TIME WITH THE ANCESTORS || NEW NINGO || GHANA || AUGUST 2018

Day 17 – Sunday, August 5th, 2018

On our last day before traveling back we got up and ate breakfast at the guesthouse. I had callaloo, beans, eggs, fruit, and toast with jam and butter; typical breakfast ‘round these parts.

During breakfast Uncle and the group had an impromptu discussion about different perspectives on what it is like to be black American in America, to be black American in Africa and the relationship black Americans have with Christianity vs the relationship with Ifa/Vodun.

Once everyone was done eating and we finished talking, we went outside and took a tour of Tchambassi Temple which was behind the house. It was a very peaceful place where we sat and talked more about our new-found Jamaican auntie’s life and how she got to where she was that day. She put us on game about forex and stocks, work ethic, relationships, importance of family, spirituality, and many other things in a way that made you just want to soak up all the knowledge. She talked about the house being a house the family can travel back and forth from the US to Ghana, about buying property in Ghana as members of the Diaspora, her spiritual transition to ifa and how it helped her, and becoming a priestess.

After our tour and our talk, we hopped on the bus and made our way to Mmalebna's Restaurant and Guest Lodge for lunch. While driving, I noticed the landscape around the house was pretty bare in the daytime, as most people in the area weren’t finished building their properties yet, which explained why it was so peacefully quiet at night.

When we got to the restaurant, we first pulled up to this amazingly beautiful wall; The African Ancestral Wall. We were given a tour of the wall and learned the history of all the ancestors featured ranging back from the beginning of time to now.

Apoka KarenyaneQueen TiyeMarcus Garvey — Apoka Karenyane
Queen Tiye
Marcus Garvey

Kwame NkrumahJonas CarbooTeye Djangmah I — Kwame Nkrumah
Jonas Carboo
Teye Djangmah I

Eve – Mother of Humanity 200,000 BCChinua Achebe – Nigeria 1930 - 2013Asa Hilliard – US/Ghana – 1933 – 2007Yaa Asantewaa – Ghana – 1840 – 1921 — Eve – Mother of Humanity 200,000 BC
Chinua Achebe – Nigeria 1930 - 2013
Asa Hilliard – US/Ghana – 1933 – 2007
Yaa Asantewaa – Ghana – 1840 – 1921

Dedan Kimathi – Kenya – 1920 – 1957Nzinga Mbande – Angola – 1583-1663Sgt. C. Adtetey – Ghana – 19[ ] – 1948Maurice Bishop – Grenada – 1944 – 1983 — Dedan Kimathi – Kenya – 1920 – 1957
Nzinga Mbande – Angola – 1583-1663
Sgt. C. Adtetey – Ghana – 19[ ] – 1948
Maurice Bishop – Grenada – 1944 – 1983

N’Nonmiton (Amazon) Warrior – Dahomey – Late – 1800sEdward Wilmot Blyden – St. Thomas/Liberia – 1832 – 1912Steve Biko – South Africa – 1946 – 1977Sonni Ali – Songhai Empire – D. 1492 — N’Nonmiton (Amazon) Warrior – Dahomey – Late – 1800s
Edward Wilmot Blyden – St. Thomas/Liberia – 1832 – 1912
Steve Biko – South Africa – 1946 – 1977
Sonni Ali – Songhai Empire – D. 1492

Behanzin – Dahomey – 1844 – 1906Miriam Makeba – South Africa – 1932 – 2008Cheikh Anta Diop – Senegal – 1923 – 1986J.J. Dessalines – Haiti – 1758 – 1806 — Behanzin – Dahomey – 1844 – 1906
Miriam Makeba – South Africa – 1932 – 2008
Cheikh Anta Diop – Senegal – 1923 – 1986
J.J. Dessalines – Haiti – 1758 – 1806

George Washington Carver – US – 1864 – 1943Julius Nyerere – Tanzania – 1922 -1999Ephraim Amu – Ghana – 1899 -1995Harriet Tubman – US – 1822 – 1913 — George Washington Carver – US – 1864 – 1943
Julius Nyerere – Tanzania – 1922 -1999
Ephraim Amu – Ghana – 1899 -1995
Harriet Tubman – US – 1822 – 1913

