Going Bananas

Our little excursion, continued..........

On our way to see the monkey sanctuary, driving approximately 70 kilometers north of the city of Ho and through some of the beautiful mountainous Volta region of Ghana, we made a couple of fun discoveries along the way. 

  

This is a newly rented building used as a meetinghouse
for the members of the LDS Church in the Kpando district.

Four missionaries serve in Kpando -- two are from the States
 and two are African. They are terrific young men!

Hand-dyed Batik Fabric

Sister Stoker got her wish to observe the process of batiking while we were in the town of Ho a couple of weeks ago. Elder Stoker got some great shots of the talented apprentices who learn on the job as experienced batikers hand down their knowledge of a highly cherished tradition in Africa. This technique is very labor intensive but produces impressive and unique fabrics. Many are one-of-a-kind pieces in vibrant colors and designs that are a gorgeous representation of the inner soul of these lovely people.           

  

Looking over the fence as we approached the outdoor training
center on a hot April morning in the quiet community of Ho.

An apprentice spreads out a clean white piece of 100% cotton,
which is usually dyed in increments of 6 yards.

Hump Day Birthday to me!

April 3rd was my birthday and also our half-way mark on our mission. It's hard to believe -- both that I am 64 years old and that we have lived in Africa for 9 months. To celebrate, we took a short break with four other couples and drove to the Volta Region (north-east of Accra) through lush, green country, enjoying some interesting spots on the way. We packed so much into the two days that I will break up the trip into several posts. The best part was getting out of busy, noisy Accra and into the "bush." The traffic eased up considerably as we drove away, but the pot holes seemed to follow us wherever we went. We were ready for an adventure and had a nice time.

 

We crossed a narrow part of the Volta River on a brand new
 ferry designed for cars, trucks, tro tros, buses, and pedestrians.

Oh, and taxis, too. It was a quick ride -- surprisingly smooth and
uneventful. Vehicles were charged 8 Cedis one way ($3.50).