Picture-less Post

You've probably heard of my stellar move of forgetting the camera in the taxi.  We won't speak of it any longer, though it's effect will be felt daily.  I don't sense the feeling that we will be replacing it with any camera we come across here, though it might be easier to keep charged.

Moving on.

The last couple of days have been interesting.  I have had the opportunity to go into town to see the locations of welding supply stores, meet and greet potential suppliers of iron (one of which had a stupendous coffee-flavored hard candy of which I cannot cease praising), and generally see more of the city.

It seems interesting to me that many of the same suppliers of a thing (tires, bread, mangoes) often congregate in one area. We drove down a road that might have been named "Tire Alley" if such names existed here, with stall after stall of tire, wheel, and rim salesmen as well as what I presume are those who will do such installations.  Rare are the "one-stop-shops" of the typical U.S. auto maintenance world.  I am perplexed by the women who man their stands of the exact brand of bread as their neighbor.  I wonder if the hawkers from whom we buy our plantain chips feel superior to the ones we pass by, fortunate only by the happenchance of the traffic congestion.  Which booth of mangoes in the line of 8 is the one to which we will make our purchase?  It seems to me that one chooses the first one indiscriminately, and either stays or switches based on the quality of the product purchased.  Or sometimes whether or not one gets diarrhea after eating.  Things like that can definitely make the decision, especially when buying Waakye (pronounced watchee).  Tires would be a risky investment to guess on, so that may come with a reference.  As will the Waakye in the future (though I have been fine and Pat seemed only mildly affected)!

I have noticed the copious amounts of religious tag lines on anything from a tro-tro to a business name.  On a rare occasion, I will see a fitting slogan with a company such as the Bread of Life Catering Company,  only to see a completely mismatched one; for example a kilometer from the catering company was the Bread of Life motor oil stand.  The feeling I get is that if one puts a religious slogan on their vehicle or business, this must produce good luck or "blessings" and not curses.  I have also noted that the churches are often the nicest buildings, and it seems the heads of such places are extremely well-to-do, though highly distrusted for obvious reasons.

Distrust seems to stem through most positions of power.  We spoke with our taxi driver about how it is very bad for a police officer to take money from someone to avoid court in the U.S. (though not unheard-of).  Our driver thought that was crazy!  This is something he has had to do frequently, and the police here undoubtedly find something with which to fine you if you have been stopped, regardless of the absurdity.  It is certainly an issue of convenience as a trip to the courts here could last eternally, and the police know this.

The other day we took a tro-tro up north to a beautiful area outside of town.  It was about a 45 minute drive to the Mills (what we have dubbed as a cross between mountains and hills).  There were rocky outcroppings on the tops of several single juttings.  It was really beautiful.  This was a trip to a development that is a possible locale for Vytrak.  The Volta River was not far from us, and the air was cooler.  There were mango trees all over the place, though we learned that the pineapple rarely makes it that far north.  We saw families of Baboons along the road as we went, and I'm not sure how I feel about wild Baboons.  It was a fascinating site.

I have been trying to figure out the flora of the landscape and feel pretty sophomoric with my lack of preparation.  A simple Google search reveals at the least several good resources.  I have learned that there are many varieties of Acacia trees.  I think I've seen a few.  Coconuts are fairly easy to recognize!  Bananas and Plantains I haven't differentiated.  I have yet to confirm the identity of a very pretty crapemyrtle-like tree that blooms blue and is now setting orange "fruit."  I am confident when I spot all the bougainvillea vining and blooming all over the place!  I have identified the Mango tree that grows all over the place, including our backyard.  Pat installed a couple of swings from its thick branches.

Of course he did!

I have enjoyed Earnestina's skirt that she made me.  I may have a picture of that from Pat's kindle.  I feel like she could sell these well in the U.S.  They are really beautiful.  And comfortable!  The fabric she chooses is strong but flows perfectly.  It is gorgeous in color and patterns.  She also makes bags (that she sells in the U.S. somewhere - I'll have to find out where), and very smart mens shirts.  The skirts are a whopping $15 or 30 Ghanaian cedis (pronounced see-dees).  I wish I had brought more money.  Maybe she will ship?!

Until another day...