Samora Machel – Mozambique 0 1933 – 1986Nanny – Ghana/Jamaica – 1680 – 1755Haile Selassie – Ethiopia – 1892 – 1975Piankhi (Piye) – Kemet (Egypt) – D. 714 BC — Samora Machel – Mozambique 0 1933 – 1986
Nanny – Ghana/Jamaica – 1680 – 1755
Haile Selassie – Ethiopia – 1892 – 1975
Piankhi (Piye) – Kemet (Egypt) – D. 714 BC

Shaka – South Africa – 1787 – 1828Fannie Lou Hamer – US – 1917 – 1977 — Shaka – South Africa – 1787 – 1828
Fannie Lou Hamer – US – 1917 – 1977

Togbui Sri I – Togo/Ghana – Late 1600sKing Tackie Tawiah I – Ghana – Died 1902 — Togbui Sri I – Togo/Ghana – Late 1600s
King Tackie Tawiah I – Ghana – Died 1902

Menes – Kemet – CA 3100 BCAmilcar Cabral – Guinea-Bissau – 1924 – 1973 — Menes – Kemet – CA 3100 BC
Amilcar Cabral – Guinea-Bissau – 1924 – 1973

Imhotep – Kemet – CA 2600 BCToussaint Louverture – Haiti – 1743 – 1803 — Imhotep – Kemet – CA 2600 BC
Toussaint Louverture – Haiti – 1743 – 1803

NA Gbewa – Ghana – CA 1400Osei Tutu I – Ghana – 1660 – 1717 — NA Gbewa – Ghana – CA 1400
Osei Tutu I – Ghana – 1660 – 1717

Thomas Sankara – Burkina Faso – 1949 – 1987Amanirenas – Kush – CA 60 – 10 BCMenelik II – Ethiopia – 1844 – 1913Malcolm X – US – 1925 – 1965 — Thomas Sankara – Burkina Faso – 1949 – 1987
Amanirenas – Kush – CA 60 – 10 BC
Menelik II – Ethiopia – 1844 – 1913
Malcolm X – US – 1925 – 1965

Cetshwayo – South Africa – 1826 – 1884Akhenaten – Kemet – CA 1340 BCBob Marley – Jamaica – 1945 – 1981Wangari Maathai – Kenya – 1940 – 2011 — Cetshwayo – South Africa – 1826 – 1884
Akhenaten – Kemet – CA 1340 BC
Bob Marley – Jamaica – 1945 – 1981
Wangari Maathai – Kenya – 1940 – 2011

Senge Pieh (Cinque) – Sierra Leone – CA 1814 – 1879Fred Hampton – US – 1948 – 1969Samuel Maharero – Namibia – 1856 – 1923Oliver Tambo – South Africa – 1917 – 1993 — Senge Pieh (Cinque) – Sierra Leone – CA 1814 – 1879
Fred Hampton – US – 1948 – 1969
Samuel Maharero – Namibia – 1856 – 1923
Oliver Tambo – South Africa – 1917 – 1993

Agostinho Neto – Angola – 1922 - 1979Zabeth – Haiti – CA 1700 — Agostinho Neto – Angola – 1922 - 1979
Zabeth – Haiti – CA 1700

Bai Bureh – Sierra Leone – 1840 – 1908Felix Moumie – Cameroon – 1926 – 1960Sekhukhune – South Africa – 1814 – 1882Nehanda – Zimbabwe – 1840 – 1898 — Bai Bureh – Sierra Leone – 1840 – 1908
Felix Moumie – Cameroon – 1926 – 1960
Sekhukhune – South Africa – 1814 – 1882
Nehanda – Zimbabwe – 1840 – 1898

Martin Luther King Jr. – US – 1929 – 1968Hatshepsut – Kemet – 1507 – 1458 BCQalidurat – Nubia – CA 641Muhammad Ali – US – 1942 – 2016 — Martin Luther King Jr. – US – 1929 – 1968
Hatshepsut – Kemet – 1507 – 1458 BC
Qalidurat – Nubia – CA 641
Muhammad Ali – US – 1942 – 2016

Lat Dior Diop – Senegal – 1842 – 1886Antonio Maceo – Cuba – 1845 – 1896Patrice Lumumba – Congo – 1925 – 1961Mkwavinyika – Tanzania – 1855 – 1898 — Lat Dior Diop – Senegal – 1842 – 1886
Antonio Maceo – Cuba – 1845 – 1896
Patrice Lumumba – Congo – 1925 – 1961
Mkwavinyika – Tanzania – 1855 – 1898

