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My first visit to the African continent was to Ghana, in West Africa. I did not know what to expect, but the few weeks spent there allowed me to better understand the people, food, and culture of this West African country.
I traveled first to the capital of Accra and then had the opportunity to visit Ashanti tribe villages near Kumasi. A bumpy trip to Techiman and the small villages to its north allowed me to see many of the different styles of living as well as taste the varied foods of the villages.
I became quite a good fufu eater!
I had been told before I had left for this trip that the people of Ghana were the most friendly and smiling in Africa, and this was indeed the case!
I had the opportunity to see cocoa harvested, Ghana has some of the best chocolate in the world, and work around African bees. This was an experience. I had to wear a full protective suit in scorching weather, but the alternative would have been much more painful.
At that time, a digital camera with a viewing screen was something the people of this small village had not seen. Each time I took a photo, the village would surround me to catch a glimpse of themselves. After this experience, I made it a habit to burn a CD of all the photos taken in all the villages I visited. I would then leave it behind with someone I knew who would either make prints or share them.
This photo became a favorite with my then employer, who used it for marketing purposes. It was also used for the cover of an international magazine for beekeepers.
We had just "harvested" this honeycomb from the hive. The villagers then demonstrated how they process it into many honey products. They press the comb and capture the raw honey in pails below the crushing machine. With a few pieces of comb still left, I asked this young girl to pose.
That's honey dripping from this young girl's hand. It took a bit of work to get her to understand what I wanted, but in the end, I was able to capture this wonderful photo.
I was also very fortunate to be able to get my hands on several bottles of this pure, nearly black, sweet honey to take back with me.
It is not often that a tribal chief will sit for a formal portrait.
As I left a meeting in a small village close to Kumasi, I spotted this Ashanti chief sitting in a chair against this cream-colored wall. Through a translator, I asked him if it was possible to take several photos. He very graciously gave me his permission. He had such a wonderful, wise, and kind expression on his face, and I hoped to be able to capture it. I am pleased that this photo captured his expression as I saw it. He seemed to approve, too!
A short time later I had the pleasure of sharing and eating a local style of Fu - Fu with him and others from the tribe and village.
One afternoon as I was walking through a small village and came upon these four men returning from a funeral. I was fascinated by their local dress and asked them for a photo. As you can see they graciously accepted and seemed more than happy to accommodate my request. I didn't notice it when I took the photo, but later as I was reviewing the photo I noticed, clearly visible among the traditional costumes, some very nice modern watches!
Driving through central Ghana, close to Kumasi, I came across this man sitting under a rusted roof on a porch of an old warehouse. I had been driving through the dirt roads of this very small village when I first spotted him, and I asked my driver to stop. He cautioned me not to get out of the truck, but I opened the door and began to walk down the dusty road toward this man. He looked at me as I approached, and I raised my camera and simply asked him, "OK"? He nodded to me, I snapped a few shots, showed them to him, and with a toothless grin seemed to approve. I thanked him and walked back to the truck as my driver looked at me in amazement... He was so sure that something would happen to me or my camera that he locked the doors of the truck.
The photo below was taken by my colleague, Elizabeth, who took several photos of me taking this photo from the inside of the truck. I think she may have felt obligated to explain what I was doing if there had been any trouble!
I love his expression and the color in this photo, the rust color is partly due to the reflected light off the rusted metal awning that covered this porch and the color of the wall.
I had just finished breakfast and was beginning a short walk in the city of Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti tribal king and the royal family. While walking I would pass the city waking and people beginning their day's work. Children were in their school uniforms and were off to classes, and as I rounded a corner I saw this woman taking her freshly baked loaves of bread to sell in the center of the city.
It is quite common to see men as the local tailor. Usually located near the village center, they seem to stay very busy making new clothes for those who can afford them.
One Sunday morning, I was walking through a small town and I noticed this young girl, in her Sunday best clothes, with her parasol and untied shoes heading off to church.
Education is very important to the people of Ghana. The small villages lack the funds to build a school but have adapted and built simple structures for educating their children.
Great and friendly people and great foods, what more can you ask for!
Fresh crab FU - FU ! A common meal in this part of Ghana.
Eating your meal with your hand is common and expected. Generally, you will find a small bowl next to your meal filled with lemon water to dip and clean your fingers while you enjoy your meal.
A short slideshow of my first visit to Africa. Ghana
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