Tourist Sites

"Only when you have crossed the river can you say the crocodile has a lump on his snout"
- Ashanti Proverb

- - -

Although my primary purpose for being in Ghana in July was to teach at Senchi Ferry Methodist School each day, our group was free to explore on evenings and weekends. We spent most evenings eating and resting, but on weekends we formed into groups, hired cars or vans and hit the road!

- - -

A dancer in New Akrade, Ghana performs on a stage at the outdoor community center

- - -

I spent most of my time in the various towns I visited - Akosombo, Kumasi, Accra - wandering through twisting city streets and exploring markets selling everything from vegetables to textiles. That doesn't mean that I didn't get to explore museums and cultural sites, but to be honest, I found just wandering the streets and chatting with people at the market more interesting.

- - -

Our first week a few of us headed 25 minutes by van north of Senchi to Akosombo and the local market. It only runs on Monday and Thursday, but is the primary shopping opportunity for people in the area. I had only been in Ghana for a few days, and found the Akosombo Marekt little overwealming - the crowds, mud, variety, the flies... In hindsight I am glad I started with this small regional market instead of plunging first into the swirl of Makola Market in Accra!

When I was in Ghana I always asked permission before photographing anyone, and initially had very little luck in getting people to agree. The more local language I learned and the more time I spend chatting with people BEFORE asking permission to photograph them, the better my conversion rate was. One time I asked a market woman if I could photograph her and she said "so you want to take my picture and take it back to America with you and leave me here? Why don't you just take me with you - that will be much better!" Touche!

The approach to Akosombo Market - part of it was paved with permanent stalls, but most was muddy and informal

- - -

A muddier view of the market - women in Ghana carry everything on their heads, regardless of bulk or weight

- - -

Second hand clothing for sale - on closer inspection, much of it appears to be from North America

- - -

A woman sells a common local delicacy - smoked fish caught in the nearby Volta River

- - -

I found this tabloid poster wall interesting - a crowd was gathered around to see photos and read a bit about Michael Jackson - yep, even in the interior of Ghana it was a big story... Also depicted are shocking photos of the wealth and punishment of "Sakawa", or mobsters/con men who have become rich through organized crime

- - -

Ghana is famous for many things - Kente Cloth, High-Life music, Ashanti Culture - and on a few occasions we were able to explore a little of each.

Another shot of a dancer in New Akrade

- - -

- - -

The Jr. High HIV club does a skit on how to avoid the dreaded disease - there was a whole assembly dedicated to music, dance and drama to further HIV/AIDS education

- - -

The HIV Club Poetry contest!

- - -

A Senchi Ferry student in traditional dress dances at the HIV Club assembly

- - -

Our second weekend in Ghana a couple of us (Jeanne, India, Emily and I) hired a car and set out for the ancient Ashanti Capital of Kumasi. Although only about 150 miles away, because of the roads (occasionally excellent, but more frequently pot-holed or gravel) it took us close to six hours to get to our B&B in Kumasi.

- - -

Our B&B in Kumasi, the Four Villages. Your home away from home in Kumasi!
http://www.fourvillages.com/

Even though it took a long time, I enjoyed the drive very much. There was so much to look at - the least being the diversity of the jungle sliding by, full of large and dramatic trees, the occasional baboon. What was most interesting were the glimpses into the life of local Ghanaians. Whenever we drove into a village we would slow way down to make our way over the ubiquitous "speed-bumps" and we all got a look at village life - the busy carrying, buying, selling and socializing that seemed to go on unabated all day and into the evening. As we drove accross the country from east to west we would drive through areas where different products where available for sale on the side of the road - bright orange palm oil in gallon plastic jugs in one area, sugar-cane in another, abundant fruit and vegetables in another.

- - -

I am fascinated by the trees in Ghana - so many unfamiliar species, and so big!

- - -

Cow Crossing - they had baboon crossings too, but I didn't get a photo

- - -

Once we got into Kumasi the traffic thickened up and the hawkers started to appear at stop-lights. One could buy hot food, drinks, soap, you name it, and all from the window of your car!