Hannibal – Carthage – CA 247 – 181 BCElijah Muhammad – US – 1897 – 1973Ida B. Wells – US – 1862 – 1931John Okello – Zanzibar – 1937 – 1971 — Hannibal – Carthage – CA 247 – 181 BC
Elijah Muhammad – US – 1897 – 1973
Ida B. Wells – US – 1862 – 1931
John Okello – Zanzibar – 1937 – 1971

Fela Kuti – Nigeria – 1938 – 1997Zumbi – Brazil – 1655 – 1695Sam Nujoma – Namibia – 1929 – — Fela Kuti – Nigeria – 1938 – 1997
Zumbi – Brazil – 1655 – 1695
Sam Nujoma – Namibia – 1929 –

Booker T. Washington – US – 1856 – 1915B.B. King – US – 1925 – 2015Walter Rodney – Guyana – 1942 – 1980Queen Amina – Zaria (Nigeria) – 1533 – 1610 — Booker T. Washington – US – 1856 – 1915
B.B. King – US – 1925 – 2015
Walter Rodney – Guyana – 1942 – 1980
Queen Amina – Zaria (Nigeria) – 1533 – 1610

Eduardo Mondlane – Mozambique – 1920 – 1969Garrett Morgan – US – 1877 – 1963Frantz Fanon – Martinique - 1925 – 1961John Chilembwe – Malawi – 1871 – 1915 — Eduardo Mondlane – Mozambique – 1920 – 1969
Garrett Morgan – US – 1877 – 1963
Frantz Fanon – Martinique - 1925 – 1961
John Chilembwe – Malawi – 1871 – 1915

Sekou Toure – Guinea – 1922 – 1984Aime Cesaire – Martinique – 1913 – 2008Samory Toure – Guinea – CA 1830 – 1900Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) – Trinidad/Guinea – 1941 – 1998 — Sekou Toure – Guinea – 1922 – 1984
Aime Cesaire – Martinique – 1913 – 2008
Samory Toure – Guinea – CA 1830 – 1900
Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) – Trinidad/Guinea – 1941 – 1998

John Henrik Clarke – US – 1915 – 1998Yosef Ben-Jochannan – Ethiopia/US – 1918 – 2015 — John Henrik Clarke – US – 1915 – 1998
Yosef Ben-Jochannan – Ethiopia/US – 1918 – 2015

For lunch we had a delicious buffet of yam balls, jollof rice, shito, fried rice, fish, fried plantain, and cabbage salad.

While eating we got an education of the Moringa plant and its benefits. For more information visit www.motherlandinternational.org.

We also learned about the area of West Papua and their fight to become an independent country. For more information visit www.freewestpapua.org.

I purchased a cute Ankara shirt from a lady selling them outside after lunch which I wear to every event where I have to “dress nicely” meaning, I can’t wear jeggings. *eye roll* The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the gorgeous beach with the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean swaying back and forth. It was sort of hypnotic staring at the water while the sun was beginning to set.

For dinner, our Jamaican auntie made us brown stew chicken and we played board games before bed.

Side Note: Check out my recipe for brown stew chicken.

I had to pack all my souvenirs that I purchased for everyone back home, including this obnoxious drum I’d been lugging around West Africa for weeks. Ha!

The drum I’d been lugging around for 3 weeks; From Ghana to Togo to Benin back to Ghana to Morocco to New York to Seattle to my living room.

Also had to bring back my favorite peanut butter which I referenced in my Zimbabwe blog.

The time in New Ningo/Ningo was one of the most relaxing portions of the trip and a great end to the West African tour. The next morning, we headed to the airport and back to our respective homes. *runon sentence alert* For me that meant, Accra to Casablanca to JFK where I missed my connection coming back through customs and trying to get my bags and that stupid drum! I had every mind to spend the night in the airport but I couldn’t find a phone charger so I got a hotel room which smelled like smoke and then another hotel room that didn’t smell like smoke instead and left the next morning on a flight back to Seattle and then straight to work cuz I wasn’t about to waste another PTO day and finally to my bed!

Until next time…

Wait so, I was going through my pictures of this trip on my iCloud and realized I skipped a whole section of the trip in the beginning. We totally spent 2 days in Casablanca, Morocco. I guess I’ll be writing about that next time. Ha!

Thanks for reading all these words!

Love ya!

Taste Tutor

TRAVEL BLOG THURSDAY - NEW NINGO (part 2) || GHANA