Left my new home-away-from-home after a really nice stay… where else can you get your blood pressure taken for free? Except in a home-away-from-home? There is a sign in the front lobby ‘Free Blood Pressure Tests’. Being Miss Curious i asked the young Man about this and he said in Ghana people don’t go and get checked so the hotel decided to offer this precaution.. wow, very cool.. I didn’t get mine done as i am sure i am as cool as a cucumber can be in 200 degree weather!
And i had something else after 7 nights in a row … they created a delicious sphagehetti for me with this very spicy tomato sauce and vegetables … mmmmm! It was heavenly not to eat rice and eggs!!
On the road to Kumasi .. two things i noted: how gorgeous Ghana is and how crazy the road traffic is! I got Dela to stop to try and show you the beauty but it just doesn’t come across. When i usually come in February/March the Harmattan winds have been blowing red dust over everything … so everything looks drab and slightly red. And a double whammy the dry season is when Ghana starts burning Nature down … I can sort of slightly kinda understand it now that i have seen the overwhelming lushness and vigouressness of Nature at its most prolific time… it is just so green and there are vines growing over huge trees … the huge trees are in bloom with wonderful purple, pink, red flowers … and it all smells so wonderful especially when you can smell the rain coming. And the green is so fresh and verdant … washed clean. A glorious time to see Ghana…
And the road traffic … i have conceded to Dela that Ghana has bigger and more enormous and more prolific potholes than Quebec … and i think that is conceding a lot!!! And these enormous, car eating holes have created a crazy kind of driving… Cars don’t drive along one side keeping to its side and vice versa … oh no … you will have one side completely veered over into the oncoming traffic to avoid potholes to the point if you are the oncoming traffic you have to veer completely over to the very unaccomadationg shoulder!!! Sometimes you will have cars 4 abreast navigating potholes … all of them keeping a sharp eye out for oncoming traffic but usually ignoring them and the pedestrians … I think the only thing that save the drivers is they ALL know it is a free for all and to never expect the other to respect any kind of rule!!! I am convinced we have so many traffic accidents and run over so many pedestrians and bikes is because we actually drive as if there ARE RULES … Here there are NONE… so no one is FOOLED!! Needless to say i sit in the passenger seat braced with my foot firmly on the brake!! Good thing i am not driving!
We arrived in one of the most chaotic cities i know: Kumasi … After parking my luggage at my home-away-from- home here (looks a bit under the weather with the wear and tear) and off we go to visit the Kofrofrom guys … This is the Brass Village where awesome Artisans create beads and findings out of metal … Ghana, when are you going to recognize your Treasures? Before leaving, Bano a natural leader amongst the Artisans and i had communicated through Messenger … He had got the men working before i arrived so they had lots to show me! … All looks good and tomorrow we will start the process of Trading!!
Back to the hotel … after a ride through the Wild West on our Broncos …(translation: the road is SO bad we were 4 abreast riding and jouncing around like crazy people) ….
Sitting under cover, eating my pizza and drinking my cold beer the Rain came pouring down for a brief half hour … very pleasant to hear, see and smell !!