In Which They Ask for my Yellow Fever Certificate
May 19th, day 15 - "yellow fever vaccination certificate please." -- the first words to greet me on arrival in Ghana. The words I'd been dreading for two weeks since realizing i didn't have it with me. I felt I weight in the pit of my stomach and my blood ran cold. But first let's cliffhanger that and start at the beginning.
It was a change of pace from my usual frantic dash to the airport. Though I'd been trying unsuccessfully since yesterday to get ahold of someone who could tell me what time the driver would pick me up to take me to the airport. Finally received a call that the hotel would arrange it, departing at noon. So got ready in plenty of time, no rush, though as mentioned having a flight to catch always makes me stressed. And i still don't have a yellow fever vaccination certificate if Ghana wants to see it (other than picture on my phone). During the long drive through the soggy city (raining) it occurred to me i didn't know if i was expected to pay the driver, and not having much local cash on me anymore, and not sharing a language with the driver, that was something to feel stressed about.
Fortunately i didn't have to! Not counting dealing with the airline agent to check my bag and got my ticket, i had to show ID and talk at least briefly with at least seven different security checkpoints between entering the terminal and waiting at the gate where i am now. Last year at least three of these, two within meters of eachother, asked me for a bribe. This year not a single one did, nor did they seem as surly. Some were downright cheerful. What a difference a year makes.
And that catches us up to now, 13:33, waiting at the gate for 15:10 flight. Reading O'Hanlon Borneo book (actually ended up not having much time to read it these past two weeks)
..
Flight to Guinea Bissau to drop off and pick up passengers like a bus and then on to Ivory Coast. Seat backs wouldn't recline at all which made for a very uncomfortable flight. They served the food above and i still don't even know what category of thing it was even after eating it. ANY IDEAS??
Ivory Coast (Abidjan) airport does not seem to have the capacity to intake as many people through security as they have coming through the airport. That was a crazy traffic jam that took like an hour and i think i recall it being like that last year.
Had the two seats on my side of the row on the small plane to Ghana to myself so that was much more comfortable.
Which brings us to arrival in Ghana. Before even getting to passport control there was a checkpoint where they just asked expressly for the yellow fever certificates. The dread i felt! The eventually i had been anxious about for two weeks was at hand!
Approaching the kiosk, when asked for the certificate i plonked my phone on the desk, open to the image of the certificate, and stated assertively "here it is on my phone." The young man seemed started by this unusual occurrence, looked up at me like he was about to object, then seemingly decided it was too much trouble and waved me on. WHEW!
I thought my troubles were over and my luck seemed to hold for another few minutes, my bag was literally fifth out of the carousel, passport control and customs were breezy. But then i got outside the terminal and looked for the hotel driver, fending off would-be taxi drivers descending on me like pigeons. He was not to be found. Last year he'd come through after i hadn't even reminded the hotel for two weeks since mentioning my return to the hotel receptionist, so I'd been optimistic they'd be similarly on it.
You're always in a tight spot on arrival, not yet having a sim card or local money. I couldn't call the hotel. I tried to go back into the terminal to use the wifi in there to call, but a staffmember stopped me from re-entering. He did however let me use his phone to call the hotel. From my brief call with the hotel it was unclear to me if they'd been aware of me or that was the first they were hearing about it, but they assured me the driver would arrive in 20 minutes. It was then 22:27. Then the guy asked for a tip ("small small"), which I'd expected and seemed fair but i never know what would be an appropriate amount, neither insultingly small or too much. And under normal circumstances i wouldn't have any local currency, though as luck would have it i do have cedis from last year. So i fished out 10 cedis ($1=10.5 cedis) and he seemed to be happy with that.
Long story short it was 23:20 by the time the driver arrived. It sounded from his explanation like he'd been dropping off some other guests somewhere far away or something.
Only took 8 minutes to finally get to the hotel from the airport. I could have taken a taxi if I'd known it was going to take an hour but obviously i hadn't known that!
Arriving, it became apparent the hotel had no knowledge of my booking. I'd booked on booking.com and had put my request for pick up and flight information in as special request, and had gotten a confirmation email specifically stating my special request would be granted. But apparently none of that got from booking.com to the actual hotel staff.
No matter, they had a room for me and all. Still though this hour delay changed what would have been a joyous return to Ghana and a familiar hotel to an ordeal.
