Saturday's outing with the Barneys

Saturday was our last hurrah with the Barneys before they left to go back to the US. They have been our guides since we arrived.  We've grown to love them and will really miss their companionship. 

Today's adventure took us to a roadside stand where they make wooden treasures as well as pottery. We purchased mahogany rolling pins here.  They are heavy!!!

Right down the road from there we noticed a family making foo foo for dinner. They were kind enough to let us get close and watch the process. Foo foo is a favorite among the Ghanains. It's made by crushing (pounding) plantain and a root vegetable together. It makes a pasty substance which they then cook and use like bread to scoop up their stews with. We've not tasted it yet but the missionaries like it. The long pole is to pound down on top of the vegetables to smash them in the bowl below. The vegetables are very hard and fiberous.  This makes a dough like mixture.  The woman sitting at the bowl at the bottom has the job of flipping an the dough before the next pound with the base of the pole. Risky job if you ask me. 

Our next stop was in Mampongten where they tyedye cloth.  After the cloth is dyed, they lay it out on the ground to dry in the sun.  This sets the colors. On the days they dye the cloth, there is fabric layed out everywhere in the village. After the fabric dries, they roll it in bundles and keep it in a small room where you can go select your purchase. 

The kids of the village are once again like all the children here, very friendly and excited to see "Obruni's".  (White people). 

Mr. Personality!

This compound is where the family lives.  As you can see, they are harvesting corn and drying it in the sun. 

After all that touring, we were hot and thirsty so we stopped at a roadside coconut vendor. He sells young coconuts that he will gladly trim the outer hard shell off with his machete so you can drink the coconut water inside.  I must say, it's much tastier coconut water than what we purchase in the stores back in the US.  All in all, it was a great day for touring!