In Logba Again (written last weekend)

The smell of burning goat tickles my nose. The rain has calmed to a steady patter and gentle, thundering rumble. The sounds of cooking, of television, of night-time insects float about on the cool, wet air. It is evening in Logba Alakpeti.

Today was market day, though not a big one. A funeral at the top of the hill and others elsewhere (weekends are popular times for funerals, and funerals are a big occasion) occupied most of the usual market-vendors and customers. In the afternoon the rains started, stopped briefly, and then began again in earnest,  leaving most vendors scrambling to cover their wares with plastic sheets. The more common bamboo shade structures covered in palm fronds aren't as waterproof as the corrugated metal covering some of the market stalls.

I went with Vivian to buy local soap and ingredients for preparing sobolo, which is one of the common names used throughout Ghana for a beverage made out of the calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa (also used to prepare beverages which go by the name of Jamaica, sorrel, and bissap). We bought plenty of ginger, sugar, and spices to go in it.

Life goes on in the Logba Traditional Area. While I was away, all of the thousands of delicious, immature mangoes that were growing on the trees ripened and were eaten. My research assistant and his wife had a baby girl. And the rains have started to fall, causing even more lush greenery to spring up. I am told that the rains are not yet sufficient for the crops, and there is some concern among farmers about that.

So once again I am grateful to be here, grateful for the hospitality and kindness of my homestay family and the surrounding community of people. The journey from Accra only took 7 hours (three hours more than usual), rather than 9 hours like my last trip! When I alighted from the trotro with my baggage I was immediately greeted in Ikpana by two Akpanawo (autonym for the people of the Logba Traditional Area) and I felt so happy to be able to return the greeting.

Today I passed a few neighbors on the way home from the market and after we had exchanged greetings they asked, "How long will you be staying with us?" "Four weeks!" I replied. And with typical Ghanaian humor they said, "When you go, take us with you back to your place!" "All right," I agreed.

Though now I am in the Logba Traditional Area again, I spent my first week back in Ghana in Accra, meeting with the paramount ruler and the botanist, and visiting my friends while making necessary arrangements. While there, a few of us went to Aburi Botanical Gardens together, which the botanist highly recommended, as Aburi is his home town.

More on our trip to the Aburi Botanical Gardens to come. In the meantime, here is a picture of the baby gecko that hangs out on my headboard.

Geckofriend in Logba Alakpeti