We took a Saturday excursion to Jamestown. This is a horribly poor seacoast neighborhood of Accra. Pictures don't capture the abject poverty of this community. This is the town where the library children come from. Our self-appointed tour guide said the boats go out to fish every day of the week except Tuesday. Because of tribal traditions, Tuesday fishing and selling of fish are taboo. They may stay out for days or many weeks. When they need supplies a smaller boat will bring out provisions and more crew members to the fishing boat. The boats are carved out of big trees and painted black, red, white and blue. Many have scripture passages or spiritual sayings painted on them. (just like the tro-tros)

This man is mending his fishing nets.

These children are all orphans of the fellow who was our tour guide. He runs an orphanage and teaches a bit of English. He never went to school, but learned to read and write English from a friend.

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Local women who seemed very dressed up compared to the other women, loved her lipstick.

These ladies are scraping a red bean that is processed into palm oil which becomes their cooking oil.

Children tending children.

Chopping up and cooking the local fish.

Funerals are very important and full of tradition. They can last for many days and may cost thousands of dollars. A deceased family member may stay in the 'freezer' for years until the family has enough money to pay for the funeral (all the while accruing freezer costs). Mourners wear black and red colors so you don't want to wear those colors unless attending a funeral. They also have official 'criers' and 'prayers' for mourners. As much or more can be spent on a funeral as on a wedding. Some rightfully complain that they invest more on the dead than on the living. We came upon several funerals during our walk through Jamestown. Friends may make donations towards the cost of the funeral.

The children don't seem to know they were poor. These kids were happily watching cartoons on a TV, or maybe a video.

Not sure the story of these scrawny bulls. This is where the children meet for school.

You wouldn't even believe how these people live. Can you see the goats on top of the roof?

Saturday is wash day. The kids washed in the pot and laid out the clothes wrong side out on the dirty ground, or lay them on bushes or mounds of rocks. When the clothes are dry they are turned right side out and are clean to wear.

This building was the slave auction center. They now sell Bibles here as penitence for selling slaves.

Fort James where the slaves were taken and held until they were shipped to foreign lands.

Our tour guide uncovered the entrance to the tunnel that took thousands of slaves hundreds of yards underground to the Fort and then onto the ships.

We took the steep steps down and entered the huge tunnel but didn't go any further.

Ghana ended slavery in 1928. 

Can you read the sign that says "NOTICE BOARD'? I don't think there's much modern communication here.

Jamestown's famous lighthouse. This is on the Gulf of Guinea. 

We pulled off the road and drove a short way on a TERRIBLY rutted road under this sign. Can you read 'China's Aid to Ghana Fishing Port Complex Project'. We were quickly told to back out. This is where our self-appointed tour guide showed up and said he'd take us around for whatever we thought was a reasonable fee. It looked awful down there. I don't know if China is still involved or not.

Our tour guide. I'm not sure we even got his name. I have a hard time understanding their accents especially when their mouths are covered by a mask.

After the morning in Jamestown, Steve gave a Relief Society fireside at this chapel to the local Relief Society sisters about emotional resilience. It's a tough life in Africa for women. There are many cultural traditions that need to be abolished. They seemed pleased with his presentation and had lots of good questions.

This truck was stopped in the middle of the road with a flat tire. You see trucks like this all the time broken down with one thing or another. It really plays havoc with the traffic.

Sewing is a big business in Ghana. This was in Jamestown and they do have electricity as you can see on the wall. All machines are metal and old fashioned like these.

This gal had a treadle machine because she didn't have electricity in her teeny-tiny shop. I'm curious where everyone gets their shipping containers that they turn into homes, businesses or libraries.

The older kids at the library are showing off their amazing acrobatics. 

33 children and 3 adults come in this van to the library. I hate the thought of so many in a mini-van with no seat belts.

If you look closely maybe you can see the bats hanging upside down in these huge trees that we drive under every day. Thousands hang out here all day long.

We walk by these gardens every morning. It's very peaceful. Elaine, Zoe and I walk every morning at 6am. It's the most beautiful time of the day. We try different roads every day or enjoy this garden.  The weather at 6am is absolutely beautiful before the sun comes up and there's usually a nice breeze. I get my 10,000 steps in most days. Steve and I go walking after dinner at dusk before he starts his calls.

This is one of the local grocery stores where we shop.

Steve in the white shirt.

These are just random shots. 'To Let' means 'for rent'.

This is billboard space for rent.

Another tro-tro.

This is my local 'dollar store'. They're out ready for business at 6am. I like to support the local vendors when I can rather than the big grocery stores. I bought paper towels here today.

Lots of three-wheel scooters carrying heavy loads.

This is the DuBois Market that is out every 1st and 3rd Saturday. It's targeted towards the ex-pats and missionaries. Most shoppers are Caucasian. It's under a huge canopy of trees and is so clean with beautiful merchandise.

Beautiful full moon picture from our kitchen window. The Harmattan season (end of November to the middle of March) is over. This is the dry and dusty trade winds which blow from the Sahara desert over West Africa. Now the sky is a bit more clear to catch a view of the moon. I think the rainy season should be here soon. Of course we have just a bit of rain every Monday and Thursday, right after car is washed.

The Accra, Ghana Temple. Every day at the office we park on one side and walk across the sidewalk to the area offices. We take time to look at the temple and remind ourselves that we are in Africa!