My African adventure

And now the end is near ...

helen_in_africa — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 03:59:00 GMT

I can't believe it, but I'm leaving Ghana in about 6 hours time. I'm not sure where the time has gone, but it certainly has raced by. Gerald and Tayo left on Saturday and I've had some "me" time to relax a bit, meet up with some old pals and reflect on how it feels to have come back.

It's certainly been a completely different experience and (not sure if I've mentioned this in a previous blog - forgive me if I have) not at all what I had expected. From a business point of view, it wasn't the best time to be here - too many bank holidays which meant it's been difficult getting hold of some people (which I guess means a return trip is definitely on the cards!) and similarly from a personal viewpoint, many of my contacts and friends were away till after the new year so I've had to cram in seeing them all in the space of a few days. Still, another excuse to return!

I'm obviously hoping that the trip has been worthwhile - time will tell. It's now up to the three of us to make it happen, to decide what it is we're offering and come back and SELL IT to our as-yet-unsuspecting clients!

Will no doubt speak to you within the next few days. I have nothing like the trepidation I felt when I left here last March. Possibly because I know I'll be back and possibly too because it's been a short - and challenging - trip.

Business matters ...

helen_in_africa — Wed, 5 Jan 2011 05:45:00 GMT

I realise that I have almost not mentioned the business, the reason for my being here. Partly because it's still in its infancy and partly because I don't want to give much away! We've met quite a few people already, despite the fact that we've lost huge numbers of days due to it being the festive season, and will meet a few more before Gerald and Tayo leave on Saturday night (I decided to exend my trip by two days, as I lost 3 at the beginning of the trip).

Everyone has been helpful and friendly, though some have self-selected themselves out of working with us. But the more people we meet, the bigger the picture we're able to put together and the better our information for when it comes to making a decision on what our offering will be. It'll probably not come as a surprise to know that we've allocted ourselves with specific tasks and that mine are all around opening doors, arranging meetings with networking contacts etc. Plus ca change!

Once we've carried out as much research as we can fit in, we'll sit down and decide where we feel we can add value to the hotel fraternity here. There's definitely potential for us, so we need to capture what it is and work hard to capitalise on it before anyone else does it first (hence the reason why I don't want to impart the information here - you never know who might be reading this ....!)

No doubt you'll hear all about it when I get home. In the meanwhile, I've caught up with the tragedy at Lower Loxley and shed a tear when I heard that Helen had succesfully been delivered of a healthy baby boy (only 2 days after my niece Zoe was delivered of a healthy baby boy). Got to get my priorities right, even in the heart of Africa!

Happy New Year 2011

helen_in_africa — Sun, 2 Jan 2011 19:28:00 GMT

And so it's transpired that another new year sees me in Ghana. Who would have thought it, a year ago? Last year found me at Elmina with Kirsten and barely a damp aquib of a firework in sight. This year, I celebrated the new year with some fellow "obrunis" - we ate pancakes and fondue, set off some glorious (if dangerous!) fireworks and generally chilled ... Traffic on the way home (back to the hotel, which has become home for me since being here) was as you'd expect - lots of it, lots of very excited and excitable Ghanaians, horns honking, shouting, general merry-making. The usual 15 minute trip took around 45 mins - but who cared? It was so entertaining, joyous to watch the people here party.

And so, another year to look forward to. I wish you all success, health and happiness and look forward to catching up when I'm back

I'll never moan about the state of my gym again

helen_in_africa — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:13:00 GMT

So at 7 o’clock this morning, John, Gerald and I set out for the local gym, local being the operative word. And gym in the loosest sense but nevertheless it had all the equipment we needed, not to mention my own personal trainer, Bibi. He started off with a series of circuits to get our circulation going – which of course it did even at that time of the day, the temperature being around 25°. Forgot to mention that it’s an “indoor” gym – it just doesn’t have a roof. The equipment looks as if it’s decades old (it probably is) but it did the trick. Bibi put me through my paces with shoulder presses, sit-ups, triceps curls etc – and I’m happy to say that all 6 or so Ghanaian guys were impressed. Hurray – all that work at LA Fitness paid off! Poor Gerald (sorry, Gerald, if you’re reading this ...) felt quite faint at one point owing to the amount of alcohol in his blood when he started. By the time he finished, there was certainly none left!

