12/20

4am alarm. Quickly get together for the trip to Kumasi. Gameli comes with the high priest, his wife and another member of the church we head off. After dropping the others off, we find ourselves in a very busy Accra with many more shoppers than usual because of Christmas. Gameli and I take lunch (chicken & rice) in a sort of small park in the middle of the market area. Next we head to the auto parts market area, and get into a building completly filled with sellers and autoparts. Barganing for a fuel pump beings. Finally a deal is struck, and the sellers agreed to install it. Work begins, and after it is in, we test it by pushing the truck back & forth on the busy market street to get it started. Salihou has planned to meet us in Kumasi, and he is already there. Looking for a bank in the next town, but the one that was open doesn't have the proper form for travelers checks. We finally made it Kumasi after dark and head to the stadium to meet Salihou. Very glad to find him. Next we find a Barkley's bank with an ATM. You can now get 800,000 ($88) Ceidis from them where as in 2002, the most you could get was about $20.

Next we get settled in the Teachers hostel at the Kumasi Technical Institute.

We find a resturant with flashing neon and a lot of people. We order Banku and find a place. The dish of goat stew and another dish of Banku comes along with two bowls of water for washing the hands comes. I receive further lessons on proper eating in this style. Using the index finger and middle finger mostly with the thumb for support the Banku is taken, dipped in the stew, and most of the fingers go into the mouth. I still manage to make a mess, but I am slowly getting neater at it.

We get back to the hostel, and off to sleep. Joe Mensa calls to make sure we're settled ok and to let us know we are to meet him at 8:30 in his office.