O.M.G.

We made it! I'm currently lounging in our hotel in Accra completely exhausted, but completely exhilarated and excited about the rest of our trip and what happened today and what I saw. Our flight didn't leave Dakar yesterday until 4am. That's right, 4am so we both stayed up all night until we got on the plane.

Events at the Dakar airport:

A few weeks ago when Jackie was saying goodbye to her mom in the Dakar airport she saw a wondrous sign that she told me and Katherine about. It just so happens to be the slogan for Virgin Nigeria, the airline we flew to Ghana. What is this slogan you ask? Virgin Nigeria: We touch all the right places. Hilarious right? The humor, even in my intense sleep deprived state, was not lost on me and I asked a Senegalese security guard to take a picture of me and Katherine next to the sign because it's really just too funny.

12am - arrive at the Dakar airport
1:30am - we finally clear security, and although we had to check our bags, we are pleased with our progress
2am - I'm fairly delirious and want to sleep. A Frenchman sat down next to me. I failed to see that he was carrying a small dog even though Katherine pointed it out to me and then almost peed my pants when it barked right next to me.
3:20am - we finally bored the plane
3:30am - we are both passed out on the plane
3:50am - we take off from Dakar, the lights are off in the cabin and practically everyone is sleeping
4:15am - we hit cruising altitude and the cabin lights are turned on and... dinner is served? Yes, Virgin Nigeria gave us a choice between chicken and rice or fish and potatoes at 4:30am. I wanted to shoot someone.
5:30 - service is finally over and I'm "sleeping" while freezing in the plane
5:45am - the cabin lights are finally turned off
5:45-6:15am - the fasten safety light is turned off and on approximately 1 million times and it seems necessary for the head stewardess to tell and the sleeping people about these developments
6:30am - the cabin lights are turned back on as we approached Accra
7am - touch down in GHANA!!!

After barely 2 hours sleep in 24 hours we're off the plane and through customs. Our hotel was late to pick us up and our room wasn't quite ready, but we did get to enjoy our free breakfast which included toast, eggs, fruit, cereal... it was amazing. Also in the hotel restaurant was another PCV from Mali! We all introduced ourselves and by the time we were all done gorging on breakfast our room was done and Katherine and I took a much needed shower and a power nap before heading to heaven. And by heaven I mean a Western style shopping mall!

I have read all about it and even heard first hand accounts about this mall, but I always thought it was too good to be true and that I would be disappointed. Not true. THE MALL IS AMAZING!!! It has a huge book store, Puma, Panasonic, a nail and hair salon, Apple, Western style clothing stores, a store like Kmart, and a grocery store that is nicer and better than Casino in Dakar. Needless to say I was in awe and in love and after a chicken lunch at a food court even happier. Obviously, this trip is "Alyssa and Katherine go to Ghana," and as such will represent our fabulous personalities. What did we do this afternoon?

WE WATCHED SEX IN THE CITY 2!!!!!!!!!! This is not a joke. The mall also has an amazing and brand new movie theater that has new American movies! While Sex and the City 2 is perhaps even more terrible than the critics have described it, the experience of sitting in a dark movie theater with popcorn in hand was almost more than I could handle. It was awesome and we're probably going to go back and see all the movies that are currently showing.

Now we're back at the hotel and I'm completely exhausted and need to go bed so I can discover all the other wonderful things that Accra has to offer!