Ken and I leave for Africa today...

Together we have packed 4 large hockey bags of supplies. Plus our own SMALL personal bags, we are hauling over 200 lbs of stuff...

Our flight route is from Vancouver to Heathrow. Overnight in London, UK. Then continue on directly to Accra, Ghana. Accra is the location of the nearest (and only) Canadian Embassy in West Africa. This is where we must process the Immigration and Visa paperwork to bring "Ethan" back to Canada. Accra reads to be a semi-modern city with pleasantries like electricity, Internet, TV and a Taco Bell at the University of Ghana campus. The Lonely Planet describes Ghana as having "the friendliest people in West Africa." We are staying at the GILLBT Accra Guest House.

After a few days in Accra, we then take a local flight from Accra to Monrovia, Liberia. In Monrovia and surrounding area, we are to be escorted and continually with people from ACFI. Foreigners stand out bigtime and may be targets, so don't be unescorted outside of the ACFI compound is the recurring message. To contrast Ghana, the Lonely Planet describes Liberia as "...no place to go for a beach holiday" due to "sporadic looting as well as bursts of shooting in pockets of the country". Things are reportedly gradually improving and the recent November 2005 election of Africa's first female president offers hope for peace and rebuilding.

While in Monrovia, we alternate our time between the ACFI headquarters, and the Daniel Hoover Orphanage in Dixville. The two places are supposedly only 15 minutes apart, but the trip can take up to 2 hours because of poor road conditions. This map shows the locations. There is another Orphanage for Deaf children nearby which we'll be visiting. ~450 children from ages 2-19 are at the Dixville orphanage, and another ~40 at the Deaf orphanage.

After ~4 days in Monrovia, it's back to Accra, WITH Ethan (yeah!), and the Canadian High Commission to finalize the adoption. **IF** things go as planned, and the CDN Embassy in Ghana does what they are supposed to do in a timely manner, then we'll be back in Canada on January 16, 2006.

Weather in Accra is 32C, cooling (?) to 24C at night. Humidity is +80%. Monrovia is a similar 29C, same humidity, with intermittent heavy showers.

I plan to take photos and will blog as the availaibility of Internet Cafes permits. Other pictures and stories are (and will be) posted at http://www.wilsenack.com/Africa/ upon my return.

Cheers!

-=H=-

P.S. Happy New Year!!! Cheers to a wonderful 2006.