The other major event of today was the poor state of health of both Gerald and myself owing to taking our malaria pill before we’d eaten (and after training hard). Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that breakfast disappeared quicker than it arrived – we won’t be making that mistake again.

Our next mission today is to interview the general manager of the hotel we’re staying in to find out what they do as regards booking etc. It seems as if the season in Ghana is from Feb to Nov so the hotels tend to be less busy around Christmas and the New Year. So my message to all of you out there is – come to Ghana for your next family Christmas holiday break. It’s relatively inexpensive to fly here, it’s certainly value for money if you choose the right hotel and restaurant – and of course the weather and people are amazing. And I'd be delighted to act as your personal guide!

Now to answer Wendy’s question ... No, there is no sighting of the Wel sign. I’ve hunted high and low, and it’s not to be seen. There’s not even a Welcome sign!

Hopefully next instalment will include photos of the gym and a brief synopsis of where we are, business-wise.

The real start to my trip

helen_in_africa — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:22:00 GMT

I don’t think I’ve been anywhere more than once – apart from the odd holiday destination in years gone by. But then I’ve never stayed in one place outside of the UK for as long as the 4 months I was here earlier this year. But to be able to go back and visit that same place – but with very different eyes – has already been illuminating. Possibly starting with the hotel I’m staying in – the Paloma which was so upmarket to my backpacking budget that I could barely afford the pizzas at 12 GHC (about £6) let alone rest my bones each night. So here we are, booked in for the whole stay we’re in Ghana, and we are so disappointed in the standard of the place that we’ve decided to take our custom elsewhere! The rooms are decidedly tired-looking, the showers are positively dangerous and the breakfast which was described as a buffet (oh good, we thought, lots of fruit and yogurt ....) consisted of eggs in differing iterations, scrumptious (not!) sliced white bread and that ubiquitous import from somewhere – luscious Liptons tea.

I’ve already been to visit Swedru and my host family. The reception I got from them was amazing – talk about seeing a long-lost friend. They all ran to greet me and hug me and honestly believe that I’ve been sent to them by G-d ... Little had changed other than Peggy, the youngest, is now married and is even pregnant. Bucket showers were the story of the day, along with the aforementioned (i.e. some time last year) manually-flushing WC. Poor quality TV on all day, the expected power cuts, the most amazing heat sitting in the lounge eating jollof rice and fish (some of you have now tasted this Ghanaian delicacy), with a fan churning round hot air - but nevertheless it was pretty magic to be back and it felt as if I’d hardly been away. I went by tro-tro of course and was amused that this mode of transport hadn’t changed either (I don’t know why I thought it might have). I had bought the two little girls some Christmas dresses so they were able to wear them to church today – see the pix when I upload them. They were all hugely excited to see the pix I’d taken of Edu and Ishi’s baby brother who lives in London with their mum and dad – in fact Edu and Ishi will probably arrive in London in the spring, once their parents have found a bigger place to live to accommodate their growing family.

Now down to business – which after all, is why I’m here ... Gerald and Tayo arrived late on Thursday evening and we had a meeting arranged for early on Friday morning – luckily in true Ghanaian style, the person we were meeting was running late – but unusually for a Ghanaian, he called me earlier to let me know. The man is called Edem and he’s the Chairman of the Ghana Tourist Board as well as running his own hotel consultancy – I’d met him at the Ghana stand of the World Travel Market in November and he turned out to be a very good contact for us. We chatted about our business idea for ages and he was good enough to give us feedback, some advice and a promise of introducing us to others in his network after the new year. So far, so good. We’ve had a couple of days rest as it’s Christmas so it’s difficult to meet people. Back in business tomorrow and on Tuesday we’ve got a couple of specific meetings lined up. It’s absolutely essential that we’re here to do our research – it won’t do to speak to people by phone, personal contact is the thing.

