Sights of Kumasi

I think Williams, our driver, breathed a sigh of relief today. Just trips around Kumasi and nearby villages to see potentially dull stuff, except when you get there, it isn't.
Visited a 170 year old Asante house. In English, it's 'Ashanti' but they don't listen and can't spell. The people are Asante and make up a majority of the Ghanaian people. The name comes from the words 'Asa Nte' because of war.
Next, off to a village where they weave the traditional Kente cloth that people associate with African. Kente means 'gorgeous' and lots of people wear it. Grabbed myself a man bag for when I go shopping.
The weavers are amazing. Fast and precise, even with tourists poking camera in their faces.
Then, on to a place where they make wooden stamps and dye for putting traditional patterns in cloth. The dye is made from tree bark. If you get it on your fingers it just washes off in water, but when it's stamped onto cloth and allowed to dry for a short time, it ain't coming out.
Next stop, lunch at a cool place called Ikes. Fake African decor in Africa. There was a green, slimey pond with big catfish in it. Weird thing, it didn't smell at all. We had a fresh coconut for the juice, a buffet lunch and then they tried a Palm Wine Sorbet on us. Gee it was nice (and strong). Imagine a gin sorbet.
After making our way through a giant open air market we went to the Royal Museum. No photos allowed except for the Asante gold, which they are famous for. There was the old king's 1960s Sanyo TV, which still worked, an ancient ceiling fan about as old as me, which still worked, and an ancient keto fridge imported from Egypt, which still works. The Asante King lives next door to the museum now.Read more