Busua Beach and Kumasi, Ghana

After Cape Coast, we took a long and bumpy road to Busua, a small fishing village in the western region of Ghana.  We seriously upgraded our living conditions to a private room with air conditioning, running water, and beach access (after walking through a small river). The kids and Dennis took daily surfing lessons and everyone learned to stand up and ride the waves (lots of photos/videos below!). We had planned a few side trips but decided to take it easy, surf, and catch up on math lessons. It was lovely and relaxing, and a much needed rejuvenation. 

Our last stop in Ghana was Kumasi, heart of the Asante (also known as Ashanti) people. We learned more about the Asante empire, visited the palace and the jubilee house museums, and saw lots of original artifacts (except the golden stool, much to Dennis’s dismay). The palace was amazing for the original items inside, and the outside was amazing for the many peacocks wandering around and an incredible rubber tree.  We also appreciated seeing some of the recently returned gold items from other countries. Mira also achieved her goal of finally buying and drinking water from a small bag instead of a bottle.

We couldn’t learn about the Asantes without learning about kente cloth. We followed up the museums with a trip to Adanwomase, birthplace of kente (though Bonwire says it was there but…). We learned about the incredible intricacies of the weaving and the meaning behind patterns, visited the cacao farm, and also went to see the shrine and local Chief’s palace. Of course, Johanna particularly enjoyed learning how defense attorneys won’t actually defend a client if the chief has already found them guilty. Because, of course, everyone knows the chief is right. We were happy to find a black and white kente cloth with a pattern meaning you should work hard towards your dreams and goals. 

Next we fly out east for Rwanda! When we arrived in Ghana, the health inspector insisted on a gift before returning our papers so this time we plan to be more prepared.