Ashanti and Kumasi Trip

Ashanti Region Trip

This past weekend we went to the Ashanti Region which is about a 5 hour drive from Accra. We took our bus we have been using on all of our excursions so it was way more comfortable then last weekend taking the huge mass transportation bus. Once we arrived, we stopped by the Ashanti Traditional Home that belonged to the then Queen Mother of Ejisu who lead the famous Yaa Asantewaa war in the 1900 against  the British when the British went to demand the golden stool which is believed to be the soul of the Asante people. The guy to the left manages the palace and loves to take pictures so we each got a picture with him which was so cute! 

Kejetia Market

After we checked into our hotel we went to the biggest market in West Africa which was overwhelming when we drove down the hill and once we actually entered the market there were so many booths to look at that I had no clue where to even begin. We started to just walk around and go from booth to booth. Once we actually went to around most of the market all we wanted to do was leave because the smell was so bad, it smelled like rotten fish and dirty feet. Really bad combination! We finally found our way out of there and headed back to the bus to head back to the hotel. We had an early night to get ready for an early wake up call. 

 Kente Cloth Village 

We woke up early Saturday and had breakfast then headed to the kente cloth village where we saw first hand how the cloth is made, the meaning of each strip of cloth and the difference between single, double and multiple stitch. I was able to bargain really far down with all the cloth I bought and walked out of the factory feeling really great about what I bought. Below is the actual machine that the weavers attach the cloth to and sit on a stool moving the machine with both feet. I actually got the opportunity to learn how you actually use the machine and how you use your feet to power the machine.

Ntonso Adinkra Village 

We went to the village where they hand stamp kente cloth with organically made ink. Below as you can see is a bunch of cloth with Obama on them. They are so obsessed with Obama here and we have began to say we are from Obama Country. 

Each of the stamps mean something different which is really cool. The stamps are also hand carved which makes the whole process really great!

This is the beginning of the process to make the ink. It starts with tree bark from a specific bark that has a red tint to it.




Below is the bucket where you smash the bark with a large, thick stick

From the bucket you smash it so hard you get red dye out of it and boil it in a large bin before dumping it into a separate bin with no bark and only the dye.







From the bin full of die you take it a boil it into a pot where the dye turns into black and is the last step in making the ink

Here is the stamps that are hand carved with each one having different meanings

Below is the 4 yards of the kente cloth we stamps for the CIEE Summer 2013 banner to hang up in the office. 

After you stamp the fabric it is moved to the 'drying station' where they place two rocks on the cloth and let it dry in the sun.

While I was waiting for my cloth to dry, a guy showed me how to weave the cloth and claimed he is the master of the village. He was a great teacher and I got the hang of the weaving fairly fast. 

This past weekend was so fun and I learned so much about the kente cloth and the culture that goes with it!

Bead Factory and Cocoa Farm

Bead Making Factory

We went to a bead making factory where we learned the process of how they make all the beads and the 2 types of processes to make transparent or solid glass beads. The picture to the left is the pile of glass bottles they collect that they than smash to make the beads. On the right is the fire pit they use to heat up the molds for about 5 minutes. Below in the center is the big picture of the entire operation for the solid beads. We also got to paint our own beads which was really interesting because we actually got to see what talent goes into the painting skills and the overall process.  

 This is the end product for the solid beads that the people at the factory made. The detail that went into each bead was so amazing to see. The blue bead is an example of a transparent bead that has a different process than the solid ones. The bead factory was so cool to see and I learned so much about what it takes to make intricate beads in Ghana and the amount of recycling is done there which is great to see because most people hear are not concerned about that process.

 Tetteh Cocoa Farm

After the bead factory we traveled to the cocoa farm up in the mountains. The actual farm was hidden in the back part of a town where miles and miles of cocoa trees, peppers and other plants fill the land. Here is the guy who was the founder of the farm and the one who brought the first cocoa tree to Ghana. Because he brought the tree to Ghana they were able to establish exportation of cocoa and most chocolate now has contents of Ghana cocoa in it which is pretty cool. 

 Here is an actual cocoa bean that is attached to the tree. What is interesting about cocoa is that the beans sprout all over the tree trunks which makes it a lot easier to harvest. So as we walked we saw beans as far down the trunk as inches below the ground.

They even taught us the way the cocoa nut is harvested and than transported out of the country to turn into chocolate. When you open the shell you see a membrane looking mass that is full of nuts. The beans are surrounded by a sweet tasting outer film and when we tried it we thought you eat the whole nut but turns out the inside of the nut is super bitter. Once you open the bean you take out the membrane and you are left with just the nuts. Than they cover the beans in plantain leaves until no air can reach the beans. They place it in the sun for a few days and than remove the nuts and place them in more leaves for a few more days and they are finally ready to have the outer hard shell removed from the nut and than sent off to the various chocolate factories. 

