- What's interesting to bring from Ghana?
- Traditional outfits of the people of Ghana
- Traditional crafts
West Africa is a territory that is not very interesting for tourists from Europe: the nature here is poor, there are few national parks, the animals of the so-called "Big Five" are almost all exhausted, exotic rituals, dances and songs from local residents cannot be achieved. A rare tourist who gets here, as a rule, has already managed to travel half the world and see everything. The main impressions await him in the local markets, where original souvenirs are sold. Below is the answer to the question of what to bring from Ghana, one of the brightest representatives of West African culture.
What's interesting to bring from Ghana?
Tourists note that it is impossible to bring something of this kind, national, because goods in neighboring countries are like twin brothers, cultural plagiarism is held in high esteem, no one cares about similarities. Local craftsmen use any natural materials available in the accessibility zone for the production of souvenirs. In Ghana, as in neighboring and distant African countries, the art of making leather goods is developed. The skin of the following representatives of the African fauna is usually used:
- crocodiles that survive in any, even the hottest climate in the presence of at least some body of water;
- lizards and monitor lizards (these practically do not need water);
- pythons and other inhabitants of the savannah.
You can see stunning handbags made of reptile skin, their peculiarity is that crocodiles "muzzles" are an integral part of the style of a lady's accessory, they can scare away any fan of someone else's property. Many bags adorn crocodile paws with natural manicure. The cost of such a product in Ghana is within $ 30, perhaps such an accessory would be in demand in the Russian capital, only its cost would be appropriate.
Another souvenir from the extraordinary Ghana, again suitable only for women, and then, of a certain category, is a fertility doll. In the local dialect it is called "akua-ba", it is made of wood, has a round head and short handles. Do not think that a fertility doll will help a mother or grandmother grow a rich harvest in a personal plot or her own summer cottage. Such a toy is needed for a completely different business - this is a wonderful gift for a woman who dreams of having children, but for some reason has not yet become a mother. According to ancient Ghanaian traditions, you need to carry a doll on your back, tied with a scarf, take care and cherish like your own baby, while pronouncing certain words. They say that local women achieve the result in 99% of cases, mystically-minded Europeans think that the point is not in the amulet doll, but in the conspiracy, and the sages are sure that the whole point is in the strength of the woman's faith that the miracle of birth will happen.
Traditional outfits of the people of Ghana
In order to dress up in strange African outfits, it is best to go away from Accra, where they already look up to Europe. In any Ghanaian village, you can still see how traditional clothing is made. In many places, kente is made, a national dress very similar to the togas worn by the ancient Romans. You can see how the process of cutting and sewing goes, how dyes are created from natural materials, which are then applied to the fabric by stamping.
It is clear that clothing from Europe has flooded the African world, displacing traditional culture. Sometimes you can see an amazing mix of styles, times, civilizations, worthy of entering the catwalk of some alternative fashion festival.
Traditional crafts
In addition to the production of goods from crocodile skin and other "slippery" representatives of the African fauna, other crafts are also widespread in Ghana. The products of local woodcarvers are good, and it does not matter if the valuable species of wood is used or the tree is ubiquitous. Primitive utensils, dolls, gods, stylized figures of people - all enjoy the attention of guests hungry for exoticism.
A trip to the town of Vakri will allow you to get acquainted with the process of growing cocoa; tourists can even be shown the plantations of this amazing tree. After the excursion, the locals will rather persistently try to sell chocolate soap and cocoa brandy, of a very dubious quality.
Voodoo practices, common in various African countries, including Ghana, give tourists the opportunity to touch this mysterious science, as much as the local sorcerers wish. Given the huge interest of foreigners in this topic, Ghanaians make good money selling souvenirs of the relevant theme. Ghanaian coffins are also in good demand; some craftsmen have learned how to make such things in the form of a rooster, a lion, a cannon, and even a plane of local airlines. It is clear that no one will buy a real item of this kind, but small souvenir copies sell well.
