While the title speaks for itself on most levels, it does not convey the surreal nature of witnessing such a spectacle, particularly when it involves one's very own children. As part of the Cambridge Examinations exhibition, Tall Oaks was invited to stage a couple of demonstrations. As Taekwondo was selected and Brontë and Cohen are members of the class, they became a part of the show at the British Council. We headed out on a recent Saturday morning to infiltrate one of Britain's inner sanctums here in Ghana and we were not disappointed. There were a number of British-affiliated schools represented at the event and overall it went very well. It was especially nice to see how excited Materia and Finn were to get to see their teachers on a Saturday! What is it that happens to the young mind that shifts their perspective from "teacher as rock star" to "teacher as plague"? These are the questions recurring for a high school principal... 
The Council (as I understand it) is the public arm of the British Embassy here in Ghana and they describe their mission as building "engagement and trust for the UK" which is a rather interesting and telling pursuit in a post-colonial nation. I shouldn't poke any fun as I think the work they do in Ghana and other countries is valuable, and I think Ghana has--at least to a great extent and quite generously--forgiven past invaders for many of their historical transgressions. From what I could see, the Council serves as a resource, education and development centre in Accra, and I think they have an office in Kumasi as well.
I am honestly amazed at what Cohen and Bronte (both yellow belts now) have learned after a year and I hope they want to continue in our next community, assuming it's available. The level of focus and discipline they showed was commendable and Cohen even got to break a board for the audience, so he was especially pleased. Sorry, but the pictures I took of the board-breaking were mostly of other people's heads (the pictures, not the breaking!) so I couldn't use them here--you'll just have to visualize! The demo was so well received that they were called upon to do an encore in the back garden so that the Council representatives could also witness it. Alas, all the boards had already been broken, so the climax lost a bit of its punch (pun intended!), but that didn't stop the kids (and their parents) from looking pretty darn proud. This was another one of those "things I never thought I'd be seeing or doing in Ghana" kind of experiences, that I'm glad we all had. 
Akwaaba! As we are not long for this country now, this will undoubtedly be one of my last blog entries for Ghana. It was probably inevitable that the number of entries would diminish as time wore on, and that there would be some repetition, so I hope you will indulge me as I re-visit LouMoon Lodge. Unlike so many sequels, our second trip to LouMoon Lodge at Axim was every bit as fulfilling as the first and I dare say that it outshone on many levels, particularly since our good friends were along for the sun and sand. We booked months in advance for a national holiday weekend, and even though it was the rainy season (theoretically, I'm pleased to report...more on the weather in a bit), I think we were wise to have done so, as it seemed to be fully booked.
Last time we stayed in a "Hillside" chalet which was a little more private and had two separate rooms, but it was away from the beach, had little in terms of view, and didn't have an outdoor lounging area. It was, in its defense, less expensive. This time round we booked the two lower rooms in the Bayview Chalet and were all the happier for it. Despite the fact that there were twelve of us in two rooms (our friends also have four children), the rooms were so large that we fit comfortably. These rooms had the added perks of hot water, individual patios, breathtaking views of LouMoon's private bay, and the chalet is just steps from the private beach, the beach volleyball court, and the restaurant. 
In practical, plain, family terms, this meant that at any given time we could pretty much see the children and we didn't have to venture too far for pee breaks, band-aids, time outs, naps, wine refills, snacks, or forgotten beach toys. I must be forthright and admit that our enjoyment hinged on the cooperation of the weather, which was pretty darn reasonable for the duration of our stay, despite being warned when we booked about the threat of the rainy season. Due to the fact that the kids could always be outside interacting with one another, it made for some quality time for the grown-ups. It also meant that all the wee ones were completely tuckered out and were sound asleep (for the most part...remembering that there were eight children ten and under!) shortly after supper. The big people would convene under the stars on the patio, accompanied by the rush of the ocean and one or two refreshments, like the signature Bailey's Moon that was at least as delicious as (I'm sure) it could be dangerous! 
We were at LouMoon for a little less time, but we spent almost all of that time on the beach. The water can still be a bit rough, even in the bay, but the current shifts often enough that it tends not to last. The tide also brings in its fair share of garbage, so it is rather handy that LouMoon has a "back-up" private beach some 150 yards upsand, and that the two beaches never seem to be under seige with debris at the same time. The highlight for us this time was that we spent a good chunk of our last morning snorkeling in the rocks near the other beach and were rewarded for our efforts with an ocean full of life and colour. We also made good use of the sea kayaks and Finn is always game when there is a soccer ball to be kicked. 
