Another Day in Kantia
Last night I was awokened by a tremendous wind which sounded like a hurricane. I got up and went to the window. Trees were bent to the ground andgrasses were waving. Then came lightning and thunder. That went on for a while and finally rain came. It was amazing, exactly what you imagination tells you a tropical storm should look and sound like. The rain continued into this morning which was cool and breezy. It finally stopped around noon, and the sun is back which means so is the sweating (oops perspiring).
Bea, one of my students, made kelewele for me, a plaintain dish, and my favorite Ghanaian food. I had it for dinner the other night. There I was sitting on the porch hearing roosters and the voices of the children speaking FraFra and eating kelewele with my hand. It is another world.
Today we drove by churches, and I could hear the singing. I saw women walking along the side of the road dressed in Sunday clothes, traditional long dresses made of Ghanaian cloth, colorful and beautiful. Men wore shirts of Ghanaian cloth or suits and ties. Small girls and small boys were miniature versions of their parents. I got a chuckle at the idea that even in Ghana kids are forced into Sunday clothes for mass.
We went to Navrongo yesterday. The road to there is one of my favorite. Along parts of it are huge trees overhanging and shadowing the road. Small girls sit by the side and sell oranges or tomatoes or Guinea fowl eggs. As you pass a village, chickens, goats and baby Guinea fowl run across the road in front of you. Cows with ropes around their necks wander. They had broken their tethers. The corn and millet are high, close to harvesting. The rain will last this month more and maybe small time into October. Here there is only one growing season while the south has two.
I am happy and doing well. My students are forcing me to eat more than fruits and salads by cooking for me so I am being well taken care of here. No worries!
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Africa, Ghana, Guineafowl, kelwele, Navrongo, plantain
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September 2, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Not so different from here then, we too have goats and cows walking on the roads early in the morning 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’m rather tired of it by now so every time I drive pass that farm I honk the horn for as long as possible 🙂 🙂 🙂
Drizzling here almost all day so that’s quite similar as well 🙂 but no impressing thunderstorms though, that season is most probably over by now.
Great that they are taking care of You 🙂
Have a great continuing of Your trip!
Christer.
September 4, 2012 at 7:20 am
Christer,
I figure what is different is probably the Guinea fowl. Many of the small goats lie in the middle of the road and take their time getting out of the way.
Thanks-I am really enjoying the journey.
September 2, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Sounds wonderful– keep having a great time.
Waving,
Lori
September 4, 2012 at 7:20 am
Waving back and saying good morning!
September 2, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Hi Kat,
Not drizzling here but every now and then there’s a stray raindrop.
What is in kelewele besides plantain?
September 4, 2012 at 7:22 am
Hi Caryn,
Kelewele is ginger, onion and red pepper which have been ground to a paste then mixed with the plantain which is cut small then deep fried. It is a finger food!
September 2, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Sounds like you are having a great time. Thanks for keeping us abreast of your adventure. I would love to hear more about the local cuisine. Has Ghana been invaded by MacDonalds and KFC? Is there still a country where Walmart does not exist? 🙂
September 4, 2012 at 7:23 am
Bob,
Nope, no Walmart, and I don’t know about McDonalds but there are restaurants which have burgers and fries on the menu. There is even a restaurant here which serves pizza.
Mostly I have been eating Ghanaian food.
September 3, 2012 at 9:28 am
Is “awokened” a real word (lol)? I think you have been in Ghana too long: “the rain will last small time into October” sounds typical Ghanaian.
When we lived in Bolga, most of the time there was little or no vegetation, so your description of tall millet is hard to remember for us. If the recent storm was strong enough to blow over trees, imagine what it did to some of the villagers’ home, especially thatched roofs.
Where is the internet cafe you are writing from? Have you been back to BOGISS this year? Is the gov. resthouse finighed yet?
September 4, 2012 at 7:29 am
Bill,
I have seen about 5 or 6 Peace Corps volunteers. It was last on the two market days. They are all in small villages and come to the big city for shopping. The rest of the time I am with Ghanaians, and I have easily fallen into Ghana-speak.
The millet was always high in the rainy season. Think of the field behind our house. You could barely see the compound there during the rainy season. There is also corn and sorghum which grow high like millet. The sorghum is for the pito.
The catering rest house has yet to be finished but there are rooms available. This is a new internet cafe just beyond the post office, Another one, a cheaper one, is at the old Hotel d’Bull. I like this one because it is cool though I understand the other one is too but it wasn’t on Sunday when I was there.
I haven’t been to BOGISS yet.
September 3, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Big, cool animals……Maggie and I hit the road, pushed around in a cart in Home Depot and finishing at the car wash. A perfect morning for the terrier.
A croc or something please
September 4, 2012 at 7:30 am
My Dear Hedley,
The crocs are at the sacred pond in Paga. I was there last year and paid for the chicken the croc ate when it came out of the water. I will be heading to the monkey preserve but not Mole, the game park.
Poor Gracie stuck at home envying Maggie!
September 3, 2012 at 1:24 pm
with only one growing season I guess their limited on ttheir cooking receipes? Probably simple ones at that. I sskould like a psot of maybe one of your favorites from their cusine
September 4, 2012 at 7:31 am
morpfy,
When I get home, I will post a few for you. I know what goes into the food but I don’t know the proportions.
September 4, 2012 at 7:32 am
morpfy,
Birgit has a link to a recipe below.
September 3, 2012 at 2:18 pm
Even the rain is more interesting in Ghana … 😉
It’s fun to follow and look up infos and photos on the web. The long dresses are beautiful and the women I saw radiate pride and dignity.
This is the most detailed and spiced Kelewele recipe I could find, but you are the expert!
http://betumiblog.blogspot.de/2011/06/king-of-kelewele-recipe-53.html
Unfortunately I don’t like plantains, at least not the small unripe ones we can get over here.
September 4, 2012 at 7:33 am
Birgit,
The plantains have to be so ripe they are black to make kelewele. I buy them at home and keep them a longtime before I make it.
The rains here are spectacular. I love them back when and even more now.
The dresses are beautiful!
September 3, 2012 at 10:28 pm
So glad to hear of you travels, it is truly like being there with you a bit every time. Thank you so much for sharing this with us back home.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
September 4, 2012 at 7:33 am
splendid,
I am loving writing my travelog!