12/13

We tried to be ready to leave for Cape Coast by 6am. Gameli took a bit longer because of trouble with the truck, though. Salihou, George, Gameli and I left, and 100 yards down the road, we saw Mr. Otoo, the taylor. Salihou helped me get some batik cloth earlier, so Mr. Otoo measured me on the side of the road to make two outfits from the cloth.

We stopped to say hi to Zena, who looks like she just woke up. She's living in a very nice house in Have. Back on the road, Gameli noticed noises from the front end, so we stopped at his mechanic friends who also discovered a problem with the fuel line (air in it or something).

There are drum carvers on the road (near Peke, about an hour from Jordan Nu) We stopped and checked prices, and what they have.

Made it to Accra about 10:30. First we go to see Mr. Jack Oppong who owns the computer store. It's toward Tema, near an industrial area, very close to Rainbow Motors. The building has several shops, and he's having cabinets built in one that he's moving into from one of the other shops in the same building. We got in the truck and followed him to his house, which was stacked nearly to the ceiling with used computers and printers he's just received from where he was coming from (Belgium)

In Mr. Oppong's house

At the Art center, and Gameli helped me get three batik shirts. The first vendor wanted 120,000 per shirt, the next one wanted 65,000, so we got those. After the customary haggling. This is the red one, the orange one, and one I had to give away because my head wouldn't fit in the keyhole :-)

Looked at djembe row just east of the art market. Carvers carving, tuners tuning, and many vendors trying to drag us into their shops. There were several drums that looked like the bass Borborbor drum, except about 5 feet high. We met a couple of American girls who speek Ewe, and have been on a Peace-Corps like private program for three months and were getting a special djembe drum made to take to Kumasi.

The Ewe speaking girls

Drum builders at work

Next stop, the Ministry Post Office to send off cards and letters for my dear friend Joe Appiah-Kusi. Next stop Fufu! Nice resturant across from BusyInternet that Salihou has been to before. Gameli and I had fufu with goat, and Salihou had Banku.

Then to BusyInternet to frantically check and answer some e-mails. It was getting late and Gameli was getting a little concerned about the traffic and of course driving aat night. We had no idea!

We got on the road, and it was heavy traffic until just after Nkrumah circle where there is a 24 hour market. Smoother traffic for just a short while, and then the road ran out. Then for many miles, we had both heavy traffic, and a dirt road to deal with (they are replacing the road surface and building culverts).

There is very little pavement from Accra to Winneba (almost half the distance we're going). It was alreay dark by then, and we still had 2 hours driving to go. Finally the traffic got better and the roads too. It was about 9:00 when we finally made it to Cape Coast.

Salihou's wife, Hawa had Banku prepared for us when we arrived (3 pieces in one bowl, and meat and sauce in another bowl. Different spices and ingredients are used in different parts of the country, so it is interesting to see the differences. Slowly I am getting used to the Ghanaian style of eating with one hand, dipping in the sauce. I still make quite a mess though. Salihou is ever ready with his mouchoiors (small napkins from Togo). I tried to make it a one napkin meal :-) Salihou's little boy, 2 year old Shabazz was taken to see us, but he was very sleepy and went back to bed.

There is a very nice hotel that Salihou's wife found for us just up the block, Jangels Hotel Enterprise.

Banku at Salihou's house... Learning the tricks from Gameli