Ahwiaa

Once we assimilate to the initial shock of poverty, overpopulation and the lack of a comprehensive sewage system, the genuine friendliness of this culture allures us. Smiles abound. – Ron Mitchell

I arrived. I shopped. I happily survived a bit of harassment.

Ahwiaa is a small town just outside of Kumasi. A stretch of the road is occupied by men selling handcrafted wood products. Within each booth, you will find generally the same types of items from drums to simple décor to jewelry to stools. It’s all beautiful! The sellers are slightly aggressive, but their intentions are simple. These guys are just trying to make money. However, it is a tad overwhelming having six or seven African woodcarving men follow you around and essentially beg you to look at their shops. Ultimately though, they really are friendly dudes. One man told me I was the first person to come to his shop that day, and this was at 5pm. Part of me was inclined to believe this might have been a sob story to get my money, but a bigger part of me actually believed the guy. When I gave him a few extra cedis beyond what he requested, his eyes lit up and nothing but gratitude washed over that man. Us foreigners really do make it or break it for these guys.

It’s nice stuff, and really, twenty cedis for an authentic African handcrafted good isn’t really that bad of a deal. On any given day at Pier 1 imports, I would be likely to pay forty to fifty dollars for a similar item. My grandfather was talented with woodcarving and crafts, my father is equally as talented, and my brother seems to also have acquired the skill of being handy, so I really appreciate the art of it all. After Ahwiaa, we walked down the road to Pankrono, which is well known for their pottery. Pottery goods, which are crafted with clay found on African roads. Can’t get much more authentic than that. A good day indeed.

Road Trip

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” -- Seneca

Stepping back to this past weekend…..when I ventured outside of Bechem to a city about an hour away. I hopped on a trotro for 2.50GH which is equivalent to a little less than two American dollars. Tucked tightly inside with fifteen other passengers, eating some bofru (imagine a glazed donut in the shape of a big warm ball).

Completely insane chaos. I arrived at Kejetia trotro station, exited the trotro, and was surrounded by hundreds of trotros, taxis, and people. I chose a direction, walked, and let out a sigh of relief when the street I was needing happened upon me – Prempreh Road. The city is filled with internet cafes, supermarkets, electronic stores, and banks. All along the street men and women sell anything you can think of: shoes, food, clothing, cell phones, toothpaste, dvds, purses, and too much else to list here. This Kejetia market is one gigantic out of control outdoor mall. Be prepared to bargain! Not my favorite activity, but I’m getting better. Imagine the scene – hundreds of Africans shopping, eating, perusing the goods. From above you would see one tiny little white speckle. Me! Trying to maneuver my way through the crowds with my large plastic bag full of books, dvds, a kettle, and some food. A successful shopping day indeed!

final aspect of the journey was finding a trotro back to Bechem. As noted earlier, the trotro station is overwhelming and very very crowded. I wandered in the general direction of where I was originally dropped off, and with the help of some friendly Ghanaians, found a ride home. You know those clown cars that are stuffed to maximum capacity? That is comparable to the experience of riding in a trotro. Shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh, bag on lap, dripping sweat. Ahhh…the joys of traveling through Ghana.