If the weather was poor, I could see someone feeling that the five hour journey--littered with enthusiastic police ready to "process" you unless you "give them something"--was not worth it, but we have been very lucky in that the trip was worth it, twice! Friends we met before Christmas (now in Nepal) had said that LouMoon was one of the things they'd remember most fondly about their time in Ghana and I think we will have to agree. It was exceptional, affordable, and breathtaking. 
The beach is obviously the main attraction at the resort, and I cannot overstate how many things it has going for it. It is likely the most accessible bit of ocean in Ghana, as there is some sort of sand shelf that serves as a buffer for waves and undertow that drown more than a few people at other beaches every year. The resort is a good distance from the two nearest villages on either side, and both made for good barefoot trek destinations along the shore. The nearest village is also home to Fort Appolonia, another historic slave trade building that is in very good condition, which we were able to tour the inside of. We collected many unique shells, including dozens of sand dollars (we hadn’t found these elsewhere so the kids were especially enthusiastic about these) and the resort has a pretty impressive collection of their own that includes whale vertebrae! While we were too late for the nesting of sea turtles that happens in the area, we still managed to learn quite a lot as it is soon hatching time and the resort is also a dedicated conservation point for the turtles. 
We stayed in one of the two cabana-style, thatched roof chalets, and paid a mere 70 Ghana cedis a night for both of the adjoining rooms in the unit. Each of the rooms had a four poster bed so huge that it comfortably slept our three oldest (no small accomplishment having Cohen and Bronte comfortably co-habitate!). The whole front wall of the room opened up via shuttered doors, to a small, private porch and a long view of the ocean. While our first night was a vomit-filled tribute to parenthood and our second a fanless dedication to the Electricity Company of Ghana, we still managed to survive thanks to ample space, comfortable digs, and generous breezes from the ocean.
As I originally suggested, we went there looking or a good meal some weeks ago when at the nearby stilt village of Nzulezo and were quickly taken with the simple, homey traveller’s retreat that was nestled behind the fence adjacent to tourism office. They had us at "Akwaaba!" and we settled into the open air restaurant for a hearty meal. As we were already booked into LouMoon (a gem in its own right, though in a much higher price bracket), we couldn't stop in longer, but we booked a couple of nights for the next bank holiday weekend. Needless to say, the menu is excellent as we not only managed to feed our gang of six for forty-eight hours, but we also did so with variety and food group representation! It didn't hurt that we all became seriously addicted to fresh-squeezed orange juice made from the locally grown, sinfully sweet fruit. My new adage is "Everything's better with garlic mayo (except my heart and my breath)!" We honestly did not manage to try everything on the menu that we wanted to and this is a tremendous accomplishment for any restaurant in Ghana!
The resort has beach volleyball, a separate playhouse and sandbox for the kids (next to the restaurant), DVD players and movies to rent, a well-stocked lending library, a couple of common areas for conversations, reading or board games (they have several to borrow), and there are also more rustic cottages for backpackers and NGO workers that run considerably less, but still have access to hot showers! If you are traveling in the area, you should stay at Beyin Beach Resort. If you are visiting the stilt village, you should eat there. If you have the luxury of time on your hands, you should book an extended stay and spend your hours imaging a life there (not unlike, I'm sure, the owners themselves did once upon a time). If it's your birthday while your there, like it was mine, call ahead and they might just bake you a cake and save you a hammock on the beach! 
Built by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, the fort was soon captured by the Dutch and eventually fell into the hands of the British, before being returned to the people of Ghana just over fifty years ago (to coincide with Independence). This fort was by no means as extravagant (for the chosen few) as some of its larger counterparts, but its past was just as dark. We were shown the almost lightless, relatively airless cells where dozens of men, women and children were stacked into to await trips through the point of no return, if they lived that long. The guide kept reminding us that they would be locked away for "three good months," with the dead. In this case, the point of no return involved a drop into a lower chamber, followed by a march to the nearby lighthouse island, where they were picked up. Many were traded for salt or other goods provided at the fort and it was thought that most people had no idea where their relatives were going. It was often thought to be a better life--how mistaken they were. 
