A Day Off

Friday was a day off, thanks to the observance of African Day, a secular holiday that is celebrated continent-wide.  Government offices are closed, as are the schools.  No one from our team appears to be unhappy about a 3-day weekend.  Even though our days are not overly long, the work is intense and the heat and humidity oppressive, at least for me.  Immediately after breakfast, we were treated to an informative cooking class, presented by Bless, the cook at St. James Guest House, and Rose, our server.  In a step-by-step fashion, we were taught how to make peanut soup, so far the group’s favorite local food.  Bless was wonderfully organized, clear in her presentation, and gracious, making the experience both enjoyable and informative.  Ann was kind enough to take notes so that we can try our hands at making the recipe at home.  As an aside, we collectively muffled our gasps as Bless managed to open an aluminum can using a sizable (and very sharp, I presume) knife.  Earlier, said knife almost amputated Pam’s foot as it slipped out of poor Bless’s hand.  Although I personally would never try her can opening technique, once again I was made aware of how many gadgets we could live without if push came to shove. 

Following our cooking lesson, 5 of us loaded ourselves into a our buddy Richard’s taxi, which took us to Akosombo .  Meanwhile, Emily and Samuel took a tro tro to Accra to exchange Emily’s airplane ticket.  Today’s main activity was a several-hour “stay” at a luxury hotel in Akosombo.  Pam, Roger, and I availed ourselves of the hotel’s wifi and other services.  We all enjoyed lunch together and took advantage of the natural light (something sorely missing at our guesthouse) and the beautiful view of the Volta and its hilly backdrop.  A little luxury seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. (As an aside, I feel guilty even writing these words given the extraordinary poverty we are seeing and experiencing in Senchi Ferry.) 

As my computer battery gasped for air at the hotel, I realized how dependent I’ve become on the internet.  Every time a question comes up in conversation, my reflexive thought is, “I’ll google it.”  Or I spontaneously want to share an experience I’ve had here with family and friends back home.  No go.  For the duration of the morning, I worked frantically do get everything said and done before my battery expired.  As luck would have it, just as it gave up the ghost, lunch was brought to the table.  Emily and Samuel magically reappeared, and we all sat on the hotel’s balcony, enjoying a relaxed meal and beautiful scenery.  I felt like I was in another world

Our trip back to the guesthouse was uneventful, as was dinner, which in part consisted of the peanut soup we watched being made.  Pam and Roger went to hear a local band; the rest of us chose to veg out.