Back From Kumasi -Winding Up Trip

Everything went smoothly in Kumasi. My flights with Africa World Airlines were all on time. Weather was fine. AND, I had a really great meeting with the young man who heads up the Muslim Family Counseling Service's street children advocacy program. TM is an impressive person. He's energetic, with a positive attitude. He and his small team spend a lot of time out, in the environments where young people are ending up living on the streets because of lack of economic opportunity. As such, he and his organization are ideal partners for the Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking's Economic Development Initiative. 

We spent most of the time I was there visiting actual environments where people are living and the different populations. This meant me getting out of my comfort zone and going rather deep into parts of the city I would never go on my own. But it was necessary in order to get the real picture.

Listen to TM in one of those environments, the Central Market

 We were able to reach a consensus on the specifics of demographics and modifications to the programs we want to approach. Hopefully, I will be able to have this second Pilot Project ready to kick-off by the first part of next year.

I was back in Accra on Thursday for a full day and evening of meetings both here and back in the U.S. Today I'm working from my apartment, wrapping things up and will be heading back to the USA on Saturday.

 

 

Around The World In 72 Days - International Incident or At Least I'm Not In A Ghanaian Jail

Let's be clear.

Africa World Airways (AWA), the home airline of Ghana, is, bar none, the WORST AIRLINE I HAVE EVER FLOWN! Period. There isn't even a close second. (Well let's not forget the horrible JetStar Asia experience. Or the Spring Airlines in China either). But for pure malicious incompetency, lack of caring, combined with a rigidity designed to fleece their customers of as much as they can get from them, I am not sure any other airline in my half a century of flying can meet this standard.

Let's just list what we experienced this trip. We had three scheduled trips encompassing four flights over a three week period.

First - Accra to Takoradi

 

This was our last day in Accra when we had the torrential downpour and it took over an hour to get to the airport that was less than 5 miles away. Do you think these kind of things might happen often in a tropical climate like Ghana? We got to the check-in counter two minutes past its cutoff. They told us we had to rebook on a later flight even though at that point the airline knew the flight we were on was running hours behind schedule due to the weather. This little rigidity of policy extracted double the cost of the original ticket from us, and had us waiting five hours to finally depart.

 

Second - Takoradi to Accra connecting to Kumasi

 

We check in Takoradi, no one knows how to do a connection. Evidently this must be something of a rarity. We are hit up with an overweight baggage fee. We're told when we get to Accra, we cannot just change planes. We have to exit security, go to the ticket counter and get some kind of form. (BTW there is no way at the Accra domestic terminal to go directly from arrivals to departures. You have to walk out, around and up a long traffic ramp to get back to departures. 

 

Getting to the ticket counter, we are told the flight to Kumasi is canceled. We have to go to a different office (where two people are dealing with everyone off this flight) to rebook. We've done this. Our earliest option is late afternoon the next day. Meaning we loose one of our two days in Kumasi. Working with my team we decide getting a driver who can go the five (hellish) hours of Ghana roads is the best, and safest option. Once again we arrive late and exhausted, having spent four times the amount we would have paid. 

 

Third - Kumasi to Accra

 

We'd debated. Do we chance it again with AWA? Or do we just bag it and get a car? We didn't want the added expense or having to deal with Ghana roads again so we took our chances with AWA. Our flight turned out to be an hour and half late. But it was at the check-in counter that our incident took place

 

The Incident

We're checking in  (imagine one line, a small dingy building, no modern equipment one associates with an air terminal). I get to the agent. They weigh our bags and tell us we need to pay an overage fee (this will involve getting out of line, going to another line, paying, getting back in line, so you can actually check in.). I tell the agent, 

 

"Comp us. Your airline's errors have cost me over $500 over the last two weeks. You owe us."

 

"I'm sorry sir. I can't do that."

 

"Yes, you can. Just print out the baggage tags, put them on the bags and be done with it."

 

"No I can't. Our system won't allow it. You will have to talk to our manager." She points to a door with a darkened glass wall."

 

Now I am starting to lose it. The weeks of dealing with various issues in Ghana all coming to a head. Normally when I fall into my notorious temper, Wife, will pull me to one side and get me calmed down. Not today. She is pissed too. And it is not easy to get Wife pissed.

 

I go back and forth with the agent. I keep insisting she must comp us and print out our baggage tags, she insisting she can't make the system do it without paying the extra fee. Finally, I take out a 100 Cedi note (the cost is 70 Cedi) and throw it down on her station. (BTW, the cost was about $5, but it was the principle of it all.)

