Feb 20- Ghana- Akwaaba

Akwaaba means "Welcome" as only the Ghanaians can say it. Their hearts wide open and they receive one and all with such grace. Maybe it should not be a title of a post at the end of my trip to Accra; however, it sums up Ghana in a lovely way, I think it will be alright.

 Mom's with their babies tightly bound to their bodies welcome strangers who need some water, food, or just friendly advice about where to go. The babies learn the real meaning of trust; they simply 'rest' in the tight cloth against their mother's body. They don't struggle or strain to get out. They relax and enjoy the ride. Oh how I wish I could learn more of the same in relation to God. Just relying on Him and His will and ways- instead of always wanting to leap into my own plans and actions.

 

Accra has changed, as I commented in a previous post. With the changes, there are differences, but at the same time the spirit of the Ghanaian people has remained the same. A very resilient and eager to help type of attitude reigns. The congested city of Accra still retains feelings of good will and such hope for the future.

 

What is hospitality without good food? Ghana certainly has her array of delicious cuisine. It might be local fare or International delights. I did go to "The Heritage House"- they opened a branch near the house I was staying, so this made it easy. I enjoyed Indian cuisine while chatting with old friends. How much better can life get than that? 

All in all, the trip went splendidly. It was a great time of being reunited with old friends and meeting new friends. I laughed, cried, sighed, and rejoiced with people who I love. This is what life is all about - the people. It is hard for me to go anywhere and just speak of the sights and sounds; I find myself always relating back to the people. The Ghanaian people are such a warm and welcoming people. They truly make Ghana what it is today- a wonderful place to visit!

Feb 14th- Accra- Rawling's House

Lightening flashed across the sky; booming thundered rolled through the heavens. As usual, rain accompanied the sound and light show. This all took place at 2 am. Of course, the electricity went off. This meant at some point in the night it would come back on. For us, in East Legon, this was a good thing. Unfortunately for the former President J.J. Rawlings, it was not such a good thing.

The electrical fluctuations and subsequent wet walls were a great combination for a fire. The house was ablaze in the middle of the night and ex-president Rawling's wife and daughter escaped with no injury. The house was destroyed, along with all their personal possessions.

 

*courtesy of The Ghana Journal

The rains gave coolness to some and at the same time brought sorrow to others. I wonder if just the rain can be blamed; after all, the electrical fluctuations had a large part to play in the burning of the house.

Accra Feb 13 2010

On the flight from Seattle to Amsterdam, I overheard a myriad conversations ...."Yes meet me in Nairobi, I should be there by tomorrow"...."I'll be in Chad so you won't be able to reach me."...."I'm flying to Accra, Ghana" ..Oops, that was my own conversation. 

Schiphol remains the same- one of my favorite airports. I love their lounging chairs. They make the long layovers go by faster.

Arriving back in Accra after three years has been quite interesting. Everything at the airport felt 'normal'- even when I was driving 'home' things seemed just like old times. It was almost as if I had not left. Aaaah, but that was at 9.30 pm- the electricity was off- I could hardly see. 


Then....morning came....I hardly recognized the city. So many new buildings. New roads, which are still under construction. My day started early and I felt like I was in the car most of the time fighting traffic. The street sellers meandered between cars selling everything from hats, socks, snacks, to jewelry and even an extremely large portrait of the last supper. Ah, yes, I am back in Ghana.

Beautiful buildings everywhere...more being built...large, expensive edifices...and I wondered, "Where is the economic downturn here?" It appears to have by passed Ghana. The inflation has not bypassed this country; but then, inflation has always been a common part of the economy here. 

Monstrous structures soaring up and out over the land. I miss the Ghana of three years ago. I miss the Ghana of 13 years ago. I miss the chaos without the construction. Like a type of magnifying glass, the construction has appeared to amplify the chaos in ways which skew it out of its natural proportion. 

Thankfully, Accra is not the sum and total of Ghana....Wednesday I head out to Pram Pram- I think I'll capture some of the Ghana I remember there. In the meantime, they tell me this is progress....so what can I say...

Heritage Restaurant- Accra, Ghana

A Traveler's Library  did a update on Valentine's day.  At the end of the update the question was posed: "What are you hoping for on Valentine's Day..." Thinking over the question, I realized I will be in Ghana on Valentine's day. So I began to think about where I might want to go on that day. 

I'll be speaking for Elim International Family Church in Accra that Sunday. There will be three services back to back. I won't have much of a chance to eat during the day- but for dinner I would like to go to the Heritage Restaurant in Osu. It is an Indian restaurant and the food is utterly divine!!!!! 


Actually the 14th of Feb is also Chinese New Year-  so I might have to go to Imperial Peking on the 14th and then go to Heritage on the 15th.