Driving from Wa to Wenchi, we drove along the ancient caravan route that linked the Kumasi region to the Kingdom of Sudan. Gold and kola nuts were carried along this route. Traders imported kola nuts from the forests of Asante for hundreds of years, carried in large, donkey caravans from the middle Volta basin Sudan. Now there is a big business in Cashew Nuts…one of my favorites.

We stopped in one village where there was a local blacksmith and spent time watching him make jewelry and tools (on consignment) for the locals, then sat around in his workshop…listening to tales from the elders…View image…telling a little about ourselves…talking to the family…and getting a picture of their everyday lives. Tip: I always seem to forget to bring postcards of Chicago while traveling to hand out. It’s helpful in describing where you live (even though it may be hard for them to comprehend a city looks like that). You may want to remember this since I can’t!

local blacksmith in West Africa

inside house of locals in West Africa
On the road again…heading for Kumasi…
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