CEDI, GHANA’S PREMIER BEAD MAKER OF KROBO-DESCENT

Colourful beads from Krobo

Beads remain one of the most treasured products and symbols of status, wealth, and success. They are, undoubtedly, the leading indigenous products that have sold the name Krobo globally.

One man whose unrivaled efforts over the past five decades have greatly contributed to shaping this enviable reputation is Mr. Ebenezer Nomoda Djaba, aka Cedi, the Managing Director of Cedi Beads Industry at Odumase-Krobo in the Eastern Region.                                                                                                                                 

Mr. Ebenezer N. Djaba, aka Cedi. 

Cedi was born into a bead-making family from Osupanya in the Djebiam clan of Manya Krobo. From what started as a small family occupation dating back to the 15th century which was transmitted in succession to generations, he has honed the skill which he mainly acquired through an imitation of his parents’ craft, built into a thriving and unrivaled enterprise and succeeded in shooting not only himself but the Krobo state and Ghana into international space. He is, by common consent, a national asset and presently Ghana’s biggest bead ambassador.

THE GENESIS:

At age seven (7), young Cedi imitated the bead-making procedure – which he had watched from a distance - on the blind side of the parents and succeeded in making balls of beads with fascinating designs that left the parents awestruck. It was first a juvenile escapade that turned into a passion, a skill, and now a business of international repute.  

Now, apart from the main production site which is nestled in a green and calming environment where you get to see the furnaces, lecture centres and showrooms, among others, he operates an annex with a similar setup along the Tema-Akosombo highway. He has also networked with other fledging bead makers operating from locations such as Obawale, Tsedi-Teryi, Agogo Trawa, Sekesua, Siblinor, Somanya, Odumase, etc. Most of these producers were once under his tutelage.

THE PRODUCTS FROM HIS FURNACE:

With his vast knowledge in the art of recycled glass bead making acquired and honed over the past five decades and ably supported by a twenty-four-member staff, Cedi is able to literally turn trash into glitter. His products include bodom beads, recycled aggrey beads, powdered (glazed) beads, recycled glass fragment beads, recycled glass fragment buttons, powdered glass beads, powdered glass buttons, and lampwork beads (in Venetian tradition).

                                                                                                                                                     

A young Krobo lady spotting her colourful beads

Beads of immense cultural value produced by Cedi Beads for both the local and international markets include powa or chevron, mƐtƐ, akorso, korli, zagba, olongo, huadji, lƐƐ, aplekuwa, sorbley, among others.

CEDI, THE GLOBETROTTER:

His innovative designs, techniques, passion for the craft, and towering height in the bead-making industry have taken him across the globe for conferences, lectures, exhibitions, and art fairs in over sixty (60) countries. From the year 1997 when he made his maiden trip to a beads trade show at the Javits Center in the United States of America through Aid to Artisans Ghana, Cedi has become the go-to expert who jets in and out of the country at will to honour his never-ending invitations from event organisers, universities and similar institutions.

Aside from the USA, his much sought-after craft has since taken him to numerous destinations such as the United Kingdom, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Uganda and many more too numerous to exhaust.                                                                                                                                                    

RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS:

Cedi has obtained several awards and certificates including certificates of participation at the Dallas Apparel and Accessories Market (2019) in USA, Advanced Chevron Beadmaking, Stagecoach, Nevada, USA (2018), Santa Fe International Art Market (2018), Living Traditions Award by the International Folk Art Market, USA (2018), Gold Award, 4th Ghana Business and Financial Service Excellence Awards, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana in 2011.                                                                                                                                                     

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES:

Cedis is presently the Vice Chairman of the Ghana Association of Visual Artists (GAVA); Founder and President, Krobo Bead Society; founding member, Ghana Beads Society; Aid to Artisans Ghana (ATAG); International Society of Glass Beadmakers, USA, Ghana Shippers Council, Eastern Region and the West African Trade Hub, Ghana.                                                                                                                                            

THE WAY FORWARD: 

Aside from the remarkable feat he has achieved in repositioning and popularizing bead-making as Krobo’s most priced trade, the transfer of the craft through apprenticeship, and the employment opportunities he continues to create, Cedi has plans of establishing an internationally accredited Glass Bead-Making School in Ghana to promote Krobo, Ghanaian and African beads.                                                                                                                                 

He is also looking forward to establishing an international museum aimed at documenting West Africa's bead traditions and culture from prehistoric times to the present day. This will, without doubt, consolidate his position as Krobo and Ghana’s greatest beads ambassador.

