Looking Back to December 2014

Day One: December 15,  Kumasi

        A year has gone since these events so it's time to catch up on some good times that failed to get posted. Six couples were heading to the north of Ghana during the middle of December 2014. We got permission from President Heid and headed off. There were the Watsons and the Calls, the Packs and the Cannons and us and the Wildes. As with anything relating to distance here in Ghana it always takes longer than you expect because of bad roads and too much traffic. We made our first day's journey as far as Kumasi. This is the sight of another one of the four missions in Ghana, now presided over by President and Sister Cosgrave, who were back in Utah at this time and waiting to return to Ghana in July of 2015 and the mission that our friends from the MTC, the Brinks, are assigned to, though they are even farther to the north in Tamale. Looks like tamale, our Spanish word, and yes, I would love some tamales right now, but is ta-ma-lay. Only three more months until Mexican food.

Following trucks piled high.

The trees here have amazing trunks.

Always following black carbon. Don't talk to me about emission control.

Some interesting churches along the way.

         In the villages fruits and vegetables that are not grown locally are brought in by semis and then dumped in piles by the side of the road. I don't know how anyone knows how much is theirs and how they pay for their goods. It's an interesting custom.

A Truck full of Plantains

It's always fun to see how people perch on trucks.

We stayed at a new hotel called the Golden Bean.

Wades, Wildes, Canons, Calls, Watsons, & Packs

        The afternoon in Kumasi took us to the Arts and Crafts Cultural Center. They have demonstrations of weaving, batik making, pottery making, drum making and other crafts native to Ghana. It was late in the day so we missed most of the actual demonstrations but we got the idea.

Gorgeous hand weaving

Gathering in the batik that had been drying in the sun.

More batik.

Batik printing blocks.

Pottery kiln.

The Wildes

The Packs

Mothers and babies passing through the market.

Ghana is one large sidewalk sale.

Kumasi streets like anywhere in Ghana, full of vendors and interesting sights.

        That was our day from Accra to Kumasi on our way to Mole.