Left Kumasi and back in Accra

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I left Kumasi yesterday, home of the asante people in the middle of Ghana and now I am back on the on coast in Acrra, the capital.
So, you know I went to the palace of the asante King to see if he would give me a naming ceromony. However, he only grants audiences to the common people on Sunday. I did meet, however, a lesser chief, from one of the local villages, and I talked to him for awhile. Finally, with dignity and respect, he gave me my name - ready?
My name is now Nana Kofi David Prempreh. That's it!
As I left, I reminded him that I will be looking for full Ghana citizenship asap.
The trip from Kumasi to Accra usually takes 5 hours by bus. However, it took 9 hours - bus not air conditioned, a dusty road with holes in it - speed bumps going through the villages ( speed bumps are called 'dead tables' here).
On one leg of the trip the bus driver was going pretty fast and tooting his horn as he went.
A little kid, about Jaiden's age, was in the street and the bus swerve and just missed him. The bus driver stopped the bus, got out and grabbed the boy and gave him a spanking. Other people got off the bus to yell at the kid as well. They held the kid until the mother came from the village and then she gave him a spanking. I got off the bus too and we all nodded as the poor boy was getting a spanking. Talk about a village raising a kid!
More and more, I am eating regular ghana food and drinking their water. So far so good - not sick yet. They don't like their water icy cold - getting use to that.
The biggest adjustment here is getting over the stereotypes we grew up with; the people in charge here are all very dark people with no european features. No light skin people here. No white people here. The King looks a little bit like JJ from Good Times. I remember Richard Pryor saying the same thing about this.
The day before yesterday I went to Bonwire and that's the place they make kente cloth. They let me try the machine to make the cloth but it's difficult.
I then went to the village where they make statues and masks. Stuff real cheap.
This is a very christian country - last night I went to a church across the street from my hotel and sat in on an all night christian service for 2 hours. Seems most churches here do that on Fridays. It was amazing. They kept changing the syncopation, the beat, to the gospel songs, double clap, single clap, triple clap - I did not have enough rythym to keep up. They all chant when they pray and everyone walks up and down the aisles while praying and drums and cymbals going - then alot of shouting and talking in tongue. Amazing!
Today, I went to a catholic service - and young kids were singing with the drums, double clap, rocking back and forth - another emotional moment. We don't let ourselves go as they do - over time, somehow, we forgot how to reach deep into our soul.
I am getting use to traveling alone - I stop and go and talk to everyone in each village - I must walk 5 to 7 miles each day without realizing it. Who, if they were here with me, would walk that far every daY? I'm just saying.
Gotta sign off.
See ya
Nana Kofi David Prempreh

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