Chris has a meeting at the university in the morning, so Louise and I take a taxi to the National Cultural Centre in Kumasi. Our driver's route is slightly eccentric, taking us through the grounds of the main teaching hospital there. The only facility he pointed out to us was the morgue, but we did drive past it, and I pointed that I was not keen to visit there, thankyou!
The cultural centre was made up of a wide variety of craft workshops with a range of different activities traditional to the area - pottery, Kente weaving, broadloom weaving, sculpture, batik dying, printing, rafia work and rattan furniture making, brass casting and so on. The people there were really interesting to talk with and were keen to explain their activities. They were not at all pushy about encouraging purchases which was great, though of course we did buy some things.
In addition, there was a museum about their previous Ashante king and all the paraphernalia required to be a king in that area. His right to kingship depends on having access to a solid gold throne which apparently fell from the sky at the behest of a priest. The British thought that they had captured the throne, and therefore had control of the region, but of course, they were fobbed off with a fake one - which is now on display, and which doesn't look very much like a solid gold throne at all.
The king survived in part by having only male cooks. His many wives are not allowed to cook for him in case one gives him something that makes him favour her over all the others. He has an official food taster too, who after eating the food has to wait 30 minutes before the food can safely be given to the king.
After this visit, we take a taxi to the airport where we have to wait an extra hour because the flight has been rescheduled for a bit later on in the day. It all works smoothly though and we pass underneath fantastic cumulo nimbus clouds and a magnificent red and purple sunset.
The cultural centre was made up of a wide variety of craft workshops with a range of different activities traditional to the area - pottery, Kente weaving, broadloom weaving, sculpture, batik dying, printing, rafia work and rattan furniture making, brass casting and so on. The people there were really interesting to talk with and were keen to explain their activities. They were not at all pushy about encouraging purchases which was great, though of course we did buy some things.
In addition, there was a museum about their previous Ashante king and all the paraphernalia required to be a king in that area. His right to kingship depends on having access to a solid gold throne which apparently fell from the sky at the behest of a priest. The British thought that they had captured the throne, and therefore had control of the region, but of course, they were fobbed off with a fake one - which is now on display, and which doesn't look very much like a solid gold throne at all.
The king survived in part by having only male cooks. His many wives are not allowed to cook for him in case one gives him something that makes him favour her over all the others. He has an official food taster too, who after eating the food has to wait 30 minutes before the food can safely be given to the king.
After this visit, we take a taxi to the airport where we have to wait an extra hour because the flight has been rescheduled for a bit later on in the day. It all works smoothly though and we pass underneath fantastic cumulo nimbus clouds and a magnificent red and purple sunset.
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