Saturday is our preparation day, so with five other senior couples we went to Aburi Botanical Gardens and the Aburi Market. Aburi is a little town in the mountain/hill region in eastern Ghana. There is a paved switchback road that leads up to the town and the 161-acre gardens which were opened in 1890 by Governor William Brandford-Griffith and Dr John Farrell Easmon, a Sierra Leonean medical doctor. The gardens must have been quite the sight in their prime, there is a Victorian feel to the buildings and palm tree lined entrance. In the pictures you'll see cocoa beans hanging on a tree, small nutmeg pods that a just beginning to form, a cement mixer (yes, this is Africa), and a carved tree that is a true work of art, depicting everyday citizens “climbing” the tree to the leader/monarch to ask for support and help. It took one man five years to carve the figures. I’ve attached a picture of two little boys who decided they'd follow our group. Someone gave them lollipops which totally puzzled them. They put the suckers in their mouth with the wrappers still on. Two of the sisters showed the boys how to remove the paper, helping them realize that a ball on the end of a white stick was pretty yummy.
After walking the paths in the gardens and eating our picnic lunch, we drove to the local market that is know for its artisan wood carvers. Like all markets here, each vendor tries to entice tourists to their shop. I have no idea how the vendors make a living or even distinguish themselves from the vendor sitting next to them. I suppose that my eye isn't discerning enough to see the difference from one carver to the next. I purchased five light mahogany elephants with tusks. I only wanted two elephants, but the vendor insisted that elephants need to be in a family of five, so I bought the family. I also purchased two wrap-around African print skirts and a beaded necklace.
How did I choose who to buy from? I ended up purchasing from vendors who are members of the church, or are at least savvy enough to realize that someone with a black name tag will do business with you if you say you’re a member!
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