Africa

WOW... I really cannot believe I am doing this !!
I know I went to Panama, but that seems so long ago, so safe, I went with an entire team of people I knew. Thankfully, these people seem just as wonderful and Cheri has provided me the ultimate safety net!!! How exciting is it that she is going, too!! To share this with family is going to be the best!! Of course, what happens in Africa stays in Africa.... hahaha!!!

Seriously, people are asking....so here are some of the details

The organization is Cardiostart. www.cardiostart.org

We Will fly from JFK in New york on Thursday February 5, and Arrive in ACCRA, Ghana at 735 AM. According to Delta, the flight is 10 hours 25 minutes, covering 5100 air miles.

that night ( Friday and Saturday) we will be staying with part of the team in the Golden Tulip Hotel. It looks really nice!! We will spend the free time touring Accra. We have no idea what we will be doing. Accra is on the Ivory Coast of Africa. This is where the Majority of the slave trade originated. It also is one of the centers of diamond and gold trade. ...who knows what Cheri and I will find to bring home!
On Sunday the 7th we travel to Kumasi. this is the second largest city in Ghana. There the World Bank Fund built a new hospital two years ago. This same organization ( and some of the same people) went last February!The Hospital is Konfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). While there the team will likely be doing 8 pacemaker placement and up to about 2 dozen additional surgeries. In addition I will be involved in daily educational lectures and helping in the ER. In Kumasi we will stay courtesy of the hospital at the SUNSET HOTEL. Cheri will be doing outreach at the Kumasi orphanage and local school. Part of her project will be helping with a water filtration system for the orphanage. As well as identifying the needs for future outreach programs in Kumasi.
We get time off during the week if we need it, and the weekend we are free to travel. Ghana is not really known for its Safari's or "beautiful scenery". But the Ashanti people are crafted artisans and I am sure we will find beauty in what ever we get to see or do.
We travel back to Accra Feb 20, and Cheri and I depart for NYC on Feb 21. arriving around 430 PM. We are treating ourselves to a fun night in NYC at a new Hotel out on Long Island, the Allegria Hotel and Spa. Cheri will head home Monday morning and I fly out later that day. arriving in Portland at 2300 PM. My plan was to see an old friend that I haven't seen for ten years, but fate would have it that he is traveling out of town the very day I arrive!! So, I will spend the day in NYC chilling and acclimating to US soil!
I return to work Tuesday night !

I plan to meet Portland friends at Skamania Lodge Friday night for the Cascade Harvest Buffet. Let me know if you want to join us !! EVERYONE is invited... I want to see everyone.... and I won't bore you with the 100000 pictures I plan on taking.... unless of course you want me to ! Seriously.... leave me a message on facebook or my cell phone if you can make it Friday February 26!!

I plan on taking my laptop and will be updating the blog regularly hopefully nightly... and posting pics here and on facebook! I am leaving my cell phone "OFF"... international calls are too $$$$ for me !

Enough people will have my emergency contact info, you know the usual Fred, Ron, Charlene, Jennifer, Susie and Ted. If you really feel you need me and can't wait for me to log on to facebook contact one of them for my info.

So...that is the beginning of the story!! Next post will likely be from a plane somewhere over the US in the middle of the night or over the Atlantic!!

For those of you who don't read Blogs very often, by clicking on the highlighted words, it will take you to a link I have chosen for that word or sentence. sometimes it is a picture, sometimes more info, sometimes....just something silly.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for taking this journey with me.... feel free to leave comments here too !!