funerals. nature walk and small things

Day 93.

Traveling on Saturdays is always a trip because in Ghana, Saturday is reserved for funerals. On a short trip (outside of Accra), you are likely to see at least one funeral, and on longer trips, it is not uncommon to see four or five. Funerals in Ghana, though largely Christian ceremonies, incorporate cultural elements that would never be see in the States. In America, people generally wear black to a funeral; in Ghana, people wear the most amazing fabric, a dark slightly shiny black with brown adinkra symbols or white with small black patterns, both with red accents. Older men simply wrap the cloth around them. Women have it made into outfits with a long skirt and matching top. A funeral can be spotted from a mile away because hundreds of people attend every one. Another difference is that during a part of the ceremony, the casket is carried by people though the streets as friends and family members crowd around clapping, singing, dancing. Unlike at home where funeral ceremonies are centered around mourning the dead person, in Ghana, funerals truly are a celebration of life.

Saturday (and exactly three months since I left): Day trip with Carm to Boti Falls in the Eastern Region. Nature hike with a guide named Frank: descended a rainforest valley emerging into a partial cave that was once the home of the natives of Koforidua, climbed vertically arriving in a savannah landscape, relaxed in the shade of Umbrella Rock eating fresh coconut, followed by small children to the three-trunked palm tree, sat on a stone that is thought to make the sitter the bearer of twins (I sat on it twice, thought it might reverse the first time, but maybe I’m having quadruplets), swam in the pool below Boti falls. It rained.

Small things:

All the women here have fake hair. Sometimes it falls out and single braids are found disembodied on the side of the road (Andrew: gross right?).

Because they all have fake hair, the women change their hairstyles monthly, sometimes making it impossible to recognize your friends.

People here sweep all day long. If there is 100 leaves they sweep. If there are 10 leaves they sweep. If there is one leaf they sweep.

My new favorite meal is banku with pepe. Banku is a traditional Ghanaian dish made from cassava and corn that essentially tastes like unbaked sourdough bread. Pepe is a combination of tomatoes, peppers, and onions – spicy. No utensils allowed.

It is so hot now that I don’t even leave the room in the morning before I start sweating.

Last night I realized that I am really going to miss Ghana.