Volta Region Trip

Volta Region and the Many Adventures 

This past weekend we went to the Volta Region that was planned by the students here. We first took a tro tro to Tama Station where we got a large bus the the region. We sat at the station for 2.5 hours before we even left Accra and than another 4.5 hours to get where we were going. The ride was the longest and most miserable ride I have been on in a long time. Zoey (a girl from my trip) and I were sandwiched between 4 other women in the very back row of the bus. Every person on the bus has a billion and one bags that did not go in the luggage container below the bus but rather in the isles and laps of everyone on the bus. One guy in front of us had a flat screen T.V. on his lap the entire way. The lady sitting next to Zoey was super nice and even bought us some grounded maze on the side of the road for us to try. The other ladies either didn't talk or laughed and made jokes about us the entire 4.5 hours which got very old very quickly. We finally reached the town where the monkey sanctuary was and ran off the bus like a bat out of hell (hahaha). We asked around and got a tro tro to take us to the sanctuary not too far down the road.

Tafo Atome Monkey Sanctuary 

The monkey sanctuary was a lot of fun because the monkeys were not like they were in Bali where they were running around giving off a freighting vibe. The guide started giving monkey calls and eventually we reached a place where an entire family lived and we fed them bananas on bananas. They way they reached for the bananas was very gentle but assertively and attached their tales to the tree as they reached as far as they could. One of the girls got stuff thrown at her from the head monkey of the family which was pretty funny to see.

 After the monkey sanctuary we went to Ho Hoe where we stayed in a really nice hotel named Galaxy. The road to the hotel is a long dirt road with little to no stores around but a few houses around. Once we got to the hotel we ate dinner at the hotel and than hit the sack cause we had an early morning. The next morning we took a tro tro to Afadjato Mountain and Wli Waterfall. The driver and mate of the tro tro agreed to stay with us all day to take us every where we wanted to go. The roads around the area are so full of pot holes that they ride is a constant swerving all over the roads to avoid them. 

 Afadjato Mountain

We climbed up the highest mountain in Ghana which was such a trek to get up but so worth the view. The climb (Yes it was a climb not a hike) took us about 1.5 hours and once I reached the top I screamed knowing that I had just accomplished a huge mountain in Ghana. The view was amazing because you saw green mountains for miles and miles and Togo was on our left while a small town in Ghana was on our right! We just stood there and took in all the beauty that was at our finger tips and couldn't believe that we actually climbed the mountain and received such a breathtaking view. 

On our way down it started to rain so the path was really wet so we had to take it easy but my friend and I tried to jog it down where the flat parts were and it worked out pretty well. They placed rope on some parts of the mountain so we could use it as leverage to stay up since those parts were pretty sketch. Overall the mountain climb was amazing and the most exercise I have had since being in Ghana. 

Lunch 

After the climb we went to lunch at a brand new restaurant on the side of a road near the waterfall. Since it was new we all had one dish which was fried rice and chicken which to be honest was a perfect dish for after the climb. The resturant view was also the best view of the waterfall you can find around the area without being right in front of it. So our lunch was very relaxing and perfect for cooling us down and getting energy for the waterfall. 

Wli Waterfall 

On our walk to the waterfall we walked through the forest of Ghana that was so pretty. With trees on both sides of us and every so often there was a peak of sunshine through the canopy. There are a total of 8 bridges you cross to get to the waterfall which was cool because each bridge is unique in their appearance and even though each bridge had some sort of water beneath it, each river was full of life. Once we turned the corner and saw the giant waterfall that lied in front of us my jaw dropped. There were hundreds of people there but it didn't take away from the beauty. I didn't get into the water but standing there with the water crashing into the little lake was enough to make me happy. My friend and I just took photos of the ones that got into the water and took in the view. We only went to the lower falls so I can only imagine what the upper falls look like. 

 The Ride Back to Accra

The same guy that took us around the day before took us back to Accra in his tro tro which was amazing because I can only imagine having to take another bus back to Accra and the amount of annoyance that it gives. Our ride was amazingly relaxing and the view was what I was waiting for when I came to Ghana. The endless amount of greenery and trees made me feel so peaceful. Since we filled an entire tro tro we were able to talk amongst one another and spread out more. Overall I had an amazing weekend and the best day yet. I am having a great time in Ghana and can't wait for next weekend! 

On Air in Ghana

On Air in Ghana

Today we were on the radio for the school radio at the University of Ghana. The broadcast can be heard all over the Accra area which is so cool! We were asked all sorts of questions about our visits here and what we have experienced thus far. Some of the questions were what reactions have you experienced from men and women here, how has the food treated you here, what has been your best and worst day here, how do you think the typical American is perceived to Ghanians etc. Overall the experience was so cool and I never knew I would get on the radio let alone in Ghana.