We were all up early and raring to go …. Koforidua was ahead. …. and the Bead Market which is probably one of the biggest in West Africa… It always thrills me to go there..
We set off without breakfast along the washed out roads … not really roads at all but packed down red earth with ruts and pots holes all over … The road is so packed down it is lower than the little enterprises that line the roads. Dela and I had a lively discussion about this. He feels roads should be FOR cars ONLY and the villages should be off the road. And I noted that in Canada where the roads ARE simply FOR cars how sterile this has made our world … Here in Ghana, people gravitate to the hubs where people travel through building little enterprises all along the roads. And around these little enterprises villages emerge. Here you drive along and you literally drive through a teeming, thriving ‘mall’ where people are living out their working days right out there among all their peers. Cars, though they try hard to pretend to be number one, are kept firmly in their place by the sheer numbers of vital, breathing humans. Aaah! The total beauty and wonder of it all…. In Dela’s dream world roads would be this black tarmac that just stretches for miles … So many of us know this as reality and with this reality comes the huge psychotic corporations that sells clothes for nothing and makes fortunes for so few… Here every single person has the same opportunity as their neighbour …. one sells his neighbour oranges, and his neighbour sells him car parts and his other neighbour sells him tailor made clothes and his neighbour’s neighbour sells him …. I guess this is the dilemma of the modern world – what is more important man or machine??
We went by a woman selling bananas … ‘hey, Dela, bananas would be good!!’ screeeeech… he stops the car and backs up.. and we get our bananas right outside our windows.. They were sooo delicious. I couldn’t help but say ‘yum, those were definitely organic and biological :)’ Next… he sees (ok i am not sure of the spelling here but…) bufflooos … (that’s what it sounds like!) They are like big donut balls – mmmm! Basically balls of sweet dough fried like a donut. Quite yummy. All that was missing was a coffee..
We showed Lisa the gigantic termite mounds .. there were quite a few just before the low mountains that you need to go through to get to Koforidua.. the roads here are quite turning and twisting and not a good place to stop. It was too bad cause i saw one termite mound that was very active with gigantic flying termites! I mean i always imagined they would be huge but wow!
…. a gigantic termite hill that had been abandoned by the side of the highway …
… the beautiful, mellow African countryside on the way to Koforidau
We had our coffee in Koforidua ….
After fortifying ourselves with coffee, tea and a stop at the bank we went off to the bead market!
It was really like coming back home … so many traders were saying ‘ Hey, long time! Where have you been? Welcome!’ It felt so nice to see so many familiar faces …
Needless to say the next hours were spent in rapt attention!
… beads fit for a KIng!!
…. bead stalls at Koforidau Market
…. proud Trader in his shop!!
…. so many beads
After a fruitful but extremely hot day at the market we were so excited at the idea of staying at a hotel with a pool and slipping into the fresh water …we were imagining our bodies cooling down about 100 degrees ….and arriving all eager at the pool’s edge …. only to be told that, sorry, we couldn’t go swimming as they had just put chlorine in the pool!!!! But, but …. no buts in Ghana you are told. This is what is and you have to go along with it …. But, but, but.
….. doesn’t it look inviting?