So, we’ve started slowly but at least we’ve started. Time will tell whether it’s feasible but we’ll certainly give it our best shot.

Hope you’ve all had a peaceful festive season and wishing you all a great 2011.

Written en route but uploaded now I'm here

helen_in_africa — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 01:37:00 GMT

What a completely different set of emotions I have as I sit on the plane from Heathrow bound for Accra. It was only a year ago that I ventured on my own to this distant country that I knew almost nothing about. Four months immersed in Ghanaian life made me realise what a special place and people I was lucky enough to have found.

I knew when I returned to London that it wasn’t the end of my relationship with Ghana – but the beginning of something that I knew not what. What luck that I met John whose friend Gerald lived in London. And not one to miss an opportunity, when Gerald and I met on my return to the UK at the end of March this year, I told him about my dream of building a business that would mean I’d have an excuse to return to Ghana on a regular basis. He then explained his own dream of building a business too, because what he wanted was ultimately to return to Ghana with his partner and their son, to settle.

And that’s where it started, my return journey. Gerald introduced me to Tayo and they explained their idea to me – and asked me if I’d get involved in getting the idea off the ground. Another stroke of luck came when we discovered an organisation called AFFORD, set up specifically to help Africans living in the diaspora. AFFORD’s objective is to help small businesses who want to set up in Ghana, with the ultimate aim of bringing wealth to the economy and much-needed employment to the locals.

We’ve formulated our idea and worked it into a business plan, with the aid of our business advisor, also courtesy of AFFORD. So here I am, flying to Ghana a day before my new business partners, ready to find out if Ghana is ready for us and our idea. We’ve got a lot of research to undertake, plenty of people we need to meet and time to spend on working out if it’s feasible. Very exciting times .... How lucky am I?

So a three day delay thanks to the vagaries of the UK weather this week has done nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for this venture. I can’t wait to get started – though a bit of sunshine won’t go amiss either!

I’ll update this as and when I have time and anything interesting to add.

In the meanwhile, season’s greetings to all. It doesn’t seem so long ago that I was saying the same thing – from the same place.

Weather didn't permit ....

helen_in_africa — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:21:00 GMT

Oh well, it was inevitable .... My flight has been cancelled. I'm now booked to fly on Wednesday - weather permitting! I'm coming back 2 days later than scheduled so in the end, I'll only lose one day. So what on earth am I going to do for the next 3 days? All my bags were packed and I was ready to go (to quote an ancient song)

So I'll be happy to chat to anyone who cares to call to relieve the monotony!

No thank you British Airways

helen_in_africa — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 23:38:00 GMT

Well it doesn't look like I'm leaving blighty just yet. Although I'm not due to fly till tomorrow, I can't somehow see BA clearing today's backlog let alone the runways, in time for my afternoon flight. Oh well, I had an extra 6 days in Ghana courtesy of BA (flight staff were striking) at the end of my sabbatical so they obviously decided that I have an allotted number of days I'm allowed to be there!

Will keep you updated and will add a blog once I've arrived ...

Hope you're all keeping safe and warm

So my Africa story continues ...

helen_in_africa — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:31:00 GMT

I leave on Sunday to go back to Ghana. It's been 9 months since I left and I can't believe how lucky I am to have the opportunity to return so soon. It just proves that if you want something enough, and you work hard enough to get it - it happens!

I don't know how much time I'll have to update the blog but at least this time I'm not dependent on the efficiency - or not - of the Ghanaian internet cafe. Not only am I now in possession of my very own Notebook, but I think I'm staying in hotels that have wi-fi ... Seeing is believing of course.

Anyway watch this space, comment at will and let's see where this adventure leads me

I'm home!!

helen_in_africa — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:31:00 GMT

Dear all

Well I finally made it back to blighty at the weekend, despite the BA strike. Simon and Matt picked me up from the airport and there were the obligatory few tears (mine, not theirs surprisingly!). If you've tried to contact me by phone or email, you'll have noticed that I haven't responded - BT have truly come up trumps on this one. I can't go into details as I don't want to break down and sob but suffice it to say that if you need to get hold of me, try my mobile phone or office telno 020 8429 0248. I haven't been able to access emails, hence the reason I'm at a friend's now using their PC and broadband. Such a great homecoming ...

