Hello Kumasi...Goodbye Kumasi

Akwaaba: welcome ( twi, the language of the Ashanti tribe)

Today is my last day in Kumasi. Tomorrow morning I travel to Accra to board my plane back to Nigeria.
I used to read travel blog entries of people who traveled to Ghana. Most of them were volunteers or backpackers. They spoke of the friendly people and wonderful tourist attractions. I thought I knew how it would feel to be here. But my experiences have been better than I've ever imagined. Each tourist Attraction that I read about was 10 times better when my feet touched these places. And so I will miss Ghana sooo much, but I will be back with others.

So Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The Ashanti tribe is rich in culture and speak Twi. Yes Ghanaians are extremely friendly, especially if they know you are a visitor.  One man on the  side of the road said "welcome home" and smiled at me. My days started in the late morning.  I'd travel with Wednesday to his sister Becky's store after breakfast and people watch or play with Becky's two young children. The whole family treats me like a relative and I'm so grateful for the kindness.

On my first trip, I travel to Lake Bosomtwe. The drive to the lake took my breath away,it was absolutely stunning. The sky seemed to blend in with the trees and the trees blended with the water in an amazing trinity like scene. I took picture after picture out of the side of the red Honda but none came close to what my eyes saw. I studied every nook and cranny and hoped that the view would have a permanent home in my psyche.
When we arrived to the lake, Wednesday and I paid our entrance fee ( the local fee for us both) and saw this spectacular lake up close and personal. We rode a motor boat out into to the lake after putting on bright red life vests. For a good 20 minutes we stayed in the waters and I enjoyed every minute of it. The cool part of the sites I've seen in West Africa is that the locals aren't kicked out when they are built. Because this lake is in the middle of a town, it was a wonderful mix of tourists , fishermen and local children enjoying the lake. A young teenage boy who I assume was related to the sailor,  rode the boat and accompanied us as we walked around the lakeside. He said that he liked my phone and I let him play 'fruit ninja' I in turn  watched the sea do its dance. We made an international trade for a good 40 mins...I got the lake and he got to play a cell phone game...was it a fair trade? Not by a long shot. I obviously got the bargain. But we both enjoyed ourselves.

I went to see where kente cloth is made. I went to Wagner Middle School in the East Oak Lane section of Philadelphia. When I graduated, I wore the colorful kente cloth draped over my shoulders with my cap and gown. When my locs were in their beginning stages of growth, they'd stand in the air, defying gravity and conventional beauty standards. I'd take a strip of Kente cloth and use it as headband, tying it at the nape of my neck and letting the ends fall on my shoulder. At the time, I knew this cloth was from Africa but had no clue exactly where. 14 years later I'm watching a man weave this cloth by hand.

The town where they make Kente cloth is call Bonwire. So men who are specially trained in weaving kente...sit in front of a weaving contraption and create art. Most pieces take days to finish but the results are extraordinary. As the weaver works on a yellow and white cloth I watch the tedious hand work.  Kente cloth was inspired by the work of spiders. The first design of kente was created for the Ashanti king hundreds of years ago. That original design is the most popular cloth and is considered the traditional design. It contains bright orange, blue, red and green threads and has multiple distinct patterns in one cloth.

I went a little kente crazy in bonwire as weavers throughout the town brought kente cloth, kente bags, even kente shoes for me to see.Every piece was a hand made masterpiece! Among all of my purchases was a long piece of kente cloth in the traditional colors. I wasn't sure what to do with it. It was suggested that I have it made into a straight dress. Good plan!