The Ho Museum and taxi tales

The second place that TG2 (TrustyGhana Guidebook for those who missed my last post) recommended was the Ho Museum. I love museums and it appeared I had the time.  George is back at work today and the only information I got about the day was that Bea would arrive "maybe in the afternoon" and we would set about the day's agenda from there.  Not wanting to spend the day in my room, eating goat or staring at the pool I have no swimsuit for, I decided to take a taxi to the museum.

The clerk at the hotel desk warned me to not pay more that 50 pecawas for a taxi ride...anywhere. So when I got to the Ho Museum and the driver asked for $4 cedis, I handed him $1 cedi. He objected, as I was getting out of the car and I told him I had already doubled the going rate...and I wished him a good day.  And then ran into the museum like you've never seen me run when it's 100 degrees...or any other time.

The Ho Museum was a little...underwhelming. For $3 cedis you get in. For $4 cedis you can take pictures. They had some interesting "decision chairs" used by various chiefs.  These Absumi chairs are where the chief sits to decide important cases.  The word "Absumi" means "chief's decision is final."

Stools are meaningful gifts in this part of Ghana going back centuries.  They are all in the likeness of animals and each stool has special significance. The stool below is a "hyena stool" and means "nothing ventured nothing gained." A hyena stool is often given to someone who you are hoping will join you in a business venture. This one is about 400 years old though.


Hyena stool

While waiting for a taxi I noticed a batik shop next door where I stopped to browse...and bought a shirt for my son. The owner and I spoke about taxis and she sharply criticized me for giving my first taxi driver 1 cedi. I joked that I am NOT a good haggler...and that it was OK.  Obeison. Obeison. It is fine. It is fine.

When I finally found a taxi outside Vegus Batiks, the next driver wanted to charge me $1 cedi and I said "obeison."  But it was market day, remember? Traffic was terrible, people were jaywalking all over.  So when we got back to the hotel he asked for $2 cedis "because of heavy traffic."  And I gave it to him. Without haggling.

Haggling is fine sometimes, but no one's getting fat here in the Volta Region. If an extra cedi here and there helps feed the family then it helps feed  the family. It's only cedis.  Can't take it with me. No, really -- I CAN'T take them with me...and sometimes the Forex at the airport closes in the evening on purpose so that departing passengers can't change their cedis back to dollars.

The last thing displayed at the Ho Museum was the throne of the emperors of German Togoland, the small country next door now called "Togo."  Everyone here asks me if I'm German by the way. But perhaps I could fake it, and since we're so close to Togo, how do you like this??