I do hope I'll get round to seeing you all in the next week or so. Happy for you to contact me now that I've had a few days to get used to being back.

And here's to my next trip, wherever it'll be!

THANK YOU BRITISH AIRWAYS

helen_in_africa — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:41:00 GMT

My trip has been extended by 6 days thanks to the staff at BA wishing to strike next weekend. I was due to leave next Saturday night but have had to change the flight (shame ...) and will now leave on Friday 26th, arriving at 06.30 on the 27th March.

I can't believe that I'm in the last days of this tremendous life-changing experience and intend to make the most of the remaining time. I'm possibly having a return trip to Togo this week and would also like to go back to see my host family for one last time. I'm not sure if I'll go back to see Madame but it would be wonderful to see the babes again. We'll see ...

Please be patient with me when I get home if you try to get hold of me but can't do so immediately. I expect to need a period of reorientation - possibly longer than the week I had when I arrived in Ghana! My sister Judi and Simon/Matt will come to collect me from Heathrow and take me home - I just hope that it won't be too cold a day but at least it will be spring by then.

There will be so many stories to relate to you and of course I want to hear all your news too. I will go to Cardiff to see Mum at the earliest opportunity but there'll be plenty of time to get together in the weeks after I come home.

It's going to be sad to leave this wonderful country but I know I'll be back.

Looking forward to catching up with you over the next few weeks...

Orphanage outing to Cape Coast Castle

helen_in_africa — Mon, 8 Mar 2010 22:55:00 GMT

Tuesday 2nd March was the day set to take the children from the orphanage on an outing to Cape Coast Castle. Babita had organised a 60-seater coach to take us along with 50-60 children and 7-8 staff. We had told Madame that we'd pick them all up at 7 (she wasn't going to come thankfully, as she looks after the babes), knowing that This Is Africa, so if we turned up at 7.30, there would be a slim chance that they may be ready.

We arrived at the hotel from whom we'd hired their coach, to discover that there is no 60-seater, though Babita had checked twice beforehand that this is what we were going to have use of. The only one for hire was a 30-seater. An interesting conundrum then - how to get 70 people on a coach for 30. Arguments ensued but to no avail of course, so we decided to go to the orphanage and see. We thought we'd be able to squeeze on lots of kids (This Is Africa) and maybe leave behind the kindergarten class, as they were really too young to appreciate the significance of the trip, so perhaps there would be only 45-50 children. How naive are we!

Off we go on the 30 minute ride from Swedru to the orphanage in relative comfort. Calm before the storm ...

All the debate and discussion meant we arrived at the orphanage at around 7.45 - and the children were eating breakfast, so of course were nowhere near ready. As even the headmaster said - This Is Africa. So we went to see Mandame to ask her about the lunch for the kids that she had promised us she'd provide. Guess what? She denied she'd ever promised anything of the sort so we had to decide again what to do - and decided we'd buy some street food for all and worry later about the logistics of feeding 60-70.

By this time, breakfast was over and it was time to get the 60 children (well, squeeze them!) on the coach. Except there weren't 60 - there were 95!! So we straightaway abandoned the KG kids, as we expected we'd have to do, and attempted to fit all the rest on to the bus, The teachers organised oldest first, by class, and we fitted in as many as the bus could hold - not forgetting the adults. We were rather appalled at the teachers' conduct at this stage - pushing and shoving so they got seats, even before all the kids were in. We decided that 10 adults were unnecessary so Babita told the deputy HM we only wanted 5 of them. Eruptions as we turfed a couple of them off. Acting like the children they were supposed to be in charge of!

