You are welcome!

This is the first thing we heard on entering Ghana, on entering stores and restaurants in Ghana, on being stopped by the police at one of the many barricades in Tamale, Ghana. I thought it sounded sweet, but it always got me stuck in a weird loop that ended awkwardly:

Ghanaian person: You are welcome!

Me: Thank you!

GP: ... You're welcome.

Me: Oh .... Thank you ...

GP: ...

It was very, very strange to be in an Anglophone African country. Interestingly, I thought it felt more African, and E thought it felt less so.

As soon as we entered Ghana we noticed differences: There were power lines connecting even the small villages near the border. The roads were in excellent repair.

All of a sudden, I could read all the signs! And they were funny! I saw shops named Peace in the Yard So-So Wonders, and Dr. Jesus Best Photo. The north of Ghana is a mix of Muslims and Christians, so we saw many, many business names like Thy Will Be Done Licensed Chemical Dealers, and Suffer to Gain restaurant.

The children who had learned some English said "Hello" or "Good morning" and "How are you doing?" The ones with more schooling spoke very formally, like the group of girls we met on the street Saturday afternoon. "Please, I would like to know your names," the tallest said. "I'm Robin, and this is E," I said, "What are your names?" "I am also called ----," she said. Unfortunately the names were unfamiliar to me, and I don't remember any of them. I just remember that they all introduced themselves by saying "I am also called." Except for the littlest boy, who was too shy. "He is also called Pakous," the girls told me. "Good bye!" I said. "Good bye! And good luck!" they called back.

We didn't have such clear communications with everyone. In fact, we had great difficulty ordering our first Castle Milk Stout from an English-speaking waitress, who had absolutely no idea what we were saying. And when we overheard Ghanaians talking to each other, I couldn't even tell if they were speaking English or not.

We were in Ghana to see a small shea nut processing plant in Sevelugu -- well, that's why E was there; I was just along for the ride. Sevelugu is just a little village, so we stayed in nearby Tamale, a small city that is a stopover for many travellers. We stayed at the Relax Lodge and both nights we dined at Swad Fast Food, on Indian and Ghanaian dishes: Samosas, rice balls with groundnut soup, chicken masala.

Goats on a truck.

A giant termite mound.

Service station between Tamale and Sevelugu.

The main boulevard leading into Tamale.

A clothing boutique in Tamale. Most shops closed early Saturday afternoon and did not reopen for the rest of the weekend. Who knew Maryland fashions had spread so far?

Tires for sale.

We split a delicious Castle Milk Stout at Sister's Tavern on Saturday evening. Cecilia, the proprietor, calls the place Sister's because she is "everyone's sister." She said she has many children all over -- not all biological, but she calls them her children. She seemed very enterprising, and was curious about potential exports to and from Mali.

I snuck this photo at the Ghana-Burkina border. Bye-bye!