- - -

Kumasi is the center of the ancient Ashanti Kingdom, and although the Capital is Accra on the coast, Kumasi is described by many sources as the cultural capital of Ghana and the Akan people. The Ashanti Kingdom traces its roots to 1670, when a collection of local tribes banded together. Ashanti history invests a great deal of importance in the story of the "Golden Stool" which is the divinely inspired throne of this matrilineal society. The Ashanti were one of the few groups in Africa that put up a serious fight against European colonial powers.

The Ashanti Kingdom, which also fought wars with the Fante and Ga people of Ghana, had upwards of 100,000 soldiers, making it more powerful even that the Zulus of East Africa. From 1823 to 1900, the British fought four wars with the Ashanti and it was only in 1900 that the interior area around Kumasi was incorporated into the British Gold Coast colony. Bottom-line: the Ashanti were tough, and even in colonial times, the British never trained Ashanti warriors to join the British colonial army for fear they would apply their military skills and rebel. One of the most interesting places we visited in Kumasi was the Colonial Fort and Military museum which had everything from African weapons captured in the 19th century, British Colonial photographs, German, Japanese and Italian weapons captured around Africa during World War One and Two, and even an old Bradley tank left behind by the Americans!

We toured around Kumasi to explore "cultural sites", but I quickly slipped off on my own to explore Kejetia Market, which is touted as one of the largest in West Africa.

- - -

On my way to the market, I made my way through various neighborhoods

- - -

Although I only scraped the surface of Kejetia, I was able to get a sense of its scale on this quiet Sunday morning

- - -

This woman was selling cooked eggs in spicy tomato sauce and found my attempt at Twi - her language - hilarious

- - -

I am told one can buy just about anything at Kejetia Market, and I sure saw lots of stuff!

- - -

In a poor country like Ghana very little is wasted - here used bike parts are for sale

- - -

Motor-bike repair shop in the muslim quarter in Kumasi

- - -

A cobbler if your sole is in need of some work

- - -

The Sunday that I visited Kejetia most of what was for sale was food and produce

- - -

This woman - named Ama - took some convincing, but I finally got her to smile

- - -

This woman - also named Ama interestingly enough - was all smiles and giggles until it was time to shoot, then she posed in a rather serious manner. When I met her she had her box on her head, navigating the crowd, selling bread

- - -

One evening after tutoring, we had the chance to visit a nearby bead factory (Cedi Beads) that designed and produced Krobo-style beads from recycled glass. Although an ancient art form utilizing various materials, in the past century, discarded beverage bottles have become the most common raw material at Cedi.

Raw material

- - -

An artisan prepares molds for liquid glass by "painting" them with colorizing agents

- - -

Glass bottles are melted down and placed in molds to create beads

- - -

After they are removed from the kiln, they are allowed to cool

- - -

Another view of the kiln area

- - -

After cooling, the beads are removed from the molds

- - -

and polished in a stone basin

- - -

Bead molds and finished beads on display

- - -

A pile of the finished product - rough, but beautiful

- - -

Traditional beads - painted with colorizing agents before being fired

- - -

Plenty to buy in the gift shop!

- - -

Some more delicate painted examples

- - -

A view of the Akosombo Dam and Lake Volta beyond from the Volta Hotel

- - -

The largest public works project in the history of this region, and a source of great national pride for the Ghanaian people is the Akosombo Dam. The dam was built in the early 1960s to power an American built aluminum smelter in nearby Tema, and opened in 1965 creating Lake Volta - the largest man-made lake in the world (8,500 sq/km). The lake covers 3.6% of the land in Ghana and required the resettlement of more than 80,000 people (some in nearby Senchi Ferry New Town). The damn is an internationally controversial subject - leftists would tell you that it is an example of neo-colonialism in that the majority of the project benefits foreign investors, a point of view with which I sympathize, but that said, the project might never been built otherwise. I have many opinions on foreign aid and investment in Africa - more pro-business than many of my comrades might expect - but I shall share these elsewhere...

Where was I? Oh yes - big dam, bigger lake, impressive powerplant, etc. A few of us went up one morning to take a tour. Later that weekend, Emily, Jeanne and I took a bout tour on Lake Volta itself.

