TRAVEL BLOG THURSDAY - VOLTA REGION
CRAFTS, KENTE, & KELEWELE ON THE RIVER || VOLTA REGION || GHANA || July 2018
First travel blog of the new year (2019) and I’m continuing the journey through West Africa. This is the last portion of Ghana we visited before heading to Togo and this post is to move the story along…
Day 10 – Sunday, July 29th, 2018
After breakfast, we piled into the bus and made our way towards the direction of the Volta River. The majority of the trip down the mountain was overcast but the clouds broke once we got closer to the river.
Our first stop was the Cedi Bead Factory Krobo Odumasi, Ghana where we learn the art of handmade bead making and of the unique beautiful bead varieties.
When I say everything was beautiful, I mean EVERYTHING! The beads are made from glass. The material is ground into a fine powder. The powder is placed into a mold and melted down then the hole is poked into the melted material as it cools to create a bead. It is them painted and re-fired to set. Each bead is made 100% by hand. Everything as small as beads used for waist beads to as large as beads used for necklaces worn by royals. We were given instruction on bead making by Nomoda Ebenizer Djaba, owner and director of the operation. He’s been doing bead work since childhood and learned from his grandfather. He is amazing at what he does.
Once we finished our lesson, we were set loose to view the shop and purchase the beads we liked. I bought a few necklaces and bracelets for friends and family and a few waist beads to add to my own collection.
After we got our fill of shopping, we headed to Afrikiko River Front Resort for some relaxation, libations, and a lunch cruise.
This was a beautiful resort right on the Volta River with a covered outdoor bar in the center overlooking the river. Everyone ate, what I assumed to be a delicious lunch while getting a tour of the landmarks along the river and up to the Akosombo Dam. I wasn’t hungry. The rest of the day we spent relaxing before crossing the border.
Day 11 – Monday, July 30th, 2018
The next morning, we drove to Agotime Kpetoe to the Kente Weaving Village.
We learned how the Kente clothes are weaved. I haggled for a Kente piece, an Ewe cloth which I was told meant “the poor man doesn’t eat stones”.
After the Kente village, we crossed the Ghana border into Togo and had to switch buses, get our passports stamped, and exchange money before heading to our hotel; the usual stuff.
Along our ride into the beginning portions of Togo we say breathtaking beaches and a large market.
We also got a new tour guide. He was a large Yoruba man who looked, spoke, and dressed like a traditional Yoruba man but had a sort of Morpheus from The Matrix vibe to him. Like imagine Laurence Fishburne in an agbada with the Matrix sunglasses on. I swear he was packin’ some sort of fire arm too but I can’t confirm that.
I just realized I didn’t take any pictures of food during this portion of the trip because I was still coming up off being sick.
Anyway, more to come on my pastry chef friend and I’s one hilarious day in Togo, our time in Benin and the spiritual journey I didn’t realize I would even be on during this trip (I should read details more, ha!); plus, a little education about last name as it relates to the Yoruba religion.
Thanks for reading all these words!
Love ya!
Taste Tutor