotel pretty easily.