Cedi (seated) demonstrates a stage in the bead-making process.  

                                                                                                                                                 

The writer, Henking A. Adjase-Kodjo, is a Public Relations/Development Communication practitioner, a freelance journalist, an activist writer, a blogger, an incurable social worker and a culture enthusiast from Odumase-Krobo. Email: klonobi2007@gmail.com

KLAMA, A DANGME FOLK MUSIC AND DANCE

A rear view of a group of nubile Krobo ladies doing the klama dance.

Klama is an age-old folk music and dance indigenous to the Dangme people. Research and oral lore have shown that it emerged and evolved as the people migrated from the eastern section of West Africa to their present locations and so all seven Dangme sub-tribes made up of Krobo (Manya and Yilo Krobo) in the Eastern Region; and Ada, Sɛ, Gbugbla, Ningo, Kpone and Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region perform klama. 

 There is, however, a slightly noticeable variation in the beat and gestural movements as one explores the rhythm and dance from one sub-tribe to the other. While its popularity and the regularity of its use during occasions appear to be on the decline among some of the sub-tribes, for varied reasons including the impact of Christianity, modernity, and scarcity of skilled drummers, in Krobo, klama remains a regular feature of important ceremonies and rites. 

 Klama is performed mainly as a form of recreation and to give a cultural touch to festive occasions including joyous family gatherings and anniversary celebrations, marriage and naming ceremonies, enstoolment and outdooring of traditional leaders (chiefs and queens), the ‘dipo’ puberty rites, and larger cultural festivals like Ngmayem and Kloyosikplemi, among others. Though it is more associated with festivities, klama can be performed at some somber events such as the funeral of persons with traditionally sacred authority or duty such as ‘dipo’ (traditional) priests and chiefs, but this rarely occurs. 

A group of young klama dancers from Krobo.

 THE KLAMA MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: The klama rhythm or beat is composed of sounds from a gong (a metallic disc with a turned rim that gives a resonant note when struck to dictate the pace of a particular beat), casaba of gourd or beaded gourd, known locally as 'fau', which is a percussion instrument from a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering it. 

Casaba of gourds or beaded gourds, known locally as 'fau',

The gong and beaded gourd are complemented by a set of three drums – a long cylindrically shaped drum called Gl3 or Mi3 gaga which largely directs the rhythmic and gestural movement of the dancer; Oklema, the smallest of the drums which produces a high-pitched sound and a relatively shorter drum with a much deeper sound called Opiti or ‘kpɛti miɛ’. 

 THE SONGS: What mainly distinguishes a festive klama from the type that is seldom performed at sombre events, is the choice of songs. Klama songs are lyrically rich, figurative, and event-specific; they have a very unique structure and cadence that take a considerable period of practice for a singer to master the modulations and inflections needed to lead a chorus proficiently; and they are carefully chosen to reflect the nature and mood of specific events. 

 While the festive songs extol virtues and talk about positive themes such as culture, tradition, wealth, beauty, blessings, good health, unity and fortune, those sung at funerals are generally solemn and tend to evoke or reflect feelings of pensive sadness. They are usually composed around subjects such as the inevitability and overbearing nature of death, the afterlife, or the worth of the personality lost to the ancestral world and the impact of the loss on the living, among others.

There are also generic songs that are laced with idiomatic expressions and innuendos for lighter moments. One can also find songs composed on subjects such as herbalism, femininity, culture, and tradition. Some are employed to tell stories about the people’s migration, historic events, or exploits of great warriors/martyrs and other similarly great personalities who preceded the present generation. Most of these songs are, however, of unknown authorship and are largely orally transmitted. 

