Thank you Ghana - Me da se Ghana

Well, all great things must come to an end, and when it was time for Justice to depart, we became very sad. When we were dropped off at the transit station where we would part ways, as we are all standing outside the car with our bags beside us, the emotions caught up with us, and Justice burst into tears, which just made me and Jessie cry too. The driver insisted we get back into his car and let him drive us to the next town. We all sat in the back seat, holding hands tightly and crying. It is still a moment that squeezes my chest.

(By the way, Mr Vice is a reference to being 2nd-in-charge, like the Vice Preseident. It is not an indication that Justice suffers from any affliction.)

By the time we got to the next town, we had gotten ourselves together, but it was still a very sad separation. Now you know I may be a little sentimental sometimes, but I was really surprised by the reaction of my friends. We had all bonded very tightly during our time together. On this journey, they had seen places in their country that they had only dreamed about before. They had stayed at a resort that was well beyond the means of all but the very wealthy in Ghana.

I was so happy to be able to do this. Any expense for them to travel with me was offset by the amount of money they saved me by negotiating native rates for everything. I never pulled out money until they told me to. Other tourists we ran into were always amazed and jealous that I had local guides who were able to get me prices that were one-half to one-tenth of what they were paying. Justice was an especially hard bargainer. More than a couple times merchants would turn to me, after a hard bargaining session in Twi, and say to me in perfect English "Your friend is working very hard for you! He is giving me a headache!"

More importantly, though, was the companionship and education that they gave me. We laughed our way across Ghana and had many great adventures. Any question about anything that I saw or heard or tasted was instantly answered. I met and stayed with family and was welcomed with open arms. It was not a holiday where I only saw Africa from inside an air conditioned vehicle, but was instead a far more profound and touching experience.

Thank you Justice and Jessie for the great time that you showed me as my guides. I look forward to the day in the future when we are able to meet again.