Ashanti Adventures

Early Saturday morning, the Global Navigators set off on their weekend journey to Kumasi.

After a smooth five-hour bus ride, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed to the Manhyia Palace. The Manhyia Palace is home to the king of the Ashanti Kingdom in the Ashanti Region. Students were able to tour the palace museum; learning about the wars fought by the Ashanti, the role of the Queen Mother and the significance of the golden stool.

After the palace tour, we headed to the Kejetia Market in the heart of Kumasi. The Kejetia Market, also known as the Kumasi Market, is the largest single market in West Africa with over 45,000 shops located inside. Students were able to try their hand at bargaining, as well as utilize their newfound Twi language skills with local sellers.

We returned to our hotel in the evening, resting up for our second day of Kumasi adventures. After breakfast at the hotel, we voyaged to the Bonwire Kente Village. Students were able to assist with the weaving of traditional Ghanaian Kente cloth and learn about the history behind each color and design.

From Bonwire we traveled to Ntonso to visit the Adinkra craft village. We were taught the meaning of various Adinkra symbols and their impact on Ghanaian history and culture; we were also able to stamp our own cloth with symbols that resonated with us. (Scroll to the bottom to see our Adinkra masterpiece being made!)

We traveled back to Accra where we ate at one of our favorite local restaurants, De’lish, and reflected on our vibrant, non-stop weekend. We are now preparing for our third and final week!

Medaase,

Kaylee and Keyandra

Twi Word of the Day-

The Twi word of the day today is nsuo which means water or rain (nsuo to-it is raining). We got to experience a true day in the Ghanaian rainy season on Saturday when it stormed all night!