THE RHYTHYMS, CADENCE, STEPS AND GESTURAL MOVEMENTS: Klama is gender-neutral; both sexes can drum and dance to the same rhythm of the klama music except that the gestural movements for females are more metrical, characterized by a slow graceful and rhythmic body movement and the shuffling of the feet. The left arm is usually raised horizontally, a little above the waist level, and the wrist is wriggled mildly in tune with the beat while the right arm, which points downwards, swings gently in conformity. 

Unlike the females’ which is ‘sluggish’, the males’ version requires a more complex combination of rapid, sprightly and dexterous footwork or shuffling of feet. There are short movements that require the dancer to dance in place and traveling movements that either take the performer a few steps away from the instrumentalists or require the use of the entire performance arena. Dancing can be in groups and a dancer can go solo as well depending on the occasion and the number of performers. 

A dipo initiate.

KLAMA AND DIPO, THE DISTINCTIONS: Many, particularly persons who have not had sufficient acquaintance with the culture and tradition of the Dangme people, particularly Krobo culture continue to confuse 'klama’ and ‘dipo’. It is quite common to hear people wrongly use the two interchangeably. Though the two are inseparably linked and are both of Dangme origin, they are quite distinct. 

While Klama is merely a piece of music and dance, dipo is a whole transitional rite involving a chain of rituals performed for nubile girls to, among others, usher them into adulthood and also enable them to obtain ‘full status’ in their tribal community. 

The writer, Henking A. Adjase-Kodjo, is a Public Relations/Development Communication practitioner, a freelance journalist, an activist writer, a blogger, an incurable social worker and a culture enthusiast from Odumase-Krobo. Email: klonobi2007@gmail.com

A copy of the story as published in the Saturday 5th October 2024 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper. 

THE ALLURING WATERFALL AT AKUMERSU

There are a lot of tourist attractions in Manya Krobo except that a significant number of them are yet to be developed from their crude state to attract the needed public or national attention and patronage to generate the desired revenue for the development of the Manya Krobo state One such attraction which is fast wasting away in a dense thicket is the Akumersu Fall in the Upper Manya Krobo District. Very few waterfalls in the country, if any, compare to his fall in terms of the height and the spread or width of the water and the sheer volume of water that runs off the steep crag into the valley. Aside from the captivating sight of the water running down the rugged cliff, the way the water naturally stagnates (collects) under the rocky overhang to form a sizeable pool before gliding downstream while caressing the boulders and trees in its tracks leave every visitor in awe. It is nature’s gift to the Manya Krobo state; what is left now is its development and positioning as a recreational destination worthy of investment as well as patronage by both domestic and international tourists.

THE SISIAMANG STONE CITY

Sisiamang, a peasant community near Asesewa in the Upper Manya Krobo District is fast gaining popularity and recording a sharp rise in footfall because of an expanse of scenic outcrop that has become the point of attraction for tourists, explorers, and general outdoor event enthusiasts. Even before it receives any form of investment to transform the site into a more hospitable location, the interest it continues to generate in the public is a clear indication of the prospect and benefits the Manya Krobo state stands to gain from it when given the desired attention and investment. The accompanying pictures are sure to tickle your fancy and drive if you are a lover of nature and adventure.

OKUAPEHENE IS MAKING CHIEFTAINCY INVITING

Some people have a way of adding class to whatever they take possession of or is handed down to them; the new Okuapehene, His Royal Majesty Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, is one good example. He stepped into the role with an uncommon verve and is fast adding class to the whole thing called chieftaincy. I have followed him with an obsessive interest and have come to the conclusion that his selection was a good one. It is so obvious that some conscious effort went into his grooming and orientation. And his handlers are also doing a great job. I keep following his initiatives. The idea to embark on a royal tour of the various divisions that make up his paramountcy was such a brilliant one that was also beautifully executed recently. Check his countenance; check his regal bearing and the stylish excellence he exudes anytime he steps out. His demeanour always conveys honour and royalty. He is, indeed, making chieftaincy so inviting.

‘FOCUS, FORTITUDE AND FORBEARANCE IN A LIFE JOURNEY; AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY’ BY SAMUEL TETTEH ADDO

‘FOCUS, FORTITUDE AND FORBEARANCE IN A LIFE JOURNEY; AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY’ BY SAMUEL TETTEH ADDO

By Herman A. Adjase-Kodjo & Henking A. Adase-Kodjo 

‘Focus, Fortitude and Forbearance in a Life Journey’; an autobiography, is an irresistible page-turner that takes readers deep into the life of the author; Prof. Samuel Tetteh Addo, a distinguished geographer who has spent close to five decades acquiring and imparting knowledge to the highest level.

