Agono Swedru

Arrived at Accra Airport as Ghana went in to battle with Mexico in their first game of the World Cup. Seems half the city had set themselves up in the arrivals lounge in front of a big screen and place was going off.

On leaving the airport we were greeting by an amazing drum and dance performance by Asanti in our arrival honour, surrounded by another throng of football watchers. We got very excited. The football watchers seems a little bemused and not impressed that we wwere interrupting the game.

So after 24 hours of flying I was ready to kick back with a cup of tea in a swank something somewhere. 7 of us, 12 of the dancers, drums and baggage fitted in the a 15 seater van and drove to a market of sorts to pick up our drums, where there was another group of people huddled around a television hooting and honking. Ghana scored at this point. There was jubilition and grand displays of pleasure.

We picked up beautiful drums made for our thwacking pleasure, then took a two hour drive to a village as written above. Byt this stage my brain felt like it was oozing out my eye sockets.

We had a beautiful welcoming ceremny .. computer is threatening to close on me.. must be quick or deft or something ... were given bottles of coke and fed rice and some meaty stuff that was tasty.

Slept the sleep of a dead thing that wakes up a lot.

This morning, warm up, traditional dance class, drumming and now at the local village along a very bumpy road.

I'm in Africa. We are the only white people in a town ful of Africans. I feel strangely at home. I just had a dance with a cop in the street. People are very very friendly, beautiful and poor. There is garbage everwhere... the children are very curious and there are no beggars.

Publishing now in case I lose the connections.. no edit, no reread.. just as it comes from a sleep deprived, jet lagged brain...