Kicked out of Ghana!

Well I had to face some unpleasant consequences for a mistake with my Visa.  I came into Ghana on a 5 year - multi-entry Visa.  I read all the information about my Visa on the internet and knew that I could enter as many times as I wanted over a 5 year period, but that the total days I could stay could not exceed 365 days.  No problem, right?  Wrong......

Evidently I still have to re-new the Visa every 60 days.  I did not do that.  So when I realized my mistake and went to the immigration office, they told me they would charge me a penalty and renew the Visa.  OK.  How much?  My mistake.....I will pay.  So I paid about $200 in penalty and $100 in renewal fees.  Great.  I will remember next time and do it on time.

NOT SO QUICK......when I went back to pick up my Visa (about 3 weeks later), I found out that they had changed their mind about renewing the Visa and only gave me until October 12th.  I know my mouth dropped to the top of the counter.  I'm like, ok...so now what do I do?  The very polite young immigration officer said "Well you have to leave the country and then you can return and we will start our relationship with you all over".  Uuuuhhhhh, what?  I have to leave the country?  For how long?  (I wanted to say, but what about the "penalty" money you charged me to renew it?)  As it turns out, I only have to leave and I can re-enter the same day if I want.

So the decision is made that I will make a quick trip to Ivory Coast and back.  No Visa is needed to enter that country and then when I return Ghana immigration will re-stamp my Visa and I am good to go for another 60 days.  At the time I found all this out, I only had one week to get this done.  Dan and another church leader, Mike, helped me with arrangements.  Due to the short notice, no one was able to travel with me, so I was introduced to the Ghana bus driver who would make sure I made it through immigration alright.  Then another man who is related to Mike and lives in Ivory Coast would meet me at the station when I arrived.  No probem.  I have traveled lots by myself.

Well, YES,  problems......On Monday, October 10th I was to leave Takoradi at 9am to head for Abidjan, Ivory Coast.  I waited at the bus stop until 1:30pm before the bus left. 

Takoradi is in the middle on the coast above and you can see Abidjan, Ivory Coast to the left.

Since the bus left so late, it will now be after dark when we are in Abidjan.  No worries, I have spoken to Mike and he has informed the person who is meeting me in Abidjan.  For some reason, I am too shy (can you imagine me being shy???) to ask about a bathroom during the bus trip.  For the Africans it is not an issue...they just go anywhere.  I will not do that, so on this particular day I went 14 hours without going to the bathroom.  Good thing I have practised for this.  Being a nurse has given me 20 years of training as we often are too busy for a bathroom break. 

When we arrived at immigration at the border, it was a real treat.  First, please believe me when I tell you that I was never afraid.  The bus driver and the gentleman who sat by me on the bus where very helpful.  However, IF I had those type of tendencies, I might have scared myself to death.  When we exited the bus, an armed guard took our passports.  We were then told to go to this little delapadated building by way of a muddy walkway which had barbed wire fencing on both sides of it.  You won't believe it, but my first thought was "Is this what it was like for the Jews when the Germans were taking them to unknown camps?"  Of course, this is probably nothing like that, but the thought did come to mind.  There were many police and guards with rifles.  I have only seen this many in one place just after 9-11 at the airports.

Anyway, when I first traveled to Africa I was informed that I had to keep the yellow immunization card with my passport.  No problem.  I got all my vaccines before coming here and have always had them together.  However, when immigration took my passport to renew the Visa, they did not want the immunization card, so I had placed it in my room.  I have been in and out of Ghana 3 times over the last year and have never been asked for the record......UNTIL NOW!  I don't have it with me.  They require it.  But never fear, money will buy you anything.  I pay them GHC7 (which is approx. USD$4.75) and I am given a yellow immunization card with my name which states I received three immunizations today......I didn't receive anything!!!  Unbelievable.  So what is the purpose of the yellow card?  Anyway, glad to be back on my way.

Oh, I mentioned that they don't stop for bathrooms, except all natur'l by the roadside.  Did I mention that they don't stop for food either?  I left the house in a hurry this morning and did not eat breakfast....my fault.  Because of the bus delay, I had already drank the water I brought with me prior to departure.  (Glad I didn't have any more, really...)  I had a small pack of crackers with me and that was all that was left.  We arrived at the Abidjan bus station at 9pm.  The hotel at the station is where I am staying and a man greets me when I get off the bus and takes me to my room.  The hotel does NOT have a restaurant.  It is a BARE-BONES kinda place.  I am not going out of the compound to search for food.  I did, however, ask one of the bus attendants to go out and buy me some water.  So I have a couple more crackers and water.

The room has no towels and only one sheet on the mattress of the bed.  BUT, I have an air conditioner!!!  I can deal.  End of first day....not too bad all in all.  I made it safely from point A to point B, managed to wait 14 hours for a bathroom, I have crackers and water and an air conditioner.  What more could a girl want???
Sleep!!

Tuesday.  I am awake by 4am.....the bus depot staff are having a morning church service before work, so I am awakened by the singing and preaching.  At 6:30 I am told the bus will leave at around 9am.  No breakfast, 'cuz their is no restaurant.  I finally board the bus at 9:30 and we leave at 10.  Wow this is pretty much on time for Africa!!!  I still have some water from last night with me for the trip.  At 10:30, we stop on the side of the road for who knows what.  I think the bus driver and his helpers go to breakfast.  We, the passengers, are left sitting on the bus for a little over 30 minutes.  The young man next to me buys some carrots and offers me one.  I am so thankful for it. I wind up eating 2!!  Breakfast of champions!!

Off we go....back through the immigration posts again.  We have to deboard both at the Ivory Coast border and the Ghana border posts.  At the Ghana post, they remove all the luggage from the bus to search it and then re-pack.  This process takes 1.5 hours!  This time, I am a little braver and I notice some ladies who are leaving the bus area, so I follow them and A RESTROOM!!!!!  Whew!  Much better now.

Back on the bus.  At least it is daylight for this trip.  The scenery is nice and I enjoy watching out the window, however, I am tired of being on this bus.  We finally arrive in Takoradi at 7pm.  I get my car and head home.  I arrive home at 7:30 and the first thing I do is.....EAT!!!!  I am hungry!!!

I have definitely learned my lesson about my Visa and will be staying on top of it.  I am now good for another 60 days and you better believe that I have marked in on my calendar a couple of weeks early!!!!!

The rest of this week was busy and I am still trying to catch up on my sleep.  It is so hard to believe that you get more tired from sitting than from actually working.  But I give Thanks to Our Lord, Jesus Christ, for watching over me and guiding me safely through another week.  May he be with you and your family as you walk on your path.  Till next time.......May God Bless and keep you.