Published by GAVOSS Education Plc Ltd 2022, Accra, the 284-page book is divided into 13 chapters with an addendum that captures comments by the author’s spouse, H.E. Mercy Bampo Addo on the 80th birthday of the author.

There are also a number of appendices which include a lecture by Prof. Addo on “Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole II, the Great Krobo King and outstanding statesman”, delivered on the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the passing of the eminent Krobo Monarch who reigned between 1939 and 1990.

The appendix also contains a publication Prof. Addo co-authored with Alex K. Addo on “The Leadership/Education Nexus in the Development of Manya Krobo in Ghana 1939-1989; The Case of Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole II” as well as citations of appreciation and recognition of the author by the University of Ghana for his illustrious service.

The author also documented his family lineage in a detailed family tree. Indeed, this is no average autobiography.

The foreword to the book was written by Alfred Teddy Konu, Former Registrar of the University of Ghana who was Registrar at a time when there were only five public universities and for that matter only five universities in Ghana and so what it meant to be a Principal Officer (Registrar) of no less a university than the premier cannot be overemphasised.

The tone is practical and straightforward. The 13 chapters logically flow into succeeding chapters giving readers a chronological piece and reflecting the author’s widely acknowledged meticulous nature.

Prof. Samuel Tetteh Kwablah Agidi Addo 

The author, Prof. Samuel Tetteh Kwabla Agidi Addo was born on Tuesday, January 28, 1941, at Takorase Miaweni in present-day Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. The book recounts and emphasises the making and transformation of little Tetteh through the various phases of his life into the final and enviable Prof. Addo, teasing readers along the unique trajectory that brought him from obscurity in the Takorase Miaweni hamlet to the apex of academia at the University of Ghana and beyond.

The author’s ‘academic personality’ and cultured mannerisms are as unmistakable as infectious. Prof. would always leave you in no doubt as to his being a professor with his bespoke scholarly appearance, demeanour and speech. He literally ‘wears the book on his sleeves’ and this exuded and advertised scholarship greatly among family and other observers alike. 

Beyond lecturing mainly at the University of Ghana and a stint at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he obtained enormous exposure from the numerous high profile Visiting Professor roles at North Carolina State University, Raleigh and other institutions in the USA. Prof. Addo had earlier been with a number of Nigerian universities including the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the United Nations University, Tokyo as a Research Fellow and the Rivers State College of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt which later became the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education.

The author is a personality who has had sufficient interactions with and made a positive impact on many sectors of society including the church, politics, chieftaincy, family, traditional state affairs and academia.

Why this book?

In the preface to the book, the author emphasises his “desire to chronicle his lineage which has all along been transmitted via oral narrative” as a key motivation for writing the book. This he believes will serve as potent reference material for this and subsequent generations of the family.

A second reason as quoted in the foreword is to “record his educational trajectory in the hope that it will serve to motivate and inspire our youth to strive to achieve excellence, however difficult the circumstances may be.”

The major events

The story of Prof. Addo as captured in this book is particularly enthralling from the background of the sheer resolve with which he rose from missing out on secondary school (Adisadel College) to the lack of financial support though having passed on more than one occasion to attaining a PhD and reaching the limelight. Obtaining a full distinction at the Middle School Leaving Certificate Exams was no fluke either.

He braved the odds going through Nkawkaw Teacher Training College (NTC), Aburi, Government Teacher Training College, Peki and then to the University of Ghana. From the author’s childhood in the village through school to an extensive career as a University Don amidst all the adversities and distractions, he has succeeded in putting himself and his family on a high pedestal in what is a direct opposite of what life back in the village in the beginning portended.

We are particularly enthused at the perseverance and hard work that saw the author come out of his 1970 Bachelor of Arts in Geography with only Second Class Upper, an accomplishment that gained a mention in a publication in the Daily Graphic.

