Rainforest and the Ashanti

Well, we did a canopy walk this AM...my daughter was thrilled. I was not so much. Too early, too little coffee, too friggin' high in the canopy on a little bitty rope bridge. I sucked it up and did it. Madeline was intrepid. It was really beautiful--we could hear the monkeys and learned a lot about the rainforest.

We are driving a lot this week, going around the country and are very blessed to have Musaa as our driver and guide. He not only understands the roads, he knows all the best places and answers all of our random questions.

We travelled on (some unpaved roads) to Kumasi, the heart of the Ashanti tribe, a very proud and ancient people. Learned more about Adinkra symbols and Kente cloth and will be doing a textile workshop with an Ashanti artist later this week. In addition to the powerful language that the textiles convey, I was really taken with the Ashanti's identification with the porcupine as a symbol of strength and power, and the unapologetic marriage of symbol and ritual. More to learn, but it was another full day. We are staying at a fabulous hotel and will travel a long distance farther north tomorrow to visit the women potters of Sirigu, who have formed a collective called SWOPA (Sirigu Womens Organization for Pottery and Art). WE will be staying in one of the houses that the women make and paint out of clay. Not sure they have internet that far north, but will post again soon. Time for bed!

Finally, Ghana

We arrived soon after dark to Aba House tired but relieved. Had our first Red-red, which is a Ghanaian dish of red plantains and beans, very delicious. After our second malaria tablets, we all had the vivid dreams. Not too different from our usual dreams.

Today we began our journey across the country and driving in Ghana is an extremely stimulating experience. The going is slow and the commerce is thick; folks selling everything on their heads from peanuts to bags of filtered water, others selling everything roadside from waffle irons to plastic buckets. Who needs TV when you can look out the window. Driving in all three countries; France, Cote D'Ivoire and Ghana has been wild and wooly--I am glad someone else is doing the driving.

We arrived in Cape Coast this afternoon and visited the site of the famous Slave Castle, one of many places where slaves were sold as merchandise by colonialists. The history is thick with complicit tribal chiefs and deceitful Europeans. The situation is sobering and something to attend to. I was looking forward to seeing the "Door of No Return" and the subsequent, recently named "Door of Return" inviting all those of African descent to return and visit Ghana someday. I highly recommend it.

At a hotel this evening with crocodiles and weaver birds, way cool. Canopy walk tomorrow, my girl is excited.

Something worth mentioning about Madeline--what a great adventurer she is! She has proven to be very flexible and open to most everything. I'm a proud mama.

A True Journey

All adventurers know that to embrace the unexpected is the true meaning of a journey, and of course we have experienced this dramatically. Along with Deb, a nurse on a medical mission to set up screening for Diabetes in Ghana, Robert, a Ghanian national with dual US citizenship, and Mary with her large brood from Texas, we have made our way through two extra countries and one exta continent.

We have visited the Eiffel Tower, experienced many cheeses and french bread, and of course the multi-lyered experience of Cote D'Ivoire; today we are finally en route to Accra. In the same outfit for four days and praying our bags are indeed there. Looking forward to some of the expected.

...our bags are packed, we're ready to go

Everything's by the door and we're waiting for our friends to come and pick us up for the trip to the airport. The dog and turtle are ensconsed at Mary, Mia and Diego's house and my mother went back to her house two days ago to spend time with the family and her old friends.

This trip took a lot of preparation! Our bathroom and kitchen are stripped down and will be ripped out and replaced anew when we're gone. Next post will be from the big continent, the continent of our origin.

Sitting here with Julie

First time blogging! Can't wait to share our adventures in Ghana with everyone.

Currently we are sore from yellow fever shots and sick from the oral typhoid vaccine. Getting excited.