Easter

Since arriving in Ghana people have been saying that mangoes will soon be back in the market. Well in the last few days they have finally arrived. There are tables of them in neat stacks waiting to be sold.

I'm not really aware what special events appen over Easter. The gift shops wheel out the cellophane wrapped gift baskets they didn't sell at Christmas or on Valentine's Day. A couple of people have talked about trips up various hills and mountains which seems fitting. At some point I will get around to climbing the one that looms over Koforidua.

I shall probably be spending Easter in the north. But this is dependent on all kinds of uncontrollable factors so we will see what actually happens. Next week is a VSO meeting in Accra, so it is unlikely I will write much more before the end of the month.

Happy Easter.

Every Little Helps?

A new front opens up in the supermarket battle for world domination.

Stella and Kwaku's Wedding

Last month one of my colleagues invited me to his wedding. The ceremony took place on Saturday at Akropong Akuapem, a small town, about an hour from Koforidua up in the Akwapim Hills. Benefitting from the cooler climate and gentle breezes, the architecture indicates that the place was developed during the colonial period. The spire of the Victorian Presbyterian Church still dominates the town.
Not knowing how long the tro tro would take to fill, I arrived in good time. A funeral was overrunning, so most of the people surrounding the church were in black. Eventually these were replaced by more colourful and in some cases flamboyantly dressed wedding guests, in a mixture of western and local outfits. This combination summed up the wedding itself. Much of the day would be familiar to anybody who has attended a wedding. The ceremony itself was a lively and very happy occasion. Two of the hymns were in Twi, but I was able to join in with To God be the Glory. There was dancing during the offertory. After the photographs it was a short ride towards Mamfe for the reception in the grounds of a private residence.
Ghanaians take meetings very seriously and even in the smallest informal discussion it is often necessary to have an agenda, formal openings and closings and even prayers at start and end. I hadn’t expected this to extend to wedding receptions but there was an agenda (cutting of the cake, popping of the champagne, proposal of toast, vote of thanks etc.) and one of the local MPs had agreed to be the chairman and to make some opening remarks. While the hot buffet was being served (including two the biggest fish I have ever seen on a plate) the Municipal Chief Executive, our ultimate boss arrived to make a few well chosen remarks.
I got a lift back to Koforidua in one of the Assembly’s minibuses. There was much singing on the way and discussion of the views expressed in the church sermon concerning a woman’s role in serving her husband – or not.

Yesterday morning I had to go into Accra for a hepititis B booster. I took a tro tro over the hills via Aburi. In the early morning light the valleys were wreathed in a fine mist. It was relatively cool and very peaceful. I got off the tro tro at '37' a big intersection near the airport. After a quick visit to the supermarket, I spent a few minutes watching the bat colony in the trees situated on the edge of the road junction. Because of the time of day not many bats were on the move, but the ones that did move were much bigger than the ones in the UK. After amusing myself and passing Ghanaians, I took another tro tro to the VSO office. My injection was carried out efficiently, VSO reimbursed the expenses, I had a brief conversation with the programme manager and had lunch in Osu, with Behi, another volunteer just back from weather battered Britain.

The return journey to Koforidua was enlivened by a tro tro incident. Just after the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange the tro tro clipped the tail light of a car in front. Both vehicles pulled over. The drivers examined the minor, but annoying damage. The passengers exchanged comments. About half of them got out to join in the discussion. The only resolution the car driver would accept involved going to the Police Station. The passengers returned to the bus, we dutifully drove to the Legon police station. The passengers expressed frustration about so much fuss ofver so small an amount of danage. We entered the police compound. The drivers went into the station and returned with an officer who examined the damage. A small amount of money changed hands and we continued on our way.

Independence Day

March 6th marks the anniversary of Ghana’s independence from colonial rule. Fifty-one years ago ago Doctor Kwame Nkrumah, who would later became Ghana’s first president, declared “Today, from now on, there is a new African in the world.” There is a big parade in Independence Square in Accra, this one being the final occasion for John Kufuor as President of Ghana. Each of the regional capitals also hosts a parade. Koforidua had two lengthy dress rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday mornings before the actual event. By the time I arrived at Jackson Park on Thursday morning it was 8 am and most of the marching groups had already filed onto the square. The event has to start early to avoid the heat of the day. It was cloudy but the sun soon came through. The spectators could watch from the canopied areas or from under the big trees around the Park’s boundary but the participants were out with no protection for approaching four hours. Several people fainted but the Red Cross stretcher bearers were on hand to get them to a shady area.
1,785 people took part in the parade, representing a range of groups. Obvious ones like the army, the police, various cadet forces, many of the schools and churches and some less expected like the hairdressers and beauticians and the prison officers’ wives. The range of uniforms made it a very colourful occasion. The event was attended by various regional VIPs including the regional minister, senior police, army and local government officials. The local traditional chief made the most impressive entrance with his own parasol bearer. There was a gymnastic display by children from the Presbyterian Trinity Model School, an inspection by the military officers and a march past. Once the VIPs had been collected in their official 4 x 4s, the park quickly emptied, leaving, for many, the rest of the day as a holiday.

Lake Bosumtwi

I spent the final weekend of February at Lake Bosumtwi near Kumasi with Jacqueline and Gijs. We took a tro tro to Kumasi on Saturday morning and had lunch at Vic Baboo’s Cafe. Jacqueline was stunned to see three pages of vegetarian options in the menu. We arrived at the lake in the late afternoon. Guide book stuff – this is the largest natural fresh water lake in Ghana. It lies in a crater probably formed by a meteorite rather than a volcano. It covers 25 km2 and has a depth of 90 metres and increasing. There is a taboo on the use of traditional fishing boats and consequently fishermen paddle round with their hands on roughly hewn planks of wood called padua. Life has been made easier for them now they are allowed to use nets. The book also says that fishing is not allowed on Sundays but the fishermen clearly haven’t read the book.
It should have been possible to see the ridge of mountainous peaks all around the lake but the Harmattan wind has returned in some force and it was very hazy with all the dust. Nevertheless it was a very tranquil spot. We stayed at the Lake Point Guesthouse run by an Austrian-Ghanaian couple. The accommodation and food were of a very high standard. I particularly liked the breakfast pancakes with fresh papaya. There were a couple of cats hanging around particularly at meal times. The guesthouse had its own section of beach on the lakeshore. On Sunday we walked east around the lake to the next three villages and then returned to spend the afternoon reading in hammocks by the water. We left on Monday morning and rather than take a tro tro from Kumasi we experimented with the big orange Metrobus. Cheaper than the tro tro, but the more rigid suspension gave the speed bumps a more jarring effect.