- - -

Maureen, India, Shirley and Maria pose with our guides on the dam itself - the southernmost tip of the lake in the background

- - -

Looking down river from the top of the dam

- - -

The turbines leading to the power-plant

- - -

A view of the Dodi Princess docking on Dodi island on Lake Volta. Jeanne, Emily and I took a cruise one day. Not that much to see, but it nice to get out on the water.

- - -

Dodi Island - one of the many in Lake Volta.

- - -

I was surprised at how few boats there were on Lake Volta. I understand that it is restricted to those who live nearby, but in five hours I only saw three or four boats.

- - -

Anne and Peggy pose near one of the entrances to the food portion of Makola Market

- - -

On my last weekend in Ghana we all travelled to the Capital, Accra, for the day in order to catch our early morning flights home. We had a full afternoon to explore the city, and Anne, Peggy and I headed right for Makola Market. Billed as the biggest in West Africa. I couldn't tell if it was bigger or smaller than Kejeta Market in Kumasi, but since I spent at least four hours at Makola, it certainly seemed bigger.

- - -

The crowds in the streets surrounding the market were crowded - not as crowded as say, Stanley Market in Hong Kong, but for Ghana, as busy as it gets!

- - -

A woman sells two varieties of local peppers. One of the best things about Ghanaian food were the spices - hot and lively, but not too hot

- - -

These are actually palm kernels. They are pressed to make palm oil, a local staple

- - -

Fresh crabs

- - -

Although the market area looks spacious enough, most of the action was down very narrow alleys or packed into vast collections of partially covered stalls.

- - -

This fellow's shirt was too white for him to be a butcher - I suspect he just liked posing with entrails

- - -

The African staple crop of cassava. It doesn't taste like much on its own - its like a very bland sweet potato - but serve it with a pepper sauce and subsistence never tasted so good!

- - -

Two women take a break from grinding cassava flour. Note the t-shirt - from some goodwill box in Oregon all the way to Ghana...

- - -

More snails - these ones were big, but not the biggest I saw

- - -

Granted, that is Anne's petit hand, not mine, but it gives you a sense of scale

- - -

The spice grinder

- - -

Household goods of every description

- - -

Small dried fish and shrimp

- - -

Spices and other ingredients

- - -

Bananas and more snails

- - -

Newsstand at Makola Market

- - -

A roasted grass-cutter. This West African delicacy is like cross between a beaver and a rat - quite expensive and much loved.

- - -

A gregarious seller of pig's feet. From Jacksonville, Florida to Beijing, people seem to love their pigs feet....

- - -

Anne and Peggy grew tired of Makola after about an hour, so we split up and I explored deeper into the clothing section on my own. It was amazing - hundreds upon hundreds of small stalls, all selling used clothing, much of it from North America. I was looking for some Obama in Ghana t-shirts, but since it was two weeks after his visit, I couldn't find any. A local guy, led me deep into the market - down back alleys, through underground sweatshops where men sweated over ancient sewing machines, and finally to one stall that still had the shirts I was looking for.

- - -

Imagine this scene going on for hundreds of yards, twisting and turning, the ground under-foot soft with discarded rags

- - -

I did find a few shops with new textiles, and in hindsight I wish I had bought some, but I was so dazed by the variety that I ended up buying almost nothing.

- - -

Although not the Kente cloth that Ghana is most famous for, the selection of textiles was of very high quality

- - -

Buttons galore!

- - -

Finally, on the way to the airport, one of the hundreds of Welcome Obama billboards in Accra

- - -

I had a wonderful time in Ghana and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in exploring Africa, but a bit nervous about how intense it might be. The people in Ghana - both in the capital and the countryside - are wonderful, and will go out of their way to welcome you and help you out if you have lost your way. Certainly a little tip is always a nice gesture, but is rarely, if ever, demanded (except at the airport).

The museums in Accra and Kumasi are limited, and this is not a big tourist country, but the countryside and the people make it worth the 12 hour flight from New York!

- - -

My next stop? Hilary and I are off to Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto in October - look for the Japan blog in November!

It has been awhile since I have created any entries on here - been working away at my new job - but I HAVE to get out of town on occasion...

Last month my girlfriend Hilary and I went on a day trip to Luray, Virginia to go Spelunking!

