Signs in Africa

Many signs in Africa are fairly universal. There are plenty of warning, informatory, and regulatory signs for the road. If streets have names, they are rarely marked with signs, so there's often confusion when trying to find our way around an unfamiliar area. We were pulled over a few times during the first few months of driving in Ghana, but either we finally look like we know what we're doing or the officers have been told to be nicer to the "obrunis."

I thought it would be fun for the grandkids to try to guess what each of the following road signs mean. Some are easy, but others will be unfamiliar. The answers are at the bottom of the blog. Let me know how you do!

  

A.

B.

Batik Lessons

A group of us had the fun experience of learning how to batik fabric last Saturday at the home of a woman who sells her beautiful fabrics in a little shop not far from the area office in Accra. Esther is a very talented artist who creates some of the most unusual and appealing batik fabrics we have seen in Ghana.   

  

As we first entered the workshop in Esther's back yard, this wall
of intricately carved stamps immediately caught our eye.

We stood in front of the stamps for a long time trying to decide
which ones to choose for our 2- or 3-yard piece of cotton fabric.

Comfort Gbetroh Memorial School

We are excited to share some pictures of the beautiful children we met at a school in the village of Kpetoe in the Volta Region of Ghana. The school buildings are not finished, for lack of funds, but the basic needs and teachers are in place for classes to function. Over 200 children attend the school each day. Wooden desks and benches, slate boards with chalk, and backpacks and uniforms are enough for an elementary school in Ghana to operate. The owner is hoping for donations to complete the second level of the cinder block structures, plus the library doesn't have a single book yet. The darling children were respectful, obedient, and well-behaved. What a sweet experience to become acquainted with these lovely people.  

Takoradi

We drove to Takoradi with Elder and Sister Petersen this weekend for the civil wedding of Charles Mensah, an employee at the area office. He is a bright young man who works in Information Technology and helps us get articles and pictures onto Ghana's LDS Newsroom website. We are grateful for his skills and patience, but especially for his incredibly happy and positive attitude. His friendship and assistance have been invaluable. We were happy to be a part of this wonderful occasion with Charles and his darling bride, Eva.

Takoradi is about 225 kilometers west of Accra. We left early enough Friday afternoon to avoid the worst traffic out of Accra, drove through the Kasoa market without too much delay, and made it to Cape Coast in 3 hours -- record time for us. We got through the police barricades without being stopped and found ourselves in Takoradi by dinnertime.

On Saturday morning we had time to drive through parts of Takoradi and neighboring Sekondi to get acquainted with the area before the wedding festivities began. It was fun to be in a part of Ghana we have not seen before now.

  

We explored narrow roads and quiet neighborhoods like this one,
 which took us to a dead end at the top of the hill.

Pretty little churches have been built throughout Takoradi. The
British influence can still be felt in many parts of the city.  

Shopping in Accra

Accra has a few small indoor shopping malls, constructed within the last ten years. They are popular with people who can afford to shop there, but most Ghanaians shop along the streets and in the outdoor markets. We have never taken our big camera deep into the large markets, but we really enjoy seeing what is available on the streets as we drive through the city and surrounding towns. I keep our camera on my lap and try to snap pictures as we travel. If traffic is slow, I can get some sharp pictures, but often there's not time to focus and snap before we have passed by. Ghanaians say you can find basically anything you want on the streets and in the markets. This is just an example of what is available. It's pretty amazing!

  

Local oranges 

New and used wheels and tires