Today we were celebrating two things; Marianne and Lisa's second day in Ghana, and the crazy happy celebrations of 'Barka Sala' (also known as Eid!). I had noticed the excitement building up around town over the last few days, and could almost feel the intense yet calm mix of emotions generated in my muslim friends as they entered the last few days of fasting. It seems to me a bit like holding your breath underwater for so long and then suddenly coming up for air, I really do not know how my muslim friends do it, especially in this heat! No food or water during daylight hours for the last 30 days, no wonder the celebrations were soo good :-).

It all began with a tapping on the door at daft o'clock this morning. When I mustered the energy to wrap myself up in my sarong and answer, a small girl peeped inside, blinked up at me, then looked down at her dusty feet in her shiny new red jelly-shoes and said shyly 'happy sala'. Bless. Luckily I had some bananas from our market trip, and some sweets that the girls had brought me (skittles - amazing!), giving them to her, then the next child, and the next... it actually started to feel a little bit like christmas.

What followed was a constant stream of visitors, all with happy smiling faces, dressed in ther sunday best, boys in their uber-bright coloured t-shirts and freshly ironed shirts, girls in puffy skirts and sequin tops, women in their mixed up muti-coloured wraps, and men in their finest smocks, all passing by to the mosque or to friends and family to greet them and wish them 'happy sala!'. The atmosphere about the house was really nice, so fun and friendly. The boys were tripping over themselves to show us their new sunglasses, toy guns and shiny shoes, whilst the girls giggled nervously in the background, heads covered in red, green and gold glitter and beads, bracelets and bangles jangling about their wrists. And of course the two new white ladies in town attracted a whole heap of attention too, with almost all the neighbours popping by to greet and 'welcome', 'welcome', 'welcome' them into Ghana!

Food was, of course, the theme of the day, and we received a whole array of dishes, toted to us by the little ones, or on the heads of the older ladies, in huge tubs and bowls, dishes and pans. There was rice balls and palm nut soup, guinea-fowl meat, jollof rice, fried fish, goat, fufu and light soup, I couldn't believe how kind everyone was to include us and attempt to feed us like that. It was lovely. And a great opportunity for Marianne and Lisa to attempt eating soup with their fingers and testing to see if they like guinea-fowl and goat!

Walking up and down the nearby hills later, covered in crops and tall grass and all things green, we saw colourful flashes of children running between them, chasing each other or their donkeys or playing with the little rubber tyes that they chase all up and down the place, and heard flicks of laughter and excitement as they celebrated their holiday day. The adults were all huddled about in the shade of the baobab trees, or in the compound of a house, siting laughing, chattering away and bringing the sleepy countryside to life with smells of home cooked stew and the sounds of music, testing the speakers for the all-night parties. It was a lovely day, and the perfect opportunity for Lisa and Marianne to saok up the more laid back friendly happy life that is Zebilla on a Sunday.

We topped it off with a visit to my friends James and Lydia who own the gorgeous tree nursery with all the mango trees, acacias, custard apple trees, guava trees, neem trees, baobabs, you name it, they grow it! They were so kind and coked us a traditional Ghanaian dish of TZ (looks like mashed potatobuut tastes nothing like it!) and okra stew (slimy, green and very very sloppy!) with guine-fowl eggs (served as a bit of a delicacy in a way, or at least a treat for special guests) which we ate with our fingers (or attempted too). We did quite well, Marianne and Lisa managed to remain polite although the food was a total shock to their systems, and I manged to make everyone laugh when I sent one of my eggs flying out of my dish and across the table (oops!!). We finished with oranges and groundnuts and a lesson on what a yam looks like and the many different things you can use it for!

It was lovely, we sat outside in the dark, and chatted under the million of brights stars twinkling overhead. It was the perfect sleepy end to a lazy Sunday! Time to re-charge our batteries before the real Ghanaian advenure begins;-).

With love,

Emma, Marianne & Lisa in Ghana

Xxx