---

This is a very shallow pond in the caves - the reflection of the formations above give it a sense of depth.

Those of you who live in the Washington, DC area have probably seen the TV spots for Luray Caverns. Although from afar it seems like like a tourist trap, but once you pay your $15 and get underground it is really quite dramatic...

---

Another view

So, what is the difference between a stalagtite and a stalagmite? Here is an easy way to remember: Stalag-tites are "tight" to the ceiling, stalag-mites "might" reach from the floor to the ceiling......

---

This particular formation looks like dripping cake batter!

Created by the slow draining of an inland sea 200-600 million years ago, Luray Caverns was "discovered" by a local tinsmith and photographer in 1878.

---

Ms. Hilary Parkinson in the hole...

---

A vertical tower formation

---

In one portion of the cavern with particularly good acoustics they set up an organ years ago.

A dedicated music lover scoured the cave to test the tone given off when certain stalagtites were struck with a rubber hammer. He designed an organ where the keys are connected to a series of hammers throughout the cave. When it plays the tones echo throughout the cavern...

---

Another view of the organ

---

One of the more impressive columns

---

Stalagtites come in many shapes and sizes - these are "pencil-like"

There were no animals or insects in the cave as it is a sealed system, but there are some creepy characters found in the shadows...

---

For more on the Caverns, visit their website here: http://www.luraycaverns.com/index.html

--

As an added bonus, your ticket to the caves also grants you admission to the transportation museum next door... To be honest, it was kinda creepy...

---

The first wheeled vehicle. I suspect this is a recreation, and not the original....

---

The carriages and cars where cool, but the place was full of creepy manequins to add to the "realism" of the transport museum experience...

---

All the President's initials found on old Ohio license plates - THIS is the kind of thing you didn't know you needed to see until you actually stumbled upon it...

---

Creepy manequin in a fur coat...

---

The creepiest of all creepy manequins...

After a chilly picnic nearby it was back home for another working week... Man, we need a VACATION! (Next stop, the Caribbean!)

The Great Wall of China just outside Beijing - the "Dancing Dragon"...

The Great Wall

by Shen Houjun

Overlooking summits and hilltops from the lofty fortress,

Picturesque view of the landscape takes my breath away.

Praises of the Great Wall are heard far and wide,

A dancing dragon in the starry night.

Looking from here, the sky is lower,

Only steadfast gauge reveals the beauty of this emerald.

Both the nobles and humbles count when the wisest of men is in throne,

Glasses are raised from afar to toast his majestic reign.

---

On our last two days in the Capital we left the meeting rooms of official and corportate Beijing behind and spent our time touring must-see sites in and around town. We had expert guides - Karen and Bo Jin - who took us from place to place, and helped us understand the significance of the cultural treasures of Beijing. We started on Saturday at the Forbidden City, then headed to the Great Wall of China for a hike on the amazing historic structure. On Sunday we visited the Temple of Heaven, the Lama Temple and the Summer Palace. The air quality was not very good the whole time we were in Beijing - it remined me of Los Angeles in the late 80s - but we were told that it was actually pretty good for Beijing... Good photographs require an interesting subject, careful composition and good light. I did my best to achieve the first two, but the light was pretty flat. I hope the dramatic places we visited make your visit to this posting worth while anyway!

---

Constructed in 1420 by the Yongle Emperor, the Forbidden City is made up of 800 buildings with 8,886 rooms and covers 720,000 square metres. It was the home of the Emperor until 1924. Many of you may have seen the film "The Last Emperor" which was the first western production filmed in inside this historic complex.

The entrance to the Forbidden City just north of Tiananmen Square.

The week before we arrived, a vandal attacked the portrait of Chairman Mao pictured above and burned a large portion of it. He was quickly subdued, and apparently a new one was unrolled in its place. They must keep a spare handy for just such an occasion. There were rumors that the Forbidden City was closed to the public, but we could find no official confirmation of this, and when we arrived, it was open. There was no mention of the defacement in the Chinese media and when we shared the fact with our tour guides they said they had heard nothing about it...Note the fire extinguisher in the lower right hand corner of the photo - I bet that is new....

