funeral at Nkoranza

To travel in the blue van is most often an adventure
leave at Ghana 11 am (1130) and then stop for gas and then a knocking in right front somewhere, I thought maybe a flat tire, after examination and seeing nothing untoward we drive on but the noise is still there, so stop at a mechanic's shop and everyone gets out and the mechanic determines it is the brake shoe, everyone finds a shady perch and settles. the brake shoe gets repaired and we are off again, it is now near 2 pm, we have a couple of pit stops

a parishioner from the cathedral at a pit stop, traditional funeral cloth worn somewhat like a toga

arrive at the mission house (rectory) in Nkoranza by 4 pm, we are greeted, given food and drink, then off to the funeral event, (remember after the church service everyone comes to the place in the community where the family can be greeted, under the tents with the pointy roofs),

our group gets announced (there is a emcee, sound system and music in between the donation announcements), we greet the family by shaking everyone hand (maybe 50 or so people sitting in the front row around the square) and we sit, then the family comes by and welcomes us, Akwaaba, without fail the old women are the most enthusiastic greeters to me with big smiles (a woman with a collar at last I wonder), then

 the chiefs (chief and 4 sub chiefs, who are from royal families to have these positions) and their entourage arrive, everyone stands until they enter

Drummers who accompany the chiefs to announce their arrival,
note the large round gourd being used as a drum

at funerals in Ghana there is an expectation that everyone makes a donation to defray the costs, there is an emcee, a sound system with music between the announcing of donations which includes the amount and the donors name,  our donation was given in and we left,

trip home included a couple of shopping stops at the side of the road for mangoes and watermelons