The most significant point of the tour for Brontë (who is becoming a romantic well before either of her parents are ready to deal with!) was the story about the director of the fort who fell to his death after seeing a beautiful captive being marched across to the island. He is the buried in one of the fort courtyards, leaving only his tomb and his somewhat suspect story to remember him by. This is the view from the place where he was reputed to have fallen from.
I would have to say that Axim, for its part as a former port town and thriving fishing village, has fared reasonably well and is much prettier town than Elmina. There are several noteworthy colonial age buildings that stand out from atop the fort's walls, including an early bank and a hotel. I don't think tourists are nearly as common out this way so people were content to let us wander around pretty much undisturbed. Of course we had several dozen children and a few adults who offered to watch our lone vehicle in parking lot. While we did hand out a few cedis worth of "dashes" (and a pack of Mentos gum) when we were leaving, these were the only people around and we could almost always see the van from the roof, so it was more of gesture than a necessity.
The learning associated with visits to locales such as the forts is not easy, but it has been an important part of our family's cultural and historic learning while in Africa. I'm sure each of us will take away something different, but I have a much deeper sense of what it means to be a developing nation. That is to say, I know the legacy and damage done, and more about what exactly Ghana--and so many other African nations--are developing from. It was always an uphill climb and this nation has really only been at it, on its very own terms, for a little over fifty years. How long does it take to re-build a nation or a people? Canada might do well to ask such questions regarding our First Nations population.
The lodge and dwellings were constructed by a European designer who has since moved on to other projects, leaving it to be managed by our ever-competent and attentive host, Timo. The open-air, world-inspired restaurant is the gathering place and centerpiece for what is an all-round perfectly planned paradise for the backpacker-made-good. We stayed in a hillside bungalow and have already booked to return, next time moving up in the world to a Bayside Suite that has an uninterrupted view of LouMoon's private bay. The prices are reasonable, given what is on offer, but there is an overall commitment to simplicity and conservation that is admirable and appealing, especially in Ghana. While this might turn the average tourist off, it is certainly a traveller's delight. The one big drawback for us was that self-catering was discouraged (and even forbidden) and it really added up with four children tallying "world restaurant" bills at every meal. We actually avoided the resort at lunch (breakfast was included and conspicuously ordinary, given the quality of the meals we paid for!) and just came for supper, usually accompanied by a staggering sunset across the sea.
As there are only about ten rooms in total at LouMoon, there is no such thing as busy, and there is always plenty to do. There is a full-sized volleyball court (on average, we're still a little small for such pursuits) and other outdoor games, and the sea kayaks were very popular with our clan. It was impossible to tire of playing in the sand, swimming, snorkeling, and beach combing, but we may have gone through a gallon or two of sunscreen as the Ghanian sun is force to be respected. The kids managed to complete various castles and sand sculptures while there, and depending on the weather and tides, the bay makes for a reasonably safe beach. We did, however, break the beach time up by managing a couple of day trips to the (relatively) nearby stilt village and an impressive fort in Axim (blogs to follow).
It would be difficult to make it as far as Axim and LouMoon, from Accra, for an overnight, but even two nights offers up one full day of heaven. We checked out other options in the area and are planning to visit Beyin Beach Resort for a couple of nights in the near future as well, having discovered it. We discovered it when registering at the guide station for Nzulezo and the Amansuri Wetlands. We had a memorable, inexpensive, kid-friendly lunch, something of a rarity in Ghana. It is relatively new and hasn't really "made" the Bradt guide as yet, but it should for the next edition! We'll let you know more about it after our stay!
Most of the pottery we've fond in Ghana is highly uniform, and strictly functional, so we haven't bought much aside from a couple of simple bowls and small pots. That is why we were pleasantly surprised to discover such a wealth and variety of completely unique pottery in the village of Fesi. It struck us that there must have been some outside influence somewhere along the line, as there was a decidedly Euro-western flair to the items on display. Any one of the objects could have been found at an artsy little Montreal boutique, or a Saturday market on Vancouver Island, or a garden shop in England, and I was trying to imagine some of the objects on the mud-sill of the average village window. 
