Barbara J
Barbara J Mobley Joined: September 11th 2008
Logged in: October 14th 2008
Logged in: October 14th 2008
Travel Blog Posts
FINAL BLOG OF THE JOURNEY! Local time: 5:29am Ghana time, 1:29am EST, Tues Oct. 14th.; flight departs at: 10:00am local time. Should you read this before 10:20pm, EST on Tues. Oct. 14th., please ask for traveling mercies as I head home to Georgia. SUNDAY: With 8 other members of the group and myself, we traveled from our hotel, Sun Lodge in Accra to a 9:30am Sunday morning worship session at Freeman Memorial Methodist Church in the James Town area of Accra, or a part of the old colonial side. We were warmly greeted by one of the women leaders and lay minister, Mr. Bannerman as we came down from the van. Because it was the 2nd. Sunday, the services were in both English and Ga, a local language of the area, also it was Communion Sunday. ... read more
Motto of Ghana: Forward Ever Backwards Never", from Pres. Kwame Nkrumah, 1st. Pres. of Ghana, on March 6, 1967 THURSDAY: Cape Coast Castle - slave dungeons, really, passed through Swedish, Danish and Dutch hands before falling to the Brits in 1664. While England never used the Castle for slave trade, the castle was in fact a system of dungeons which also contained cells, officers quarters and a church! We toured the male & female dungeons with known details shared by our guide. Eerie is not the right word...The inhumanity and indignity of the Atlantic slave trade must never happen again. ... read more
FRI. OCT. 10 2008 Resided for 2 nights at the One Africa Beach-front Lodge. The lodge had a very Afro-centric and Rasta themed design through-out the place. Each room was an individualy thatched roof hut, named after outstanding people of color. My room-mate, M. Pilcher chose hut #6 - named in honor of Queen Mother Moore. The place was clean and tidy...no air, a non-working fan, but lots of breeze off of the Ocean, which was just a few steps away. Oops...forgot to say, there was no hot or even warm water...but, it was "all good" as we were not "ugly American tourist"...we endured! On Fri. morning, we had a choice of activities for the early part of the day: some took batiking and most of us opted to visit an agricultural farm, which was owned ... read more
Greetings after several busy and move-about days. TUES: City of Kumasi, Capital of the Ashanti Region We visited Manhyiah Plalace, seat of the Ashanti Kingdom and the Kumasi Cultural lCentre. Our group heard a lot of tradition and history. In the Ashanti Region,l the Royal family bloodline is traced through the maternal uncle line. In the Akan speaking areas women are very powerful. The current Ashanti King: Osei Tutu II took office in 1999 and sits at the Rooyal Palace and settles disputed of residents over land or other matters, Monday through Thursday. After leaving the Palace, we visited the Bonwire Kente Weaving Village. We met 4 young weavers at their looms in a small modest building. Some of the Kente patterns were explained. We purchased an asstm. of Kente and Kente products. Richard, custom bracelet ... read more
Greetings from the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Monday: After our breakfast, I took several photos of the Adomi Bridge. Today, we traveled 214 miles from Akosombo to Kumasi, the Ashanti Region. We made one stop after the rest stop, that was at an outdoor famers-type market, where we purchased tomatoes and oranges. Upon our arrival in Kumasi, we (after 6 hours on the road), enjoyed a late lunch at the Jofel Restaurant. I had seafood soup and chips(fries). This was a long journey. But we passed through several cities and townships. The photo-opps. were great and quite colorful. While on the bus, our tour guide, Nathan informed us about several festivals which take place in several cities and regions in Ghana. While the spelling may be off, the sounded names of the festivals are: deepo - ... read more
Greetings: It is fairly early on our first Sunday in Ghana. My group, Private Collection is slowly gathering for breakfast and a first-hand view of the Volta River. We have traveled from the capital of Accra and am now in the Eastern Region in a city near the Volta Region, Akosombo. Saturday: We were invited by Hon. Peace Baku, my former sister-in-law to the Enstoolment of Osie A. Tekpor VII as the Paramount Chief of Avatime Traditional area. We departed Accra at approx. 7:20am, with one extended rest stop,arriving in Vane/Avatime at approx. 11:45am. Our group was warmly greeted and seated on the "high table" as the Baku family's special guests. We witnessed a very orderly, happy, celebrating gathering of residents of this area who included both traditional and Christian prayers and installations. There was a ... read more
Thursday: Greetings from the Motherland! My 12 member travel team identified as "Private Collection" arrived safely in Accra on Thursday at 7:40am. Immigration & customs were uneventful, although we carried donations of clothing, shoes and school supplies for a local orphanage and Freeman Memorial Methodist Church students. Friday: Yesterday was an exciting adventuresome, informative day in Accra. We departed our hotel at 9am(5am EST) touring the WEB DuBois home and burial site, The Ghana Museum, The Arts Centre and The Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Center(museum/burial site/book store & beautiful park) I learned a lot today about details of both DuBois and Nkrumah's lives. The DuBois facility was his actual home in Accra, along with his now departed wife, Shirley. There were many photos, personal belongings, original writings and awards/recognitions. The Nkrumah experience was revealing regardi... read more
