Ghana 14 Anyone for POLO

Please don't ask me where time goes. It just flys by. Here you wake up at the beginning of the week and blink. Monday starts and before you know it, wham  !!! its gone. Open your eyes again and its Saturday. Scary.


This weekend I did find a few extra moments. Time indeed, yes I did find some, to go shopping, my least favourite activity but I needed a new dinner jacket. Finding that in Accra was a feat in its self. But we managed after going into about 5 tailor shops. We found one that not only had the gear but also a seamstress to get a good fit. Excellent. While out shopping we also passed a couple of stalls in the Mall selling local dresses etc. not much but added to the local colour and general atmosphere.

Got home, tried it on and had a quick strum, in the suit.....

Later attended a Polo game. That was the sum total of our weekend.






Never been to a polo game. In fact I am not keen on horses. But this event was in our compound.  It should be a bit of a give away staying in a place called Polo court. In fact our apartment over looks the compound swimming pool which backs onto a tennis court and the the pitch. (assume thats the correct terminology "pitch" !!!).

We waited and waited for things to start. Sat and had a drink in the club house. Waiting again.... Lots of people on horses hitting a little white ball I think as a practise. Clever stuff. And we watched and waiting.  And waiting.  Eventually we were told the game was postponed till next week due to the light showers.






So will report back with an update on the Polo next week. Assuming it does not rain......

Ghana 13 Road Trip Accra to Kamasi

Big Map.  Big Trip.


On Sunday I went to Kamasi.  About 500 kilometers round trip. Slow roads.  Left at 06.30 and got back about 007.30pm. I had a driver and I was still tired just sitting in the car. A 8-9 hours on the road.


I can hear you ask. "Why did I go ?"


"Well, Kumasi is the homeland, centre for the Ashanti Kingdom and this forms a main part of Ghana cultural life for most people. There are others tribes but these  guys are the tops... I know as they keep telling me.".  But thats not the reason I went.

The real reason to go was very simple. Issac, the guy who sold me the model robot, well, he lives up there.  I decided to go see  him and get my toy fixed. So up I went, I spent about 3 hours with him. So helpful. He and Ann-Marie his colleague both electrical engineers,  got me sorted in only a few minutes..... Well nearly, say 5!!!!!!  If I was left to my own devices I'd still be up there fixing the first line of programming....

Got my lessons and even got my robot working with blue tooth on my phone. Cool or what......

Then back to Accra. early night ready for another day in the office on Monday....

So photos wise I only go a few shots off in the car. Quite amazing the number of street hawkers selling everything from fruit and veg to car windscreen wipers to sponges etc.  If you hang around long enouh you can get it all. There was even one guy selling walking sticks !!!!!

Good journey, reasonably safe in the travelling in car sence. Road side hamburger joints ok. Yes they do have local hamburger stalls. All good.

The road sides are crammed with sellers in each village then wide open roads. All in all agood day out.

Ghana 12 Railway

Finally got my photo of  the train which passes by my office each morning at 6.42am...... Lovely colours of the Ghana Flag.  5 carriages and normally only a few people on it.  Got a few waves as they went past. It only does two trips a day.  Tema Port to Accra main staton in the morning and then back again in the evening.  Only 20 minutes each way   !!!!!  I also think the pedestrian crossing sign is a bit misleading !


Anyway done.........tick in the box    ✔ 😎
 

Ghana 11 Art and Craft Market

Well time is flying by.  Only got till end of October when my contract is up. I need to see what I can of Ghana before departing. Talking to the guys in the office there is a lot of see and do.  Accra has a reputation for being the liveliest city for nightlife in Africa.  I can believe it for when you walk round even in the day time, here is a sense of music and rhythm everywhere. On the way to work we pass several beach side night clubs which are still thumping out music as I'm going to work.  And that is at 5.30am!!!!!

So putting aside the night life as I could not party all night and then go to work I decide to list out a lot of to dos. List to follow, which I plan to "tick off" over the coming few weekends.

But for today Saturday I decided to leave work early and visit the Arts and Crafts centre. Plan was to have a quick walk about and buy myself an African drum... Well I achieved both.

The Art and Craft centre is a sad place, very dusty and lacking in customers. So a sort of very dilapidated and subdued place. That as you can imagine encourages everyone to come and talk to you and ask "Hey Brother from another Mother"   And yes they do say that !!!!! Corny or what ?
'
Then comes the sales pitch with "where you from"...... "lovely country etc etc".  "Followed by please visit my stall. Me I'm a painter/Musician/Tailor/Craftsman/Carver of wood/jeweler"  fill in the blanks and they have the same speak.

Its good and bad.  Good as they are keen but bad. Good as they are after business, bad as they need to learn new lines and get a bit more real.  Its very noticeable there are only the few (I spotted 3 white/tourist persons ) in the whole place.  And nothing is priced....  My poor driver is between a  rock and a hard place.  If he helps me I'm happy but if he does then his "Brothers from the same Mother" ride him hard.......  Corny expression for sure.  And they have already got me using it here twice !!!!!!

One of the photos shows a couple of people carrying clothing on their heads.  I think this is for local purchase. Sort of mobile cloths shop.....

There is also an advert for Tattoos but I decided to give that a miss...

Anyway that's one place I've got off my to do list.......

The Drum