The process was explained to us by one of the women who opened up for us. Due to the fact that it is often hot and dry, and because of the nature of the soil in West Africa, the clay that the potters buy from the local market is completely dry and very course. They basically have to pound it using a giant mortar and pestle until it is broken down into a finer consistency that can be mixed with water. Kilns consist of a square hole in the ground where the fire is built, over which the pieces are placed, and a small brick house is built around. Combine intense labour with intense heat, and you've got a recipe not only for pottery, but also for a day's work in the lives of many Ghanaians!
The cooperative is itself quite unique as it is made up of dozens of mothers, most of whom are apparently single parents, and all of whom have an aptitude for pottery. I think there are opportunities to volunteer with the collective, and some of their goods are sold online and abroad under a Fair Trade arrangement. In the end, we only bought a couple of small, functional items as the pottery seems to be quite brittle and we weren't sure we could trust the baggage handlers to be gentle with it! This is yet another example of eco-tourism gone very right and we are certainly glad we persevered.
The small village of Larabanga, near Mole National Park, is best known for its mud-and-stick mosque which is believed to be the oldest in West Africa. Again, it is difficult to say for sure how old it is, though there is some agreement around a date in the fifteenth century. It is also home to a copy of the Qur'an that is said to be as old as the mosque! The mosque is a common site on web pages, brochures and in guide books, and it is probably the most famous building Ghana, at least from an outsider's perspective. We were toured around the village by a guide who was recommended by Moses, our Mognori village host. If I recall, I donated a few cedis to the Imam and a couple more to our guide, who toured us through the village and answered questions about village life. He left us with the impression that money given to him goes to community projects but one can never be sure.
These last two pictures were taken in Wa, where there are two mud-and-stick mosques in close proximity to one another. As you can see they are quite similar to Larabanga, with the main difference being that people are allowed into the mosque. In fact, I was encouraged to tunnel my way up to the roof, using a crude ladder pole, where I could see out over Wa. There were dozens of kids following me, laughing as I risked getting my hippo-sized arse stuck in a hole that seemed to be made for small goats (as evidenced by the number of goats on the roof and the number of turds I put my hand in on the way up). The newer and larger mosque can be seen in the distance. Although there are a number of mosques in Accra (none nearly as old), we did not know very much about the Islamic faith aside from the various (mostly derogatory) images offered to us via media. While it is said that the Muslims of Ghana are quite liberal in their views and practices, what struck us was how friendly and welcoming they were--sort of like almost every other Ghanaian we have met. I also found it a bit surprising that not only do Muslims and Christians co-exist, but they do so peacefully. There is a lesson here. 
This village runs as an eco-tourism project and when we arrived we were greeted by a young man who was to be our host and tour guide. He is one of the young people who--because of the profits from kente--was able to go to senior secondary school outside of the village, and as a result he has one of the more important jobs in the community. He explained the process as he toured us around and we met several of the young weavers. It was a Saturday morning so all of the looms were humming. Each symbol or pattern has traditional significance and there seemed an infinite number of patterns. Tools and looms were all hand carved and the speed with which the weavers worked, while maintaining intricate, repeating patterns was truly remarkable. They only every weave stretches of kente that are about four inches wide, so larger pieces of cloth are stitched together for clothing and household use.
Basically, each village family has as many looms as it can sustain and the covered workshops are filled with family members. We were obviously surprised to learn (okay, not that surprised) that children start in the family business at just seven years old. At that age they begin doing small supportive tasks like hauling and spooling thread, and watching their older siblings in a sort of an apprenticeship. They do, thankfully, still go to school full time and I expect that most of them flock to class as the weaving looks to be quite tedious. As Bronte is eight, I think she most felt the impact of seeing these children working at her age, instead of spending free time playing or (a-hem) travelling around Ghana with her family. It would be easy for us to be critical or horrified, but it is a family business like any other and I was immediately put in mind of the family farm, where child labour is both necessary and character-building.
I have seen kente cloth in shops around not only Accra, but also in many other places. I'm certain I've seen it in the Forks, or other such markets in Canada. Until now I really never understood its true significance. It is yet another possibility for those who wish to spend their money mindfully, with sustainable intention. As I have often said to students, every dollar counts when it comes to the future and well-being of the planet. To be honest, I have no idea what we will do with the stunning, but impractical lengths of colour we purchased, but I suspect they've already done their most important work whether they end up on a wall or not. This message was brought to you by Tafi Abuipe Kente-Weaving Village. They thank you for your support! 
