Ghana 32 with a touch to Thai Loy Krathong

Hi,  Cut out a few web page bits on Loy Krathong from the web, as they explain the origins better than me.

As Thai festivals go, Loy Krathong is probably the second most well-known and popular after the new year Songkran festivities. It is also arguably the most picturesque and romantic, filling waterways and skies up and down the country with floating krathong and lanterns

Like many such festivals, there are several tales as to the history of Loy Krathong, which takes place on the night of the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, usually in November. In 2018 Loy Krathong is on Thursday November 22, while celebrations will also take place on the days before and after. While the most common story is that the festival originated in the era during which Sukhothai was the capital of what is now Thailand, other writings suggest that it came about in the early days of the Bangkok period as a way of honouring the Buddha. Small floating vessels known as krathong, released on rivers, lakes and ponds, contain a candle used to pay respect to the Buddha, while the floating nature of the krathong itself symbolises letting go of hatred and anger.

Certainly this is a theme of Loy Krathong that remains today – couples or families floating their krathong hope that, in so doing, they will wish away the bad things that have happened in the past year and usher in good fortune for the next year. For this reason, those celebrating Loy Krathong will often place a few fingernail or hair clippings on the krathong when they float it away. Another purpose to the Loy Krathong festival is to pay respect to the river spirits, and specifically Phra Mae Khongkha, the Goddess of Water, and therefore a few small coins are usually nestled into the krathong along with the nail and hair clippings.

But there the similarity ends.  Last night Wanna and I went up to the roof top swimming pool.  Yes pool,   no running water, except for the pool filter..................  It was a bit windy so getting the candles lit was a challenge in itself.

Wanna conducted ceremonies and I spend a good 15 minutes in dark and not so warmish but cool water.  Lovely evening. Good use of the roof top pool.

With full moon.....

Ghana 31

No excuse. Absolutely none.  Been so busy and have not made any effort to record any of it.

Where to start.  We've been to Akosomo in the North East of Ghana.  Day trip to the river.  Took the drone.  All excited to do some flying. Drone was fine I had forgot to charge the phone......We had been up there before and enjoyed a good trip and some good food. So same again.

Last week Genevieve came out for a week. So not excuse i need to do some of the things we keep saying we will. Had a Ghana lunch buffet at Azmara Restaurant PRESS HERE  Lovely.  For buffet they first show you all the dishes. About 40.....  So you can imagine we had a good time.

Then next evening we followed  this up by, so we are lead to believe one of the very est restaurant in Ghana. Simrit PRESS HERE  Ethiopian food. Delicious. Cannot say more..... except that we will be going back again soon.

Then last weekend we went to Cape Coast.  What a difference to Accra.

It is famous for the castles. And it was one, if not the main area infamous for the slave trade. Cape Coast Castle still stands and is a tribute to mans  inhumanity to man.  I've never been to any of the concentration camps in Germany but I did once to to the Bridge of the river Kwae and death railway. I cried.  More so as I knew someone who had been through it all. At the river were loads of graves for those who lost their lives. Here in Cape Coast those slaves not strong enough to travel to the Caribbean and just died were thrown into the sea. That was it. Quite a surreal experience going round having a guide explaining every thing.

In fact everything about the trip was surreal.  I had booked the cheapest hotel I could find. It was on the beach and very basic. But fun.  They tried so hard to help us. We did need to ask for a towel. And we got one.  Yes one !!!!! We had a strange room with two sleeping areas and an en-suite bathroom.  Thats fine but the soap had clearly been left by the last occupants. It was  late when we finally got settled in ready for bed.  none of us wanted a shower, perhaps due to surroundings.... hehehe but which as it turns out was a good thing.  There was tap water but no shower water.  Clearly a plumbing problem or work in progress. The fans worked on a two way switch which were not synchronized.  It was real faulty towers stuff. We laughed and laughed.  Lot of fun. We did find a reasonable restaurant for dinner and beach bar pumping out loud music etc so all in all a fantastic weekend.  Would I go back.  Yes and soon.

Ghana 30

Post 30. Hardly a landmark in the scheme of things and I've already spent 1 year in Accra.  Not much of a record in terms of blogging is it ? One post every 2 weeks...... What have I been doing that is so important that I did not have time to record it.... Clearly not a lot!

Life here seems to take on a sort of humdrum state. I think its called groundhog day. I get up most days around 4.30 am,  yes 4.30 am to get ready for work. Then work from 6.00 am till around 4.00 pm or sometimes later I'm there in the office or on the job site. Finishing early is difficult. Its compounded/extended when the Clients Project Manager asks if "would I like a beer on the way home ?".  And this is not only a regular occurrence but also frequent !!!!  Hard to say no and as you know I also have little will power on these things....That normally completed the day. Then there is always tomorrow.....

Today I woke up, to a new Tuesday.  And for once decided I did not want to go to work.  I had been up all night with a bad stomach.  I think 100% due to the poor cooking of the sausages at the weekend. My cooking. My health hazard.  In fact my fault entirely.  But as I sit here now relaxing between toilet runs I am quite enjoying the "non work" day....  Have not bothered to look at any of the emails on my office laptop and instead have enjoyed doing nothing.... I must be honest the idea of retirement is finally beginning to look attractive.

But I will not retire.  Just change roles.  I have for some time wanted to run a guest house.  Not just anyone's guest house but my own.  So for the last year I have been sitting on the fence wondering shall I or shall I not.... Well finally I am moving on.  Quotes due on next week then visiting the bank and getting the thing rolling along. La Digue has hundreds of guest houses so will it work. For sure.  I look at it in a very simple way. If there are 10 hamburger shops on the high street then there is room for one more.... Simple economics.  In fact I am getting quite excited.  Down side for me is that my old house has to go. Perhaps it will fall down before I need to demolish it....Quite likely.  We'll see.

I've got a good idea to import the whole package form South Africa and then get on with it. I have roughly 12 months left to complete here in Accra.  That's at least another 30 postings..... Then my next life begins.

Few visitors but............

Just discovered how to make my post multi lingual.  Not that I get many views but....

So if you do read this please on the clever gadget. Please let me know how it translates into your language.

Thanks.

Link on top right hand side....

1 Month today since last post

1 month today since last post.  Not that there has been nothing to write about. Just the usual lazy me.  There is heaps that has been going on.  Been working and things going really well on that front. Been on holiday back to Seychelles. Now back in Accra.  You can see from the new Blog top photo.  Life in the fast lane.... Seychelles in particular being in and around La Digue tends to bring out the slower pace of life in ones inner self.....

Tortoise are great creatures.  Just seem to lumber along and eat. Leave a bit of a pong behind I might add. I think I could learn from them. Stop running and being the Hare...... Perhaps I should think a bit more on this last sentence !!!!!!!

We had 10 days in Seychelles now back in Accra. Time well spend.  Caught up with a lot of people and also had time so see my architect for the new house plans etc. More on that later. So time well spend indeed.  What else did we do. ate and relaxed. That's was the sum total of it all.  So a few photos to show island life....

Something else.  Jane a friend of mine in Thailand writes a regular Blog.  By regular I mean frequently. Often filled with simple observations on day to day life. Gives a really good insight to things.  I notice I leave stuff for too long and then play catch up. Need to take leaf out of her Blog (pun intended) and learn from her.  So Jane if you are reading this take note. And Thanks. I do observe occasionally.