"Then" And "Now"

IT'S HARMATTAN TIME

The Harmattan is a dry, dusty West African Trade Wind that blows south from the Sahara Desert into the Gulf of Guinea.  It starts at the end of November and usually lasts until the middle of March.  On its passage over the desert it picks up fine dust particles and deposits them over the land.  In some countries of West Africa, the heavy amount of dust in the air can severely limit visibility and block the sun for several days, comparable to a heavy fog, but much drier.  This post shows the difference between the landscape when we first got here and what it looks like now in the middle of Harmattan (pronounced Hamatan, remember they don't pronounce the "r").

 This is the view from our house, "then",

 and "now".

 This is a village we pass through on our way to Accra, "then",

 and "now".

 A trail going through the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, "then",

 and "now".

 Lots of green and water, "then",

 and "now".

 A beautiful area of the countryside, "then",

 and an area in the city "now".

 This is a path we walk on some mornings (when we feel up to it), "then",

 and "now".

 Another place where we frequently walk in the mornings, (the tree on the left side is the same tree that's on the right of the photo below) "then",

 and "now".

 Not only does the Harmattan affect the sky, the dryness also affects the trees too.  These 2 photos were taken at approximately the same time in the morning, "then",

 and "now".

 Another pathway through Tafi Atome, "then",

and "now".

Harmattan is a Twi word for the dry wind that blows.  It's first known use was in 1671 by English explorers here in Ghana.  The locals call it "an ill wind that blows nobody good".  As you can see by the photos they are correct.  What a change it brings to the land and people.  Although I don't have any photos to document it, it's funny to see people in coats, hats, scarfs and sweaters because of the cold, but it's still 85+ degrees out there.  Only in Ghana.  But when the rains return, the "now" will look like the "then" once again.  The circle of life.