Not all the kids could get on, unsurprisingly, so we were mortified when the bus pulled away with some of the younger children crying at the roadside - and how at the last minute, the teachers plucked an extra 2 or 3 of their favourites - none of whom were legitimate orphans, having at least one parent alive - and squeezed them on before the door firmly closed.

But then we were on our way to Cape Coast - with 70 children and 10 adults on board a bus meant for 30. As soon as we left the orphanage, all the children and most of the staff burst into spontaneous song, accompanied by the deputy HM on drums. It was so exhilerating to listen to them whilst we drove through the African countryside, with banana and plantain trees (sill haven't worked out the difference), palm trees, pineapple bushes to our left and right. It was a supremely surreal moment for me - listening to the poor African children, most of whom owned nothing, singing happily as we sped along, being taken on an excursion to a place of great history for them. I felt privileged to be part of this moment.

We arrived at the castle 2 and a half hours later and we all piled out, attempting to get the children to line up crocodile fashion (why crocodiles? When I saw them at Mole National Park and Paga, they certainly didn't line up in twos). Entrance to the castle was 20 peswars per child (about 9p)and 1 GHC for Ghanaian adults, 5 for us volunteers (9 GHC if you're merely a foreigner). For once, I didn't mind the discrepancy between the obruni and local prices.

More lining up two by two, each child having a buddy to whom they had to stick like glue. The guide we were allocated was superb - he engaged them all for a full hour, taking them to the cells, frightening them by turning off the lights for a few seconds so we could get a brief glimpse into the terrible conditions these poor slaves had to suffer. Each of the 5 cells held 200 men at any one time (there were separate, female cells that were equally as appalling). We were a group of 80, most of whom were little people, and we were cramped so we could only imagine how dire it must have been. We passed through the Gate of No Return and again could only guess at the emotions that the slaves must have felt as they each went through that gate.

But more recently the Gate has been given a more pleasant makeover and is now called, on the "other" side - the one from which slaves in the past would have stepped through to have one last walk on their native soil - Gate of Return. A heartening end to a tragic (hi)story.

After an hour and a half of a riveting tour, it was time to get back on the bus. We counted heads and fortunately found that all 70 children were accounted for. Off we went to find a Chop Bar (fast food restaurant/cafe) so that we could feed 70 hungry mouths - and eventually found one that served banku (rather unpleasant food similar to fufu (see previous story on my host family for a definition of what fufu is!) which is part of the Ghanaian staple diet, along with some stew and fish - for 50 peswars per child. Not bad, feeding 70 kids for 35 GHC - approx 17 Br pounds. Try doing that at home ...

Sated, we all piled back on the bus, the children once more bursting into song. Two and a half hours later, back to the orphanage, with 70 very happy and sleepy little people. Truly a memorable day for all, myself included.

New days at the orphanage

helen_in_africa — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:06:00 GMT

Who can resist a gossip? So when I heard about the saga at the orphanage, of course I had to go there to see for myself. How strange to return after a month of travelling. When I arrived, the older children were preparing for March 6th celebrations (Independence day)- marching to the teachers' drumming.

The babes were hovering around, as usual, and one or two of the older babes recognised me, which was very gratifying. I spent a lovely hour or more picking up and cuddling one after the other and plAying games with them. The only other volunteer was Babita, whom I had introduced to the orphanage in the early days. SYTO - the organisation who arranges volunteer placements - has temporarily stopped new volunteers from working there.

So - I saw Madame who, in her nonchalant way, appeared pleased to see me. Some of the workers made a big fuss of me, told me they'd missed me and didn't think they'd see me again. And my lovely young friend Sofia came to see me and gave me a hug.

Then I met with Mia, the main donor and her boyfriend Mark, to discuss what's been happening and what will happen. Mia and Mark were leaving the orphanage the following day and were of course concerned at how they were going to leave it.

She had got rid of Mr Nigerian Mafia Man (NMM) and had just recruited a new headmaster. She is desperate to get rid of Madame but has no proof of her ill-doing (or fraud) though she (Madame) had a temper tantrum earlier in the day when Mia was talking to Seth, the SYTO co-ordinator. Such a pleasant, well-balanced woman who's in charge of the children!

