Our last impressions of Ghana in what was clearly a month of lasts; last visits, errands, rounds, meals and goodbyes. Bye bye-o Kumasi.
STILL AT HOME
With repatriation looming ahead, we were still able to enjoy our home. Jay views a solar eclipse using Bob’s tin foil projector. Camille, Elodie and BJ cook dinner. More at Casa Kumasi.
CELEBRATIONS
FS2BD peeps had a farewell meal at Celebrations. Raymond, Jay, Agyeman, Gifty and Martin look at pictures that Gifty has taken of them in the parking lot. Eric and Jay with their cameras.
BIKING TO BOSUMTWI
Those crazy kids, Jay and BJ got decked out in their and pedaled 23.5 miles through traffic and over hill and dale to spend a few nights at the lake. There they went horseback riding for five hours with Elodie, rested up for a day or so, climbed out of the crater, and rode their bikes back home.
ADIEBEBA
The surprisingly small Adiebeba Chief’s Palace is hidden within a warren of mangled shanties. Our neighbor Jean trims the palm next door. These and more, including some riveting pictures of the Sand Piles of Kumasi Our Neighborhood
GOODBYES
Hands down the hardest thing about leaving Kumasi was saying goodbye to our friends. Kat and Camille head off to the Golden Tulip in her land rover for one last glass of Gran Marnier. Elodie pampered us yet again at The Green Ranch, graciously accepting a couple of bins of herbs and the like.
BEFORE AND AFTER MOLE
Jay constructed a cardboard sun visor resembling a welding helmet and bravely set off to Mole solo on his bike. 240 miles later he met BJ at the Mole Hotel, watched a monkey steal his biscuits, enjoyed a poolside beer and later woke up with the onset of Malaria. Back at the Casa, BJ’s friend Megan inserts a saline IV to help him rehydrate.
FS2BD REMEDIATION
As the team leaves Kumasi a remediation crew continues digging out broken piping and have brought in red laterite to use as fill around the new pipes. See the rest of the story here: FS2BD November, 2013
ERRANDS
Bob leaves the Chemists with malaria medicine, antibiotics and de-wormer for our return to the land of high-priced pharmaceuticals. Camille and BJ joined Bob for a shopping trip downtown and to the Cultural Center. More images of Ghanaian life on the Streets of Kumasi.
FINAL GLIMPSES OF LAKE BOSUMTWI
One more unforgettable taxi ride with Eric to the lake for a bit of pre-departure R&R. More from our last trip to Lake Bosumtwi
OUR FAMILY
Naturally we stayed with our family at the lake, Elodie, Kojo and their young Simeon. A few final beers, stories and delicious vegan meals. See more pictures at The Green Ranch
LAST ROUNDS AND GOOD BYE
The KNUST crew, Wilson, Martin, Agyeman and Raymond brought Jay a fugu and BJ a beautiful dress and earrings as goodbye gifts and a fugu for Bob and a bou bou for Camille. And Eric took us one last time to the airport on November 30th. Check out Camille’s bou bou and more at: Last Rounds and Good Bye
PACKING IT UP
It seems like we spent the month packing to leave. It began with Bob flying to Accra to repack our crate after all our meticulously wrapped wooden masked were unwrapped, fumigated and thrown into one plastic bag and ending with the eventual filling of three giant blue duffle bags and one hard suit case.
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THIS MONTH’S QUOTES:
“I know that to be well fed, painless, and in the company of friends and loved ones are privileges too few enjoy in this often brutal world. – Steven Callahan from his book “Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea”
“All of our economic and social activity depends on nature. We are not separate, and we are not in charge.” – Jerry Mander from his book “The Capitalism Papers: Fatal Flaws of an Obsolete System”
“An extraterrestrial being, newly arrived on earth – scrutinizing what we mainly present to our children in television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines, the comics, and many books – might easily conclude that we are intent on teaching them murder, rape, cruelty, superstition, credulity, and consumerism.” – Carl Sagan from his book “Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark”
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