Akwaaba! While the dust has settled on a U.S. election that captured the world's imagination and interest, the excitement in Ghana for its latest round of democratic, multi-party elections, is just hitting a fever pitch. Everyone is talking about the election (except on tro-tros where public debate has been banned due to intense passions in closed quarters!) as we move into the final week of campaigning, and it seems as though things will work out. African elections are always a little tense and the continent, if not the world, will be watching Ghana, to see if it really is as stable as everyone seems to want to believe it is. I know that "seems" is a rather loaded, ambiguous word, and my use of it is deliberate as democratic elections are only as good as they are just and fair. 
There seems to be few rules about posting election materials and the faces of Nana Akufo Addo and Professor John Evans Atta Mills, thought to be two front-runners, are everywhere. The ruling party, the National Patriotic Party, (outgoing) President Kufour's, is said to be the favourite and my sense is that they are a right-leaning party. Nana Akufo Addo is their candidate and his main press shot is so grandfatherly and cheerful it makes him look like the black Wilford Brimley (minus the moustache)! Their close rivals and opposition, the New Democratic Congress, are represented by the all-inclusive, rather liberal, umbrella, and they are pitching themselves as the party of change (this isn't the only parallel with President-elect Obama's campaign). There are eight other candidates (I think), each with its own party, but I think the only hopeful is the far-left leaning "Jack Layton" of Ghanaian politics, the Convention People's Party and their candidate Papa Kwesi Nduom. His party was formed by the father of independence, Kwame Nkrumah, but it doesn't appear (to my untrained eye) that they will win.
There is a great deal of concern of the voter registry and the carrying out of fair elections. When we first arrived here, there had been some turmoil in the north connected with the elections and while it made for a tense few weeks, it did settle down. Every party has been promoting their "manifesto" (this is the term they use for their platform) and they organize parades that march and sing around the city and the town. There are cars with big speakers and propaganda that drive around town extolling each party's message. The sellers flog fans, tissue boxes, t-shirts, calendars, scarves, flags and a host of other goods with the party logos on it, and debates can get pretty fierce, though not usually violent. The big issues are traffic, economic development (particularly around the recent discovery of oil), poverty, policing, corruption and the cost of living. Needless to say, there will be a lot of eyes on Ghana this weekend, as the voting takes place on Sunday (that's right...Sunday!). Perhaps now, you too will be watching--I sincerely hope that what you see is yet another peaceful display of the growth and progress of democracy in Ghana. 
The day after I posted this entry, the following arrived in my inbox from the Canadian High Commission in Ghana:
"The High Commission of Canada would like to remind Canadian citizens that presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for December 7, 2008 and if necessary, a run-off election will be held on December 28, 2008. There is the potential for gatherings of large crowds, demonstrations and political rallies in all parts of the country; these should be avoided. We wish to remind Canadian citizens that even demonstrations and rallies intended to be peaceful can lead to outbreaks of violence. Canadians are advised to avoid circulating near polling stations and political offices and if possible, Canadians should remain at home on Elections Day (s). As a normal precaution, the High Commission of Canada recommends that Canadians keep extra supplies of food, water and batteries at their homes."
More to come?
This region seems to be known for traditional bead-making and had we taken a different route, we would have taken in Cedi's Bead Factory. The unit of currency used to be the small cowry shell, called a cedi, hence the origin of the name today. We stopped at a spot where there were a couple of market stalls run by the women who made most of the jewelry they were selling. We can quickly get overwhelmed by sellers who pick up the kids, place clothing on them or give them toys or souvenirs, depending on the market, but this one was unique in that we were allowed to browse. For about ten Ghana cedis, we bought two bracelets, two necklaces, and two key chains. To be honest, I think we overpaid, but that is a relative matter of perspective. Cuyler even selected a bracelet and then proceeded to change his mind roughly 70 times in the span of a minute and a half. Below are brass pieces that would be more in keeping with that which was worn by the Ashanti people, though they used gold, not brass.
The turnaround point for our journey was the Akosombo Dam in the tourist village of Akosombo. The village itself was a pristine, gated community that is thought by many in Accra to be a jewel in Ghana's great crown. The village was originally built as a home for the hundreds of workers who constructed the dam. One is left with the impression, rather ironically, that for many in the surrounding villages and rural areas the dam is a rather cruel and constant reminder of the power shortages they face in the long shadow cast by hydro towers that don't seem to be there for their benefit. With an election on the horizon (more about this in a later entry), this is a significant issue. We saw more than a few makeshift, roadside signs that declared: No lights, no vote! This might explain why those in rural areas are a little less quick to boast of the splendour of the dam.
The dam is an impressive monument to industrialization and development in much the same way that the Hoover Dam is. We spent the same duration admiring it as we did at the U.S.'s version--roughly the amount of time it took to snap the above picture. The region is (admittedly) a finer, greener tribute to what is one of Kwame Nkrumah's greater contributions to Ghana. One cannot deny the impressive, sustainable impact that the massive Volta Lake has had on agriculture and development in much of Ghana. Below is an example of the Volta's ecoregion and a section of the largest manmade lake in the world. 
By the time we had arrived and looked around a little, the day's heat (and the earlier explorations in Shai Hills Reserve) had taken their toll. As has become our custom, it was time to seek a poolside refuge to quell or spirits and our imaginations. Worthy to the task today was the Afrikiko Resort, a little south of Akosombo. It cost a mere 12 Ghana cedis for all of us and we had, as the picture foretells, the entire pool to ourselves for the afternoon. The pools in Ghana almost always have a kiddie pool and I must say that each time we dip our toes into a tropical oasis such as this one, our family's sanity--always in jeopardy on a heat-infused roadtrip--is immediately restored. All of the children are becoming pretty darn comfortable paddling around in the water. Of course Cuyler and Materia have water wings or a life jacket, and at least one parent within arm's reach. 
The hotel was reminiscent of something one might find in the Lake District (without the dreary rain, damp cold and whopping prices!) and one could once again imagine spending entirely too much time here. On the way home, we enjoyed a round of Fan ice cream which comes in a little pouch that you bite the corner off of and then squeeze out the creamy deliciousness. The sellers ride bikes that cannot resemble Dickie Dee sellers so closely by coincidence alone. They don't have bells but they do have a little clown car horn that sets us to Pavlovian drool in a highly vulnerable hurry! As we had a late lunch and no supper, we also gobbled up a couple of bags of plantain chips, another family road trip favourite that has become the African version of Twizzlers or Old Dutch Popcorn Twists. Hmmm...if only I were paid for such blatant product placements. Who among us doesn't have a craving at this very moment?