The money that Madame and NMM have siphoned off has been used to build a private school barely 10 minutes away from the orphanage.The cheek of it - but there's no proof as to where the money has come from. Madame has also taken on several women to do the work that the volunteers were doing - cleaning dishes and clothes, looking after the babies etc. Mia has arranged it that she sends Seth the money for salaries aNd Seth now pays this direct into their bank account. But there is a suspicion that Madame may be blackmailing the women to give her a percentage of their salary (as a finder's fee). But it's pure speculation ...

Back in Accra, Mia and I spent a couple of days together before she was returning to Norway. She expressed her concern about the orphanage and about Madame in particular. We talked about options and choices open to her and she felt that as she (Mia) was leaving Ghana immediately, she hadn't got time to find a replacement for Madame so instead she's recruited me a spy! Like a duck to water ....

I've agreed to go there every week to see how the land lies - speak to the new headmaster, the cook (who speaks excellent English) and any of the workers who can understand me. Seth has now refused to go there because "I'm not going anywhere near that woman". So he, Eric (one of the workers) and I will go and buy the food aNd Eric and I will take it there - and I'm going to keep an eagle eye to see what happens to it. Can we guess??

So Wednesday saw me back again and changes have been made. MAdame has removed herself from the main orphanage site and has taken the babes with her around the corner to a self-contained area which is clean and free of animals - no goats, dogs, cats and their accompanying excrements. She has a number of workers- washing clothes, cooking, cleaning the babies when they're dirty, teaching and general help - and the babies are definitely calmer. Something that can't be said for MAdame - she had a rant at me soon after I arrived, accusing me of telling Mia that she was incapable of looking after the babes. This in fact was one thing that I didn't say to Mia about Madame. Other things more connected with finances but not about her childminding abilities.

By the time I left a few hours later, she'd calmed down, especially when I told her I thought it was much better where she is now and also Babita and I offered to take the kids to Cape Coast castle for the day in a couple of weeks' time.

I also had the opportunity to speak to the new headmaster who was decidedly unmafia- like. He had good ideas that he wants to implement and is concerned, as he should be, for each child's education. Spoke at length to one of the teachers who seemed happy with the way things are going. So the general feeling I got was that it'll be alright, as long as Madame has no control over the finances. Good news indeed for Mia. Of course I'll continue to monitor (I do hate the word "spy"!)the goings-on as long as I'm here and report back. What's wonderful for me is that I can continue to visit the babes and have lots of cuddles - I may yet turn up at Heathrow next month with a babe on either arm ...

Photos: Water water everywhere

helen_in_africa — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:55:00 GMT

Photos: Tro tros

helen_in_africa — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:29:00 GMT

And your specialist subject is - the trotro!

helen_in_africa — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:36:00 GMT

Well it may not be the most suitable subject for Mastermind but just in case it crops up at your next pub quiz, here are some interesting - and not so interesting - facts about trotros (TTS)

1. All TTS have a driver - hereafter called "the driver" - and his sidekick/conductor - hereafter called "mate". As in "Mate, I need to get off at Barclays Bank" or "Mate, where's my change?"

2. The driver mainly drives (but will hand signal to get potential passengers' attention) and although he (driver and mate are always without exception, male) looks no older than 14, in fact by definition has to have passed his driving test so must be at least 18

3. Almost without exception, all TTS have a windscreen that at least has a chip in it or more likely, several cracks, making it not only hazardous but difficult to see through

4. Fares start at around 25 Gp (about 11p) per journey to get round Accra, 80 Gp to get from Swedru to the orphanage (25 min ride), 1.80 GHC (80-85p)from Swedru to Accra (anything from 2- 3 hours, depending on traffic) and 4.20 GHC from Swedru to Takoradi on the south coast (3-4 hours)

5. The driver is compelled by law to wear a seat belt - note that the law doesn't include the passengers or the mate ...Every few miles on main roads, there are police checks, where they check the driver is belted up (they also look to see if there are any suspicious-looking i.e. Nigerian passengers - but that's another story!)