Then i wrote most of this entry, but when i clicked away from the browser to respond to an email (on my phone) and came back, livejournal had reset the submission page and lost everything I'd written since the Guinea airport! In great frustration i went to bed.
It was a change of pace from my usual frantic dash to the airport. Though I'd been trying unsuccessfully since yesterday to get ahold of someone who could tell me what time the driver would pick me up to take me to the airport. Finally received a call that the hotel would arrange it, departing at noon. So got ready in plenty of time, no rush, though as mentioned having a flight to catch always makes me stressed. And i still don't have a yellow fever vaccination certificate if Ghana wants to see it (other than picture on my phone). During the long drive through the soggy city (raining) it occurred to me i didn't know if i was expected to pay the driver, and not having much local cash on me anymore, and not sharing a language with the driver, that was something to feel stressed about.
Fortunately i didn't have to! Not counting dealing with the airline agent to check my bag and got my ticket, i had to show ID and talk at least briefly with at least seven different security checkpoints between entering the terminal and waiting at the gate where i am now. Last year at least three of these, two within meters of eachother, asked me for a bribe. This year not a single one did, nor did they seem as surly. Some were downright cheerful. What a difference a year makes.
And that catches us up to now, 13:33, waiting at the gate for 15:10 flight. Reading O'Hanlon Borneo book (actually ended up not having much time to read it these past two weeks)
..
Flight to Guinea Bissau to drop off and pick up passengers like a bus and then on to Ivory Coast. Seat backs wouldn't recline at all which made for a very uncomfortable flight. They served the food above and i still don't even know what category of thing it was even after eating it. ANY IDEAS??
Ivory Coast (Abidjan) airport does not seem to have the capacity to intake as many people through security as they have coming through the airport. That was a crazy traffic jam that took like an hour and i think i recall it being like that last year.
Had the two seats on my side of the row on the small plane to Ghana to myself so that was much more comfortable.
Which brings us to arrival in Ghana. Before even getting to passport control there was a checkpoint where they just asked expressly for the yellow fever certificates. The dread i felt! The eventually i had been anxious about for two weeks was at hand!
Approaching the kiosk, when asked for the certificate i plonked my phone on the desk, open to the image of the certificate, and stated assertively "here it is on my phone." The young man seemed started by this unusual occurrence, looked up at me like he was about to object, then seemingly decided it was too much trouble and waved me on. WHEW!
I thought my troubles were over and my luck seemed to hold for another few minutes, my bag was literally fifth out of the carousel, passport control and customs were breezy. But then i got outside the terminal and looked for the hotel driver, fending off would-be taxi drivers descending on me like pigeons. He was not to be found. Last year he'd come through after i hadn't even reminded the hotel for two weeks since mentioning my return to the hotel receptionist, so I'd been optimistic they'd be similarly on it.
You're always in a tight spot on arrival, not yet having a sim card or local money. I couldn't call the hotel. I tried to go back into the terminal to use the wifi in there to call, but a staffmember stopped me from re-entering. He did however let me use his phone to call the hotel. From my brief call with the hotel it was unclear to me if they'd been aware of me or that was the first they were hearing about it, but they assured me the driver would arrive in 20 minutes. It was then 22:27. Then the guy asked for a tip ("small small"), which I'd expected and seemed fair but i never know what would be an appropriate amount, neither insultingly small or too much. And under normal circumstances i wouldn't have any local currency, though as luck would have it i do have cedis from last year. So i fished out 10 cedis ($1=10.5 cedis) and he seemed to be happy with that.
Long story short it was 23:20 by the time the driver arrived. It sounded from his explanation like he'd been dropping off some other guests somewhere far away or something.
Only took 8 minutes to finally get to the hotel from the airport. I could have taken a taxi if I'd known it was going to take an hour but obviously i hadn't known that!
Arriving, it became apparent the hotel had no knowledge of my booking. I'd booked on booking.com and had put my request for pick up and flight information in as special request, and had gotten a confirmation email specifically stating my special request would be granted. But apparently none of that got from booking.com to the actual hotel staff.
No matter, they had a room for me and all. Still though this hour delay changed what would have been a joyous return to Ghana and a familiar hotel to an ordeal.
Then i wrote most of this entry, but when i clicked away from the browser to respond to an email (on my phone) and came back, livejournal had reset the submission page and lost everything I'd written since the Guinea airport! In great frustration i went to bed.