Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Flags are beginning to all look alike

We are in Munich, Germany 🇩🇪 getting ready for a direct flight to San Francisco, United States 🇺🇸. We are doing pretty good considering we left Benin 🇧🇯 at 6 pm and had layovers in Ivory Coast 🇨🇮 and Belgium 🇧🇪 totaling 8.5 hours.

Craving German potato salad as I sit here and got email with recipe.

We probably gained some weight on trip  but need to get in better shape for Spain 🇪🇸 and France 🇫🇷 trip in March with Leslie's family.

At least we will get fed on this international flight with wine instead of flight via Ugly Newark.

Courtesy of Epicurious

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds potatoes (waxy variety, such as Yukon Gold)
4 slices bacon
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup onions, diced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons mild brown mustard
1/2 bunch chives, snipped

Preparation:

  1. Cook the potatoes in simmering salted water until just tender, about 15-18 minutes. Drain and dry. While the potatoes are still hot, remove the skins and slice the potatoes 1/2-inch thick.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving the bacon fat in the pan; crumble the bacon into small pieces, and reserve.
  3. Bring the chicken broth, vinegar, onions, salt, sugar, and pepper to a boil.
  4. Combine the oil, rendered bacon fat, and mustard with the warm potatoes. Pour the boiling broth-vinegar mixture over the potatoes. Toss in the crumbled bacon and chives.
  5. The salad may be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Total Time: 35 minutes


Monday, February 26, 2018

Amazon women

Do you remember when girl athletes at Greenon were sometimes called "Amazons"?

The source is from this powerful ethnic group in Benin, Africa. Women from aged 13-25 bound their breasts so they could shoot arrows without interference. They would go into battle vowing to bring back a head of the enemy. They were fierce.

Often they approached they enemy naked; got them interested and off guard then slit their throats when the man approached.

I am thinking of you Greenon GAA women right now.

Jumpp....

More travel shots at
Travelingyoungs.blogspot.com

Vodo ceremony

Wait til you see our videos! The vodo priest calls together his team to work up into a kinda trance so they can get prayer advice directly from their higher power.

The people are also Christian or
Muslim but vodo gives healing answers... medical too. White powder symbolizes good.

Their are other "Black Magic" sorcerers who can do negative spells. Benin people do NOT like their pictures taken because that is what is used for negative spells.

The idols are dark from the sacrificial blood from chickens or goats needed to get your answers.

Am told that 100% of Benin people believe in the importance of vodo for success.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Ewe baby naming ceremony

First they go to stream to get water and add 3 stones. The new mother carries the water back to village center with chief and the whole community.

Ewe dancing

Men drum and women dance to the beat. Easy and natural. These people of eastern Ghana made us feel welcome and kids wanted to touch my long white person hair.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Ashanti shrine

Shrines are scattered in several small villages where people go to ask traditional priests to help them answer their prayers.

Akosombo Dam

This dam on the Volta River produces almost all of Ghana's electricity and much of Togo and Benin. The lake formed is the second largest in the world after 3 gorges in China.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Adinkra patterns

Along side the road in a small village, traditional Adinka patterns from the Ashanti culture are stamped on cloth... or purses. The dye is made from the root of a tree after it is crushed and boiled. Stamps were carved out of a gourd .

Kente cloth

The Ashanti king is the most powerful man in Ghana. Each leader has his own pattern on Kente cloth. They are narrow bands woven with patterns that give a message.

When a king dies, his sister's son or another blood relative is chosen by the queen mother.... one of her other sons or someone guaranteed to have royal blood. The King's children are not eligible because one does not know for sure if the wife messed around with another man on the side.