Kente Festival

In the middle of the month we had the opportunity to travel up to Ho (we have been there before) and attend the annual 'Kente Festival'. The Festival is actually about a half-hour drive from Ho at a place called Kpetoe. It was held over 3 days. There are 4 main events. Kente Weaving Competition, Fetching of the Water, Heroes and Heroines Day and The Grand Durbar.
Thursday, the first day, we had some prior commitments, so we arrived late and missed the first 2 events, so no photo's attached.

Kente Cloth

To wear the cloth, it is very hot, look closely; they sew the strips together to make the attire. It is heavy cloth and although looks nice not very practical for the Ghana weather.

Men dressed in cloth for the festival

Friday was quite exciting and a little scary! We met up with other Senior Couples from Accra and an Obruni couple Philippe Kradolfer and his wife (church members from Switzerland originally but now residing in the US) that were going to be crowned a Chief and Queen Mother. (this is quite a long story and one I will not tell here), but we ended up travelling into Togo (another country)  without our passports! Philippe stumbled upon this event that was not widely known about and started taking photos, put them into a book, and has been advertising the event. Hence they have made them Kente Ambassadors. We were assured if we travelled in the "Chief's Caravan"  - along with Philippe Kradolfer, that we would not need a passport. Louise was more than a little concerned with this plan. I could imagine the look on President Heid's face if we were all marooned in Togo and could not get back into Ghana...I think a NOT HAPPY look would be in order. But all was well. The border proved to be a man holding a gun and a bit of string across the opening, and we all sailed through it with no problems. There was a very long dusty road between the 2 check points.(Ghana and Togo). The reason we had to go to Togo is because that is where the celebrations of the Heroes and Heroines day was. The people dress in red, black or brown attire and have a mock war. They fire ancient muskets, and it is a day they celebrate to remember ancestors who have died or people who have demonstrated great heroism during their lifetime.

firing of the muskets

At the end of the ceremony they put all these ancient
muskets in a heap...

Philippe being escorted back from his ceremony
 of being made a chief

Philippe's wife being escorted back after her ceremony

Local chiefs

A chief wearing the kente cloth

The long dusty road between the borders

The man sitting on the roof is playing a drum

The people on the motorbikes that were travelling
in between our caravan, sometimes were just about
obscured by dust.

'The 'Caravan' arriving in Togo