Day 48: A Day at the DMV

Accra: Today we ran to the Koala Supermarket in Osu to buy some groceries.  We spent about $30 US dollars on white bread, turkey ham, and some really good swiss cheese slices from the deli.  Breakfast cereal cost about $8 US Dollars.  We rationalized that we needed to re-familiarize ourselves with US food as we have less than 2 weeks left here. :) We then went to Robert and Sons Optical down the street near Presbyterian Church to get my eyeglasses adjusted.  Unfortunately, the technician was not familiar with the method of adjusting the nose pads on rimless glasses and ended up cracking my lens a bit.  But I did get my plastic frame sunglasses adjusted successfully.  I paid 10 Ghana cedi for the privilege.

Afterwards, Tim took Phillip, physical plant manager here at the guesthouse, to the DVLS for a learner's permit.  Since the last caretaker here left two and a half years ago, there has been no one licensed to drive the guesthouse truck.  Workers here cab it to various and sundry places; the market, to the airline to purchase tickets for the surgeons who travel to Nalerigu, to the market....

Although the process only took about three hours, it was very involved.  There is a compound of five buildings that service the needs of drivers for the entire region/district.  Ironically, outside the DVLS the unpaved road is about as rough as the surface of the moon.  Outside the DVLS there are a variety of vendors who help facilitate the process.  It was like a small town camped out around the area that existed to provide supplementary services to drivers.  For example, there are copy services as everyone needs a copy of their national ID card made, shoe renters as you cannot enter the area with open toed shoes, discount drivers manual sellers as you cannot get one for free, etc.......

All told, Tim and Phillip waited in seven different lines in almost as many rooms.  While waiting in the teller line to pay the fee, a fight almost broke out between a middle aged woman who had been waiting in line and some cab drivers who decided to cut in front of her.  The police had to be called to sort it all out.  After the eye test, photograph, and waiting to pick up the permit, they were victorious and emerged with a permit and learner license plates! We are told that the actual drivers test is impassible the first two times as the government rigs it so that you have to pay two or three times before you actually get your license.  We will pray for Phillips success in September when he takes the exam.

Turkey ham with swiss and sour cream pringles, Yum!

German gluten free rye with swiss and pringles. Yuck!

Phillip with his permit at 55 years old!  And he was not the oldest guy @ the DVLS either.....