Kumasi and Yegi

Oh, we are so much happier now that Roz, Hannah and Emma are here.  Along with Deon, they have made our lives here more fulfilled and normal. We have a month left with these ladies so are making the most of their company while we are able to.
 

Roz needed to stock up on groceries so she, Hannah and I travelled with Arno and the driver, Joe, to Kumasi.  Little Emma is not a shopper and chose to stay at home and Buddy sit.  We left early in the morning and I didn't get a chance to take a photo of the two of them.  Here is a previous one.

While we were away, Emma was a very good mommy and took great care of Buddy.  She took this photo and I could not leave this special picture off my blog.

Spoiled little chap! 

 

 

We left at 6.30am and eventually arrived home after 7pm.

 

Ghana is well known for its Kente weaving. We passed a small town where they make and sell the material and the lady in the shop, Florence, was very helpful in explaining how this beautiful fabric is woven and sold. 

Florence has just wrapped a rectangle of fabric around her waist for us to see how it should be worn.

The little strips hanging behind Arno and Florence are samples of the weaving packages one can buy. 

 

Arno bought one to use as a table cloth and I took a photo.  They are made in approximately 15cm strips and then sewn together.

 

We were told that this pattern is called Fathia Fata Nkrumah translated into "Fathia is a befitting wife for Nkrumah."  Fathia was an Egyptian woman who married Nkrumah, the first president of the Republic of Ghana.

It is quite a thick fabric and must be quite difficult to wear in the heat.

Just outside the village we took photos of the weavers who were all men.  They seem to be the main weavers in this activity.  The looms are placed under the trees for shade.

They separate the two lines of thread and pass a shuttle with the coloured cotton through each time then the two rows are changed and the shuttle passed through again.

 

 

This gentleman was combining these cones of cotton together.

 

 

It is even printed on the local chocolate wrappers. This chocolate has a hard, crumbly texture and it does not melt!

Kente cloth is usually worn for ceremonies, festivals and other sacred occasions. 

It is also given as gifts for weddings, graduations and other special events.

Women wear the cloth in 2 pieces - 1 piece about 2 metres long and approximately 120 centimetres wide is wrapped round the waist to form a floor-length skirt worn over a blouse specially sewn in plain material. The other Kente piece is either hung loosely over the arm or used as a shawl or stole. Men wear the one piece cloth in much the same way as the 'Toga' was worn by the ancient Greeks.     On the way home we saw camels that had come from Burkino Faso.  We have not found out when they had come or for what purpose.     We managed to find Buddy a chew-bone in Kumasi which is not half as much fun as my arm but does serve the purpose.       Ian Crawford had been a number of times to us and we decided to go and visit him and the Jatropha plantation in Yegi where he is working. In one of the villages a gentleman was selling this smoked grass cutter and when we asked the price he said 65 Cedis which amount to approximately R325! The farmers have nowhere convenient to dry their yams and cassava, so end up placing the cut pieces on the small tar road that runs near their plot.    We made toasties under the biggest and shadiest tree we could find in the plantation. After the braai we drove along the edge of the Volta dam. Emma and Hannah standing on the edge of the lake.  We tried to go to a place as remote as possible where there were not too many people. Travelling in Ian's vehicle were Deon and Emma and suddenly the left hand side of their vehicle sank.   In Ghana there are spots of sinking sand.  It is dry on the top and with any pressure from above, the thick crust gives way and underneath is soft runny mud. If one stands on the ground it is like walking on a firm sponge.  The vehicles at Porks' work often end up sinking even during this dry season. As you can see, there is nothing in the sand to give any indication of the consistency other than its slightly darker soil.        We had a small rope in our vehicle but pulling it out was impossible.   As we were watching the tyres were sinking lower and lower in the ground. Gradually the local villagers started coming to see what was happening. More and more people arrived.     Soon there were dozens of people watching the afternoon's entertainment.   After much consultation, these Ghanaians who probably have never owned their own vehicle, managed to get children to bring hoes from nearby houses and worked at digging the soft soil away from the tyres.    "Bring rocks now!" or something to that effect was shouted by the largest man because even before his bark had died down, without questioning, the children ran around gathering the stones lying around and made a quick pile.   After digging and placing some of the gathered rocks behind the tyres, approximately eight Ghanaians lifted the vehicle while Ian reversed and with ease the truck was free.    Success!   Celebration. They were thrilled that they had managed to be of assistance and we asked them to pose for a  photo.   Then I threw my hands up in the air and they copied me.   How humbling!  Those who have so little, give so much!