Our group enters the main gate while I bring up the rear:

The complex was the home of the Emperor, and access was strictly limited. As you move deeper inside, you get closer to the private quarters of the Emperor, the Empress and, of course, the concubines... its good to be the King...

The architecture is really breath-taking. Much of the Forbidden City was weathered, but sections were freshly painted. Like the Golden Gate Bridge, once they finish painting it, they start again at the beginning... A freshly painted part - notice the vibrant red:

An close up of the hand painted work on the structure:

A close up of a more weathered section:

I loved the figures on the roof line - presumably similar to the gargoyles found on many European buildings?

Joe and Professor Yang at the Forbidden City

Just to prove I was actually there...Go Sox!

---

Our next stop, about an hour and a half outside Beijing, was a section of the Great Wall of China. This collection of structures was built between the 5th Century BC and the 16th Century AD to protect China from the Mongols to the north. All its sections together run at least 4,000 miles, but rather than a continuous wall, it is a number of seperate and distinct structures built and re-built throughout Chinese history. It was no match for the toughest of invaders though, as the Mongols penetrated it in the early Ming Dynasty and sacked Beijing. (but they conquered EVERYONE from Japan to Europe...)

Depending on who you ask, the wall represents China's great strength and accomplishment or its isolation and xenophobia. One thing that was clear to me was that the tourists (me included) loved it! At first I was disappointed that there were so many people and I wished I was at some more remote or "authentic" portion of the wall, but after a few minutes of navigating the thousands of Chinese tourists climbing the wall and watching people having the time of their lives, I realized that this is like the Grand Canyon or Disneyland for the Chinese - an important historic place, sure, but also a place to have fun and enjoy the novelty of climbing such a famous landmark. My attitude changed immediately and I happily joined the throng.

A nice shot of professor Yang below - he and I climbed the most famous section together.

Parts of it were so steep that it was like climbing a ladder

Shane, Associate Director of the EMBA program, at the Wall

A few towers up from the parking lot - about 3/4 of a mile straight up - there is a monument.

Inscribed on this monument is a quote from Chairman Mao that, loosely translated, notes: "you are not a man unless you get to this point on the Great Wall" - It is from a poem written by Mao during the Great March (1935) written to rally the troops. Everyone from our group, ladies included I might add, made it to this point or beyond!

---

The next morning we headed to the southern section of Beijing and visited the Tian Tan - the Temple of Heaven. Established in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, this sacred site was where the Chinese Emperor - the "Son of Heaven" - would go on the winter solctice to pray for a good harvest. Today it is a must see tourist site and the park is used by the good people of Beijing as a place to relax, play badminton, cards, dominoes, and sing traditional Chinese songs - no kidding - it was like Central Park on a fine day, including the Yankee caps...

The Qinian Dian, or "Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests"

Looking south from the Qinian Dian

Gateway detail

Gateway, looking north toward the Qinian Dian

Bo Jin, President of the George Washington University Alumni association in China, was one of our guides. Bo Jin works for a government agency, but is also an entrepreneur. He was also our group photographer and took literally hundreds of pictures of us. Whenever our group was questioned by a concerned official, Bo Jin made problems go away... Thanks Bo!

---

The Lama Temple, just a stones throw from one of Beijing's massive ring roads, was established as a Tibetan Lamasry in 1744. Beyond the obvious beauty of the place, it struck me because it was the first time I saw people worshiping openly in China.

Making an offering to the Buddha

I was unable to capture it in a photo, but the most amazing thing to see at this temple is a massive three story statue of the Buddha inside the temple. I cannot adequately describe it - you must see it for yourself.

The guardian of the entrance to the temple

---

The Summer Palace, where the Emperor and the Empress Dowager would go to escape the summer heat (kind of like Camp David, I guess), was our last stop for the day. We walked around the large lake on the Palace grounds, then took a Dragon Ferry back to our bus.

Hey shutterbugs, what's the big deal?

Oh, I see, the Palace itself, high on a hill next to the lake...

---

We worked hard all week, fought jet-lag, and played hard all weekend, so by the end of our trip to Beijing, we were all exhaused....

Before:

After:

Next stop, Shanghai!