Winning a conversion from a Master’s Degree to a PhD candidate as one of the only two, (George Botchie and Samuel Addo) upon the recommendation by external examiners was no mean feat. This is more so because as the author put it on page 78 of the book, this feat was achieved in a non-internet and non-photocopier environment; a situation that would have obviously made research more tedious. The same duo of George Botchie and Samuel Addo went ahead to update their proposals, collected additional data and publicly presented their PhD thesis proposals at the beginning of the 1972/73 academic year. This was said to be another first in the University and thus a remarkable achievement for a man who could not get the chance to obtain a secondary education.

The author’s appointment as the first Dean of International Education Programmes at the University of Ghana and his promotion to Full Professor around the same time are but a few notable high points in a remarkable career.

The Attractions

The book aptly conveys the author’s deliberate and consistent deference and gratitude to great personalities whose guidance and support have contributed to his accomplishments in this life journey. Notable names here include the late Prof. Alex Adum Kwapong, first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, the late Prof. K. B Dickson of the Department of Geography and Resource Development, who taught and supervised the author’s research works, Prof. Ebenezer Laing, a Professor of Botany who Prof. Addo describes as a friend, brother in Christ, teacher and mentor, the late Prof. P.A.V Ansah, former Master of Akuafo Hall and superior of the author and many others.  We consider this attitude of deference and gratitude as one key message this book seeks to express and for that matter a virtue worth emulating.

The author’s acknowledgement of the invaluable contribution of his elder brother, the late Andrews Kofi Addo (who is on record to have introduced Prof. Addo to formal education) to his success is commendable. Known in family and community circles as Teacher Addo Kofi, a pacesetter, mentor and benefactor to the author and many of his contemporaries, this remarkable personality no doubt made a profound impact on the author and many others including our late father Peter Angmor-Atserdi Adjase-Kodjo. For this reason, our father never missed an opportunity to eulogize Teacher Addo Kofi.

Also noteworthy is the author’s positive approach to life that motivated him to steadily build upon the seemingly wobbly foundation to reach the apex of his ability. We believe this will surely serve to encourage others in similar situations to persevere and achieve their goals despite distractions and adversities.

Our impression and recommendation

Reading the entire book gave us sufficient insight into the rich life of a distinguished academic and thus what to expect for those who might want to tread similar paths.

We cannot hide our fascination with the author’s mental agility in recollecting the several and varied occurrences in his general life and career particularly the sheer detail and coherence in narration and recall of facts, names, dates etc. Again, his penchant for detail may just have come in handy here. Even details of his flights many years ago have not escaped him. The ability to retain and narrate all the vivid details from many decades ago appears great to us.

Tell us if this detailed recall of facts by the author on page 71 is not intriguing? “I finally opted to do Transport Geography. Prof Dickson was disappointed but he assigned me to a hardworking and meticulous German Lecturer, Dr Alfred Fiscian. George Botchie and a Nigerian student, Theophilus Okoye signed up for Urban Geography. Thomas Agawu and Kumedjoro decided to pursue Pedology under the tutorship of Dr G.T Agyepong while T. W. Awadzi opted to study soils under the direction of Dr Peter Ann in the Faculty of Agriculture but with the understanding that his degree would be awarded in Geography. A Rhodesian student, Chichike, was doing an Agricultural Geography course under the supervision of Dr George Benneh”.

 Now, look at this last one of a hilarious ‘non-academic’ recall “It was an evening to remember. (In reference to an evening event organised by the graduate class of 1970/71 during the 1971/72 second term – Easter Term for their Lecturers) The music was good and there were more than enough drinks and savouries for everyone.

When the time came for me to address the gathering and explain the thoughts behind the event, I was caught in a game of repetition whereupon Dr Clement Adjorbu seized the microphone and performed the assignment. Apparently, I had had one more beer than necessary. At about 11 pm, Prof. Dickson announced that he was taking over the bar. More senior members had poured in. The party went on until almost 1 am.”

The content is laced with lessons on the political history of Ghana, especially during the heady days of the military rule, most of which had happened during the author’s days at the University of Ghana. The book could thus also pass for an authentic source of history.

