Leaving West Africa

Another airport, Kotoka International and the last of the West African airports. I leave Ghana today, on the tail end of my West African tour and I am sorry to leave.

In 33 days I have traveled through nine countries by aeroplane, helicopter, cars and a hovercraft. I've walked in the markets of each place, tramped through the mud, seen and smelled so much! If I was asked to name the one thing that stood out, I could not; five I can:

• The processions winding along the streets of Freetown


• The gate of no return on Goree Island


• The birds wheeling in the sky at dusk in Dakar


• The dance floor at Macumba
  
• The look in the eye of the immigration guy in Gambia as he tried to hassle me
  
• Seeing my brand served at the business class lounge of the International Airport in Ghana

I've been delayed 8hrs for the want of jet fuel, been escorted to collect my luggage without passing immigration as well as to a departure lounge to meet a client in the process, seen some amazing things and done a few new things too.

I shall miss it.

From here I go to Dubai for a 12hr wait till my flight to Addis Ababa and another 12hrs for my connection to Luanda. ( I intend changing my travel agent by the way, this is a god awful schedule she's given me)

A week or so in Luanda and I am on my way home.

The black Africans personality is an open one. I am talking about the majority of them who have not become westernised. What you see is what they are - they are open with their emotions, they smile when they are happy, they show anger when they are so. Its in Asian and Western cultures that people mask their emotions...