Ghana 2009 Part 1: Travel and Accra

June 6-June 11
We stayed in the Crystal Rose Hotel in Accra. This was the week we met Akos and began the major paperwork at the U.S. Embassy.

Ghana 2009 Part 2: Elmina and Kakum National Park

June 11-18
We stayed at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort in Elmina (near Cape Coast). It's to the west of Accra. It put us near some of the things we wanted to see (a castle that was a gateway of the transatlantic slave trade, and the famous Canopy Walkway at Kakum National Park), and the resort itself was a wonderfully relaxing place to bide our time while waiting for approval of our embassy paperwork.

Ghana 2009 Part 3: Back in Accra

June 18-July 8
We stayed at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra

Ghana 2009 Part 4: Akosombo, Accra, and Aburi

June 18-July 5
We stayed at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra. We had lots of fun with our new friend Rebekah and her newly adopted children, Ama and Jonathan (Jojo).

Ghana 2009 Part 5: Trip to Volta Region, village of Awate-Todzi

On our last full day in Ghana, we took a four hour drive (each way) to Akos' birth family's home village in the eastern part of Ghana. It was a beautiful experience - we passed a nature reserve and got up close and personal with baboons, visited kente weavers at work, saw Akos' grandfather's home, and spent a long while with fishermen at Volta Lake. Even though I ended up extremely ill with heat stroke before we made it home (a very scary experience for all), I'm still glad we had the experiences of that day.

Ghana 2009 Part 6: Farewell and Returning Home

July 8-July 10

We left Ghana late at night on July 8. We arrived in London - Heathrow Airport the next morning, then flew to Chicago, arriving mid-afternoon. After a long process in customs and immigration, Akos finally got to meet Don and Elena! We stayed in Chicago a couple of nights and went to the Shedd Aquarium, then drove home (with a stop at Grandma Hertz' house) on July 10. Welcome home, Akos! :)