The references also detail a good number of the author’s research works. The author explains the numerous challenges from multiple directions; family, work, church etc but he never neglected his responsibilities to any of these. His love for his family cannot escape a reader’s attention. It is evident in the numerous interventions and sacrifices he made on the many occasions to ensure that everyone was fine even when he was far away from home and amidst the many hurdles arising out of the political environment at the time.

We have each read the entire book a few times already and for the above reasons and more that needs to be discovered, we wholly recommend to you “Focus, Fortitude and Forbearance in a Life Journey; An Autobiography – Samuel Tetteh Addo.

 

****Reviewers note****

We consider it an honour to be the ones to review the autobiography of no less a personality than Prof. Samuel Tetteh Addo, a classic scholar and a man of immense dignity and honour who has remained a leading light for many in several respects. So, we did not hesitate at all in accepting this task and we are grateful to Prof. and the family for this exciting opportunity.

A REJUVENATING ENCOUNTER WITH THE AKUMERSU WATER FALL

 A REJUVENATING ENCOUNTER WITH THE AKUMERSU WATER FALL

A closer view of the waterfall

The untarred road meandered through Brepaw, Feefe, Konkoney and ushered us into the peasant community of Akumersu in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region. In that hamlet is a ‘virgin’ waterfall which is wasting away in a nearby bush.

The ‘vuuuuum’ sound which emanated from the revved engines of our chain of vehicles attracted the attention of the natives. The old folks peeped from their windows or doorways and flashed cheerful/friendly grins in our direction as if to assure us of the wonderful hospitality the locals have come to be noted for. The kids had their own way of welcoming us; they beamed with smiles, leapt in excitement and waved at the convoy.   

Gradually, our vehicles processed and snaked through the community before we finally emerged on an outcrop, a rocky surface broad enough to sit hundreds of tourists. There was a brief picnic and moment of socialization to shake off the fatigue and weariness arising out of the long travel.

Then the real expedition began. A few steps away from the picnic center and before us laid an alluring verd, a broad expanse of grassland that ate gently into the horizon, overlooked by an azure sky. The lay of the surrounding was a sight to behold, folks.

The verd/grassland that eats gently into the horizon

Steadily, we went through the underwoods and down the gentle slope, some on wobbling feet which threatened to give up, forcing the thought of a retreat into their minds. I must confess that even me, I came tumbling twice even before we got to the destination.

Water flowing in an incredible volume off a steep crag, overhanged by lovely creeping plants and rocky formations in stratas

Halfway through the journey and we could hear the gushing, splashing, effusive and squirting sound of the waterfall in the valley. It was so inviting. It made the urge to soldier on for the discovery of the hidden treasure irresistible. The more we descended and inched closer to the sound (the waterfall), the more refreshing the misty waft and breeze that embraced us. 

One striking scene that greeted us as we made the descent was this beautiful canopy of indigenous forest trees in the enclave – sparsely pierced by streaks of light - which appeared to be sheltering the water body. Air-master butterflies of varied shades could be seen performing gymnastics on the leaves which swayed mildly in the direction of the winds. The birds did not miss the occasion; they hopped on the branches and chirped (like the Hamonious Chorale group of singers) as if they wanted to leave us with an inerasable impression. The trees did their own too; they dispensed into our nostrils an unending and revitalizing breeze that kept our lungs bellowing and supplying oxygen to our bodies.   

Down there at the Waterfall was the real deal, water flowing in an incredible volume off a steep crag, overhanged by lovely creeping plants and rocky formations in stratas. Once down the rugged cliff, the water stagnates (collects) briefly under the rocky-overhang to form a sizeable pool before gliding gracefully downstream while caressing and fondling the boulders and trees in its track.

Awwwww, the place was so airy and humid like an air-conditioned room, the wind sprinkling droplets of water in all directions. In all sincerity, I didn’t want to return. Ever since I was introduced to hiking (life in the jungle) and was sucked into the magic and adventure that come with it, I have never come face to face with a sight as mystifying and soothing as the Akumersu fall.

Indeed, a world without the greens and the enchanting scenes that nature offers – like this fall - will be a world sapped of all colours, a world that offers no sense of escapism.

What a thrilling and rejuvenating encounter with nature.

I shall return !!!