A presidential inauguration

Not able to attend the presidential inauguration in the USA since we will be here, we were instead very fortunate to be able to attend Ghana's presidential inauguration at Independence Square this morning. It was so much fun! We took our bus to a vast parking lot in front of Parliament and from there walked to Independence Square. We seemed to arrive just as President Mahama was being sworn in, marked by loud gun salutes. The opposition boycotted the swearing-in and the crowd was a sea of NDC supporters. The women were adorned in NDC finery and the men in smocks and NDC shirts and hats. There were many vendors selling NDC ware, in addition to foodstuffs and drinks. For sound effects there were mini vuvuzelas which Kuno was quick to purchase. Since the ceremony was still going on, we got seats in the shaded stands and so were able to participate in full. There were large screens on which we were barely able to make out the stage. The person who got the most roaring applause from the crowd while we were there was Jerry Rawlings (and his wife). It was quite remarkable. We could also clearly see Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, one of 11 African heads of state to attend the ceremony. We also think we picked out, from his trademark hat, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Ghana's own Kofi Annan. It was pretty cool! Before we knew it the inauguration was over.