Worms and Taxis

The last two days have been very eventful.  In the past month I have found it hard to find things to blog about.  I have been really focusing on my final thoughts and what I think will happen when I get back into the USA…but Ghana seems to have something else in mind for this blog.

On Saturday I woke up with a stomachache, but dismissed it because that happens very often in Ghana.  I was going to the Eastern region with Kwame and Renee to see the school being built for Mawuvio’s Outreach Program.  On the way there I suddenly realized my decision for going was completely WRONG!  When we got to the sight I had had to relieve myself 8 times in the bush, wish I brought more toilet paper.  Then we had to go to a town further into the region to pick up some beads for fundraising.  On the way there I vomited all the liquids out of my system.  Something was clearly wrong.  I was DONE WITH BEING SICK.  I felt I had done my time and I did not understand why it was happening again.

Needless to say the rest of the way back involved me going to the bathroom at random gas stations and trying to keep down some water.  And if this was not enough…a storm started to rage as we were approaching Accra. The wind became chaotic and we even witnessed an electricity wire falling down…which COULD LITERALLY KILL SOMEONE.  Trees were falling down left and right. 

When I finally made it back to the International Student Hostel, I was so dehydrated I dizzily made it up to the fourth floor and camped out on the toilet.  Luckily one of the three musketeers was there to take care of me (Emma, Katie, and I are the three musketeers because we have done everything in Ghana together).  And my roommate gave me crackers, juice, and tea to calm me down.  I was trying to decide if I wanted to go to the hospital or rough it out and see if my system would take care of the situation.  I took a four-hour nap and awoke to the rain stopping and no situation of vomiting or wet stools. 

My roommate and one of her best friends got me an anti-worm drug and I took the rest of my antibiotics I got before I left the US.  The next morning…in my stool, which was solid (little successes in Ghana mean a lot), was a long worm.

Well, that is one way of starting my last week in Ghana. This next day I relaxed and tried to study for my two last exams: Poverty and Rural Development and Islam in Ghana.  At the end of the day, to regain some energy, I went to Max Mart with Emma, Collin, and Turner (all ISEP buddies) and the tale that we encountered…was a bit intense.

So, we got a taxi, so I did not have to walk that distance (because I still was pretty weak).  We asked the driver to take us to Max Mart, which is a short drive (only 2-3 CD).  He pulled up to the Pizza Inn/Gas Station, which was half way between the two…expecting us to get out.  We told him…it was MAX MART…NOT PIZZA INN…and he should continue driving.

He seemed really confused so Collin tried to explain what we wanted as blunt as possible because that is what Ghanaians do to us…ALL THE TIME.  We told him he could either drop us off here for one CD or go the entire way for three CDs like we said before.  He was NOT HAVING IT!  He told us four CDs for the entire way or he would DRIVE US BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED for one CD…obviously this man was CRAZY!  We weren’t about to pay him an extra CD or get driven back to campus.  Collin, Turner, and I bolted out of the car as soon as possible…but Emma was stuck in a sticky situation because the driver sped up and she would have been forced to go again on going traffic.  While Turner was jumping out, his leg got stuck…but luckily he maneuvered himself just in time.  Collin and I did a fairly good job and getting out of a moving car.  Turner, Collin, and I realized…Emma was still in the car going in the direction that we just came from.  I called her and asked her to get Turner’s phone (which was left in the car) and checked to make sure she made it out of the crazy taxi driver’s control.

While this taxi driver was swerving and we were trying to exit, he almost smashed into a moto and another car…CRAZY DRIVER!

Thankfully, Emma made it out alive…and didn’t have to pay anything.  She had to walk the entire way and we walked the second half and met her at Max Mart.  We ate a glorious dinner and laughed about it the entire time.  We could have gotten hit by another car…or if it was in another country…SHOT for arguing with the driver.

Well, needless to say…the past two days have been VERY EVENTFUL with worms in my system and almost getting killed by a taxi driver.  I have 7 days until I am back in the United States and although I am going to miss Ghana and MOP, I think getting sick and almost getting killed has showed me that my body needs a bit of a break.