Happy 54th Independence Day Ghana!

Morning Ghana!

I was super excited when Solomon told me March 6th is Ghana's Independence day, he told me to show up early because you can’t find a seat if you showed up late. So I got up at 4:45AM and arrived at Independent Square or Black Square at 5AM. Guess what? The only people and things here are me, workers and the roosters behind the stadium. I found out later that the current government isn’t so popular, so less people showed up.  I guess I should've done a popularity poll.

Rooster and I are enjoying a quiet morning

Around 6:30AM, people are trickling in and workers are setting up the square. Around 7AM, dancer and guests are showing up, you really should see the dresses and outfits, they are spectacular! Loved every one of them! 

Kpalogo dancer

More Kpalogo dancer

This by far, is my favored outfit

Vendors

Starting around 8:30, the military (all cadets, not soldiers) and school students marched in. I was told this is the first year that the ceremony only used cadets instead of soldiers because the government wants to separate itself from the military.

9:30am, the president showed up in his limo, we sang the national anthem (well, I tried) and the president gave his speech. By 10 am and it is getting very hot even for me in the shades, the students are fainting left and right, started with the elementary students, then the high school students and later, military cadets are fainting as well, you can see the paramedic running back and forth carrying kids and cadets out of the square, it felt like a war reenactment. 

Tribal dancers took stage, being so far away from the center stage, I can barely see anything. To everyone's amusement, I started giggling when I saw a group of kids doing Tae Kwon Do, I just found it  amusingto see Tae Kwon Do performed by Ghanaians in Ghana, don’t ask me why. =D

The Tae Kwon Do kids...=D

Finally, the ceremony is ending and the cadets and students are now parading to the president, very cool to see all the uniforms. 

Special need kids, very good group, soldiered through the ceremony

Showing my Ghana pride

Ceremony ended around noon, I took a quick tour of the square. Students are dancing in the square (check out the video below) and again, I was asked to take pictures with few guests and I was more than happy to comply. Another exciting day in Accra!

 

The Black Star.