Jul 17, 2017 - Once Upon A Time From Mmaampehia To Accra City

Once upon a time in Accra, I was a novice, a ‘Johnny-just-come’ as we will call it in the capital. Today, I am a travel guide, second only to Google map in giving you details of any location in Accra. It is a nostalgic memory I hold so dear. But it has not always been like this. This episode of the story been told is a far cry from what the earliest ones were. Nevertheless, in fairytale-like fashion, the end is always better than the beginning. Those days, some 20 years ago, Accra seemed like the land of Canaan spoken of in Biblical old...

Mar 20, 2017 - Disaster!

Hi Everyone! There has been a bit of a disaster, I'm afraid - my laptop has gone the way all old technology goes ... to computer heaven. I was busy updating another word document blog in preparation for the next time Internet access was available when I knocked the laptop off the arm of the chair I was using as a desk, with everything that could pop out and spill all over the floor doing just that! Choice language and judicious efforts notwithstanding, nothing and nobody seems to be able to revive the poor old thing, so retrieving my...

Feb 28, 2017 - Kumasi, Ghana’s 2nd largest city – and where we meet up with Jason again.

It rained overnight, quite heavily. Fortunately, my tent has its flysheet built-in (I took my own tent – one of those 2-seconds-and-it’s-open-hurrah! type jobs), so I was alright, thanks Jack ... but nobody else was! The forecast for rain had been zero, so thoughts of flysheets weren’t very prominent at bedding-down time, particularly after a few glasses of tasty, chilled red wine (“What!”, I hear you cry! Chilled?), and a delicious skinny dip in the sea. So, in the morning, packing up tents and baggage was a right pain - everything was...

Feb 18, 2017 - Cape Coast, the epicentre of the transatlantic slave trade

We packed up Aminah (our transport and home for the next 3.5 months), said our farewells to the Sleepy Hippo (and the lovely staff there - Richard [aka Will Smith]; Patricia; and Miriam), and left Jason to collect the passports once the visas had been issued. Then, off we set, for the Cape Coast - the axis of the transatlantic slave trade. The drive down the coast was uneventful enough: the wayside scenery was lush; the construction industry noticeably active; the roadside hawkers abundant; and the litter unrelenting. We pulled into Cape...

Feb 13, 2017 - Accra, the capital city of Ghana ... and the start of another Big Adventure!

Hello Ghana! [FYI: English is the official language of Ghana and the Cedi (pronounced C-D) is the country’s currency (GHC) 1 cedi = 100 pesewa.] ‘It is not the destination that makes an adventure but the journey along the way.’ Bags were packed; taxi ordered; farewells said; luggage stowed in my car so as not to wake the family at 02:30 in the morning - it was time to depart on my next adventure. However, the start of this part of the journey was not particularly auspicious. 03:00 came and went and still no taxi, and no answer to frantic...

Jun 17, 2013 - Becoming Ghanaian

Day 8: June 7th Today was a much better day at the hospital. Watched a lot of procedures and learned from one really knowledgable doctor. The doctors are the only staff here that seem to really know a lot about medicine, which is pretty terrifying. I also took BPs and vitals of all the patients in the ward and helped to dress surgery wounds. Then after work I met some other volunteers at La Palm- so relaxing. Then we came back and went out for a drink! Relaxing night. Day 9: June 8th Saturday. We decided to hang in Accra this weekend and...

Jun 6, 2013 - Week 1 in Ghana!

Day 1: May 31st Today I arrived in Accra. Totally nervous when I stepped off the plane and into the airport. In an airport of thousands of people, it is the weirdest feeling to be 1 of less than 10 white people. Everyone can't help but look and stare at you, which was a feeling I got used to after a couple days. A Projects Abroad staff member picked me up and took me by taxi to my host family. I had my first satchel water (a bag you bite a hole in and suck water out of) which is our source of drinking water at my host family and throughout...

May 29, 2013 - Aburi Botanical Gardens

Today, one of my connects picked me up and drove me an hour and a half from Accra to the Aburi mountains in the Eastern Region. The drive up the mountains was by far the best scenic drive I have been on in Ghana. I was amazed at the quality of the roads. Ill put up some pictures of the view because i truly have no words to describe the images. This was a very quick trip so i dont really have much to say that would interest you unless you are a plant person. Ill post up some pictures of the garden and some scenic pictures of Accra from the...

May 25, 2013 - Akosombo Reunion

Today, the cousins planned a re-union to Sajuna Beach Club in Akosombo. The plan was to catch up and spend some time together in a relaxed environment away from the old folks. Akosombo is about a 2 hour drive form Accra with no traffic on its decent roads. This town is home to Ghana's major water and energy source- the Akosombo Dam. Due to an increase in the pollution, there is an increase in the energy demand of the population hence, the dam is not capable of supplying the current demand. This is the reason for water and electricity...

May 19, 2013 - TAMALE, BOLGATANGA, PAGA and BURKINA FASO.

First off, I want to give a big shout out to my boy lill Sid for finding out and setting up this tour of Northern Ghana to my specifications. I know it wasnt easy especially because plans had to be made to make this tour a very comfortable and memorable one for our Florida Boy. Ghana aint all about the problems i have sighted in my previous posts man. I want to apologize if I made it seem that way. By far, I think Ghana is one of the funnest countries I have been to. Its home and aint no place like home. There are many opportunities...

May 18, 2013 - Family Man

In the morning, I leave for Tamale to meet up with my contacts out there but until then, its family man time. I must admit, it feels a bit weird to be the youngest boy in the gang. Hanging out with these old bloods got me thinking bout the value of a man of principle. Its weird listening to stories of life in their young'in era versus life in my young'in era. It feels as though i'm the crazy one. It looks like i am busy jumping out of planes and globe trotting and doing other crazy things but in reality, i'm like a saint. I brought up my...

May 17, 2013 - Pride

What is the value of the word pride? On the flight to Ghana, I sat next to a guy on the flight who, said to me while filling out the immigration forms, "i feel like writing "Proudly Ghanaian" in the nationality box."Perplexed by why he thought he was "Proudly Ghanaian," I had a conversation with him. As it turned out, he was a freshman in a college in Boston, visited Ghana every summer for 3 months, had a girl he was dating that he hadnt seen in 7 years and live in South Africa for 2 years before going to Boston. I asked myself what...