I was picked up from the airport by an Edwin International Tours representative and dropped off at the Pink Hostel. It is located in an area called Asylum Down in Accra. I was put in a bunk for the student price of $17 and I would have had to share the room but no one ever came (lucky me). Well, I ran some errands: got a cell phone, went to the bank all that important stuff and then met my new best friend Carina, a 22 year old volunteer from Germany. We decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood and then meet up later for dinner. I went for a nap and woke up a few hours later (actually Carina knocked on my door to see if I wanted to go for dinner but then went to bed when she saw I was sleeping). I got up and grabbed a beer with some other tourists.
The next day, after Carina got up :) we went to the museum. I say after Carina got up because I was still set to Ethiopia time (three hours ahead) and I woke up at 5 am. Anyway, we went to the National Museum in Accra. They had various exhibits, I will describe the ones that touched me. I would have pictures, but when Carina asked she was told it was not allowed by the staff. When the staff approached me later, he informed me that was negotiable, so I pay the guy up front and picture were allowed. hmmm....I decided to draw and write notes in my book.
The textiles: the different patterns on their clothing mean different things. Four circles with a horizontal radius means "I have heard what you have said." Mate. A figure that looks similar to any eye with lashes means "I offend none without cause."
The stools: There are three kinds of stools ceremonial, domestic, and ritual. The later you don't sit on. Very big here in Ghana, all of the kings, chiefs, and important people have them.
Puberty: Adults are expected to behave according to age, status, and health. Therefore, girls are put through a ceremony to teach adulthood-America could learn something from this. Depending on the tribe, the initiation can last from 6 days to 6 months. They are rigorously trained in endurance (motherhood), body care (cleanliness, sexuality and their menstrual cycle), how to be a housewife, home management and chastity.
Music: Occasions of leisure and recreation bring people together. Communal activities have music. Drums and dance.
Dance: I enjoyed this quote "Pride in Steps" It describes the pride, discipline, camaraderie, and discipline the dancers must execute when learning the dances. It is beautiful.
Cowries: the shells you often see in African art were actually money. 20-100 could buy a slave.
Manilla or copper/brass bracelets were also used (my students know that already, right).
Then, there was the slave trade exhibit: it went through and highlighted one ship, Fredensborgs. During the trip there were 158 male slaves, 78 female, 9 girls,and 20 boys. The human cargo. Each slave was branded with an "S" surrounded by a heart. During the trip, 48 people died (30 African and 18 European, 11% and 37% respectively). The slaves were five rations of beans grain, corn and on Sunday they received a piece of pork. Throughout the trip they were given brandy and tobacco if they were "agreeable" If the ship was too full of cargo, the slaves were not allowed to lay down but rather sat for the entire trip. The exhibit also highlighted the trip they made from inland towards the port. I will be walking the trail later this week, so I will save this part for later...
Then, the World Famous Coffin Makers in Teshie.
I thought this stop would be interesting due to my experience with funerals and death in Oakland. There, they have a t-shirt ritual. When someone dies, you put their picture on a t-shirt along with some words, symbols, and pictures that represent them.
Here in Ghana, death is also a time for celebrating the person's life. They build coffins to represent the deceased: cell phones, fish, shoe, cell phone, beer, whatever. They make coffins, of all sizes, shapes, and figures. There are 2 sizes bigger for a body and smaller sizes for cremation. Two kinds of wood are used: hard for rentals and soft for burials. The figures are decided on based on the deceased interests: truck (for truck driver), fish (fisherman), NIKE shoe (runner?) cell phone (businessman or maybe a teenager?).
When we left the coffin makers we learned how to ride in a tro tro. They are a mixture between a cab and a bus. So, Carina and I took a taxi for the first leg of our trip, then we were going to take a bus, but another taxi pulled over and was a willing negotiator, so for $4 he took us to the coffin makers. Because we didn't want to pay another four dollars, we opted for public transportation on the way back. Now we saw a truck broken down on the road on the way there, I think they were fixing its axle (is that how you spell is?). You would think they would move it to the side of the road or tow it but not here, the highway was backed up for miles. So that brings us to the situation we paid a tro tro (minibus) .33 cents to take us back to Accra. For that we got a closed window, save for the drivers window, no a/c, overpacked minibus to sit in traffic in the hot sun. It was fun, we met a Ghanaian that grew up in Cleveland, lived in Germany, and now opened an ice cream stand in Accra. We weren't sure where we were going or where to get off so we just enjoyed the view and the air when we went fast enough to get some.
World Cup Rally for the Black Stars
As we were cruising along we came to Independence Square, a large almost parking lot with a large arch and stadium seating. A rally for the Black Stars (Ghana's soccer team for the Americans who are confused by the name) who beat the US and are playing Brazil on Tuesday. So we got off the minibus and went to support. Yes, we were the only white people we say for miles. There was music, dancing and a lot of vendors selling black, yellow and red shirts, tags, and golf balls(*?). A group was going around parade style and came upon us (we were a noticeable target) and danced and drummed, then asked for money of course. I have the pictures, it was great.
How we finally got home and were able to crash:
After it was over, we weren't sure how to get home, so we started asking the random people that came up to us. David and Kofi assisted us in our return. They also helped me get more minutes for my phone (how I went through so many I don't know-everyone texts here). We were put on a minibus and told we could get back to Asylum Down. The bus stopped, the people around us told us to get off, so we did. Then we looked around to see if we recognized anything...no luck. We started walking and asking people for directions to the Pink Hostel. We were told to go down the street, take a left and then follow the road, we did, then we asked someone else, and they said go down the road we just came from and a right (back to our original starting point). We soon developed a system, we asked someone new every chance we got and then decided which directions to follow. We were home in after a few hours. We did stop and got some amazing vegetarian curry from a "fast food" stand.
After a quick shower and beer,Carina and I met up with Awal. He took us to a much nicer area of town than where we were staying and took us out for dinner, drinks, and almost dancing (there was music, but no cutting of the rug), and then another end to a busy day.
After we went around Accra, checking out construction sites, seeing family(I met his mother, father, sister, and brother-his cousin the day before too) and dropping off gifts, we headed out to Kumasi. The drive wasn't bad, a little over three hours (I think, I fell asleep towards the end). I saw the beautiful country-side and every village we came upon had vendors selling their goods (corn, bread, rats-on-a-stick, you know the regular fair). We discussed all the things you would talk about with someone you met on a plane a few days prior-government, religion, politics, relationships, and environment...of course.
We made it to Kumasi and I stayed at his house, in his 5 year old son's bed, for the next few days. He lives in a gated community (he called it a compound) with his three staff (nanny, housekeeper, and errand boy) and son. Awal arranged for a driver for me the next day. I was able to try truly traditional Ghanaian dishes (even though Awal doesn't think I eat with my hands well). It was a wonderful and welcoming stay. I am very lucky!
