DAMAS Y CABALLEROS
EMO was in town meaning Lagos and was fully primed for the ACCRA trip. Got to the MMA1 at around 0600H in the morning. Though I did my check-in online to afford me the opportunity of taking my choicest seat on a Boeing 737-500 series used on this route. Though they still had to give me a new boarding pass. After these, I picked the immigration form both for Nigeria and Ghana fill it and proceeded for boarding. I noticed the zig-zag formation of the bands within which we had to walk to the point of checking and the danger of walking on the type of floor there. Please travel with shoes that will be safe on those flooring type
The flight was on schedule with lady Ruth as first officer in the cockpit. Flight generally was at 28,000FT and was smooth with close to zero turbulence.
Then at the point of going to meet their own immigration, those yellow card folks waylaid me and I flashed my 2010 yellow pally, which they faulted, but advised that I get another one from the health authority in Nigeria. At this point, the Ghana immigration officers at this time were focused on their business. in no time, I was passed to go on.
As I was on my way out of the airport, due to the level of info available on this thread I became a pro, who knows what to do at every point all the way. I walked to the Zenith Bank ATM machine to try get few cedis instead of Agbero style exchange, gbam Zenith denied me. Reason being that my card is a MasterCard base Debit card. So GTBank machine outside the port came to my rescue. I withdrew 50cedis and GTB charged N1,000
Then I crossed to the garrage side to walk through a walk path that "egrace62" mentioned almost a year ago. I got taxi to AVO from there for just 8 Cedis. I bought an airtel recharge card thinking that it will work with my naija airtel sim, noway for obvious reason. So I had to put the data switch on my BB off so that I can only roam on SMS and voice only. The voice will not work but the SMS is okay @ 99/sms when I am sending and N20/sms while receiving..
Got to the VO at 0809H and met queue as usual and were processed one by one the rest is same as ever reported here. If you allow me the story go full ground here o.
@ 1130H we were asked to go, if we have a place to go, to come back around 1430H/1500H. From this point I located Ma/Sister/Babe Mandie whichever she is to you choose
then the gisting began on top of Tila..... and the local Ghanaian delicacies. I enjoyed every bit of it. Only the whitee in the place loaded my lungs with lots of cigarette smoke.
If you care to know, Mandie happens to be an agile lady. She practically walked me down length and breadth of certain locations in Accra under hot sun. I will be waiting for her at the other side of Atlantic to pay back with walking her too under -25 deg
The GTBank in Accra came handie as man was almost going out of cash. I got back to the VO by 1450H and by 1500H we were called in for the main thing. after few names were called then, they called EMO and there you are I was only given the statement of account I submitted, the CORP and the passport with IM-1 visa GBOSA. The rest of the documents lies with them.
Anyway, I came out and at this point the African in the securities at the VO began to manifest, they demanded for tips. I gave them joyfully and willingly 5Cedis at both points. Got my electronics stuffs back and set out for the airport for 6 cedis.
I met a Nigerian who happened to be based in the carebbians and will be hitting the space here soonest. And a sister; a Nurse heading for Saskatoon.
At the airport, check-in was smooth and then the waiting game for aero began.
1745H flight became 2145H flight. by 10:00 PM Lagos we were fully boarded and then viola landed in Lagos smoothly (For me this is the bottom line) I was highly favoured in that my bretheren who hosted me in Lagos came to the airport to pick me around past 11:00 PM please if you are from outside Lagos make contingencies plan for such occurrence.
The sister I met at Accra though a Lagos based person had to sleep overnight in the airport.
Reason? The security situation in Lagos is deteriorating and moving late night is becoming more dangerous.
Thanks for all your prayers.
Cheers
