Back Home Recuperating But Looking Forward

The flight home was a schlepp because the first leg out of Accra was late causing me to miss my connection at Washington Dulles. That ended up adding 5 more hours to my journey. But I used the time well and finished up my report on my trip for distribution to both the Ghanaian and U.S. interested parties.

While home, the mind is still fully on the project. The potential paths for implementing it are relatively clear. What is needed now is more entrepreneurial energy on site (meaning me) as we build the necessary overall system and plan. And that takes money...money that I don't have yet.

But I have a feeling of rightness about this. So we will see.

Ghana Rotary Project - This Phase Ending...What Next?

I am at the airport waiting to board my flight back to the US. I've been in a melancholy mood since my last meeting ended and have been waiting to head home. Going from not having a clue as to whether this had any possibility of coming to fruition to having so much seeming ready to fall in place...going from balls to the wall for two weeks solid to a sudden stop...Seeing how this could work and not seeing how you are going to take the next step...all lead to this feeling of emptiness.

But it was not that long ago, like just weeks ago, that nothing seemed like it might happen. So I will have faith that this will continue to move forth.

Ghana Rotary Project - Visiting Aburi

Only a couple of days before I return. Trying to bring it all together in the form of follow-up actions to take advantage of the tremendous reception. Really tired. Haven't worked this hard in a long time. Had a meeting in the morning and then my guy, Frimpong took me for a drive out of the city up to the hill community of Aburi where there is a botanical garden. It was nice to get out of the city.

On our way up to go up the hill to Aburi

According to Frimpong even by Ghana standards this was a bit crazy

(It is a sort of mini-bus transportation)

The guy on the left is shouting for rides, those on the right are just extra riders

As we headed up the hill there were scores of high school age children making the assent

It is evidently a regular event

The Botanical Garden itself dates from the 1890's

The British had tried to start it twice before but it the project had failed to gain enough support

It was similar to many tropical botanical gardens we've seen but that never stops me from finding the tree patterns in them fascinating.

Walkways

Buildings dating from a time when the property had been a sanatorium prior to the establishment of the botanical garden

There were schools having outings along with families and couples

This girl had just given me a big hug our of nowhere just before taking this picture

This boy had wanted his picture taken and we traded thumbs up when I was done

 Termite mounds

They are all over the place

Trees

Photo Bomb!

And on the way home

A funeral

Black and red being the traditional colors

Ghana Rotary Project - Accra Pictures

Well at long last I have some time to post the pictures I took last weekend in Accra

Welcome to the Manjaro Suites Hotel

Manager Linda (super lovely helpful person!)

WON'T let me take her picture (boo hoo)

But I give a thumbs up to the comfort of the room and a good value for the price

The area of town where the hotel is located is an odd combination (to my Western mind) of development and non-development. There are other more Westernized parts of town but they are way more expensive

Driving down to the hotel

Going up to my room

de-I Ghana Rotary Volunteer Project HQ

A little tour around my 'hood'

Walking down to the main drag Ring Road Central

Walking up the other direction 

Now we drive a little ways from the hotel to Nkrumah Circle which is a major transportation hub

Bizillion buses going all over Ghana and West Africa

 

Now we are heading into town toward the massive Makola Market

And into the market itself

Need a haircut?

My driver Frimpong who is looking for shoes

Guy trying to sell him shoes

(Frimpong was not happy with the quality so no purchase was made)

Lots of cloth

Ghana is proud of the quality of its cotton

And more of the market

There are not many monuments in Accra

One of the main ones is the Nkrumah Memorial

Statue of the man who led to independence

According to Frimpong it is pretty much 'de rigeur' to take pictures of you posing like the great man

Black Star Square

Jubilee House 

The Presidential Headquarters

Our snack

A sort of frozen yogurt mango flavored thing (not too sweet or dairy like actually) and a fried dough like a doughnut thing that I don't remember the name of though what's not to like about fried dough?

We ended up touring some other non-upscale parts of town just for me to get a feel for more real Accra

Not sure why the Israeli flag on this one

de-I goes native and does fu-fu(a combination of cassava flour and green plantain flour) with palm nut soup...with goat

According to the guy I was with I should not have let my hand get this messy

You are supposed to be licking them off all the time