 

"Here take it. Print out our baggage tags."

 

"No you have to go over to the payment line, make the payment, and come back."

 

Now I say loudly so everyone in the line can hear it (and the line is getting quite long at this point), "I am not going anywhere. No one else is going to check into this flight until you have someone get the payment done for me."

 

And that's exactly what I do. I just stand there. Finally, the agent gets someone else to take the payment over. She asks me to leave the line. I refuse. I tell her I will stand by the side watching her until I'm sure my baggage tags get printed out and on my bags. This takes about 15-20 minutes, I there glaring the whole time. 

 

Almost two hours later when we are getting ready to finally board our plane for the stupid 40 minute flight to Accra, I'm telling Gloria,

 

"Listen, if they grab me and take me into custody. Just get on the plane. Call our people in Accra when you get there. Get on the plane Sunday and get back to the U.S."

 

In the event, we are in Accra at our hotel. And thus far, I am a free man.

Around The World In 72 Days - Kente Cloth And Ghost Museums

This was our last day of touring for the Around the World in 72 Days trip! On store, visiting a craft center focused on traditional Kente cloth weaving. While weaving is an ancient human craft, the specific story behind Kente dates to the 17th century and the founding of the Ashante Kingdom is fascinating. Here is my usual Wikipedia link for those who want to learn more.

After a very pleasant drive (by Ghana standards) to the center, we were equally blessed with one of the best guides in Ghana.

Kwame

We got detailed examples of how the work is done, most of which I really couldn't follow.

 

Then it was our turn to try. Wife almost got the call but ultimately NAS got the call.

Then, as is always the case with these craft oriented places here, it was trial by marketplace. All the goods are in a single room. But they are separated by the person who made them. You are assaulted by all the various people who do weaving trying to make a sale. You cannot buy from everyone (assuming you want to make a purchase), and some are incredibly pushy. I don't understand why they don't create a cooperative where all the goods could be offered and everyone would benefit. That type of cooperation seems very difficult to attain here (an observation over the five years I've been doing work here).

The successful sale

Examples of traditional Kente patterns

After having had this winner experience, we (of course) needed to balance it with the opposite. In this case an hour and a half ride through crappy roads, and incredible traffic to get to what we hoped was going to be a very different kind of traditional values type of museum. Instead, we found (well barely found because it was off a non-descript dirt road) the skeleton of a museum. Completely abandoned. The gate open. Numerous buildings locked up. Other aspects which showed it either still being built or it having been abandoned.

Looking through the slats of one of the buildings, I saw sculpture figures within

I then started to wander deeper into the grounds

However NAS was feeling uncomfortable about the situation so I desisted. Then we retraced the long drive back.

Tomorrow we throw our fate, once more, into the hands of Africa World Airways to fly back to Accra. A day later, we will begin the long flight back to Albuquerque.

Around The World In 72 Days - Kumasi

Kumasi, in south central Ghana, is the ancestral home of the Ashanti people. For more information on the interesting history of the Ashanti Kingdom go here. My guide here is a co-worker, NAS, who is from this town originally.

Kumasi has all these motorcycle based taxis like you see all over SE Asia (and I understand India and Sri Lanka). You don't see them at all in Accra nor did we see them in the Western Region.

Making our way to the Kumasi Central Mosque

 I just love the vulcanizer concept. So creative and appropriate for what is needed.

 

 Into the interior

 Wife getting ready to preach from where the Imams give their sermons.

 Then it was on to the Manhyia Palace Museum.

We had hoped this would be covering the entirety of the Ashante Kingdom history. No it is basically a glorification of the current King's line dating to 1870 with all kinds of stuff like "This is where the King had his desk," and "Here is the original refrigerator (this was actually shown) and it still works!" opens the door to show a freezer section that has not been defrosted in decades. It was dreadfully boring. AND they would not let you take any pictures. So you get...

One big tree

 

And some gates

 A visit to a craft center was more fruitful though we had the usual issue with people wanting us to buy things we don't need or want.

Drum makers

 Wax carvings for metal casting

 Weaving

 

 Pottery

 

 A painter

 Just a picture

 Our last stop was at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. We were wandering the campus and came to a fine arts section (which seemed a bit out of place for  science and technology university). There was a sculpture garden with work from students past. I was quite taken with it.

Campus hanging out area

An instructor let us wander into an area where they were doing beginning clay work and I chatted up some of the students.

After all our travel ordeals, we were pretty wiped out.  We went out for a completely forgettable Chinese food (half of what was on the menu was unavailable), bought some snacks and ice cream and called it a day.