6. The mate spends most of each journey half out of the window gesticulating and shouting madly to attract anyone's attention who is a potential paying passenger

7. The mate bangs on the door - or roof if he can reach it - to let the driver know to stop, either to let passengers off or to allow yet more to squeeze into an already full-to-bursting TT

8. The mate also organises the seating arrangement inside the TT. In other words, the more he can in, the more he earns, so it's in his interest to pack 'em in. He won't let you sit on the "extra" seats until all the regular ones are full

9. The TT is distinct from a shared taxi, being more of a bus, though the shared taxi ( as distinct from a "drop" or charter taxi) will similarly take people to a designated destination, the main thing is that you don't mind sharing with other paying passengers. Confused? Good!

10. TTS allow preachers on board either before the journey starts or picked up along the way. The preacher whiles away the journey, sometimes not pausing for breath for an hour or more ...

11. Almost without exception, and even if you ignore the cracked/chipped windscreens, no TT would pass an MOT. Doors fall off, lights are dodgy, often no wing mirrors, sometimes parts of the floor are missing so you can see the road

12. Amid all this chaos, there is actually order! You start to recognise the same TT and mates if you do the same journey several times such as I did going to and fro the orphanage

13. TT journeys are a perfect way to do your weekly shop. We Brits are missing a trick - who needs Tesco when the supermarket runs alongthe side of the TT, as it slows down to let passengers on and off? You can buy anything through the TT window from sweets, plantain chips, boiled eggs and all sorts of other culinary delights, to more obscure roadside purchases such as flannels ( an essential in this heat), ties, toilet paper, cotton buds (you just have to have them when you travel!), superglue, mirrors and so on. WAtching a TT pull up at a stop makes such compelling viewing - traders/sellers creep out from who-knows-where to ply their trade

14. TTS have the capacity to carry from 10 passengers (but frequently will squeeze in 4 or 5 more) up to 20 (squeezing in even more). Squashing together is the order of the day- it's easy to make friends when you're sitting so close!

15. Flagging down a TT isn't always easy - the mate calls out something that is often incomprehensible and you have to interpret it as best you can. So if he shouts out Labadi, you know he's going to Danquah Circle (where the internet cafe is that I'm sitting in and where it all happens generally) and he shouts out Circle, you know he's going to Paloma, which is around the corner to the hotel where I'm currently staying. If you are really unsure, you either pluck up the courage to ask - or else take a taxi!

16. Filling up with petrol leaves something to be desired. The driver never switches off the engine while petrol is being put in to the tank. Life in their hands?

17. The driver considers his TT is broken down if his horn doesn't work. This is because he hoots his horn all day - both to warn other drivers not to knock into him (not always successful)and to alert people that he's got spaces so come on inside

18. The TT often doesn't leave for its destination until it's full. So you can wait for hours (literally) sometimes especially if you're going on a longer journey. But you won't go hungry ( see point 13 above)

19. The "better" TTS sometimes show films if it's a long journey. Always African, usually Nigerian (English speaking) and I promise you, all are dire. But so dire, that they are great entertainment

20. Most if not all TTS are imported from Europe so it's not unusual to see German/Dutch/Swedish writing on the side. They are almost without question rejects!

So that's the information on TTS. Sorry if I've missed anything out but now here are some questions to ask you ...

Q1. What is the driver's companion called?

Q2. How much does it cost to go from Swedru to Accra?

Q3. Name 3 things you can buy from roadside sellers when sitting on a TT

Q4. Would TTS pass an MOT?

Q5. Do passengers wear seat belts?

Q6. How do you get a TT to stop to let you alight?

Q7. What does the mate do for most of the journey?

Q8. What's the difference between a TT and a "drop" taxi?

Q9. Why does the driver beep his horn?

Q10. Would you like to experience a TT journey?

Pictures of TTS and their mates plus sellers and passengers will be posted soon. Answers to the above Qs will be marked accordingly ...

Calling Borchester Asylum inmates ...

helen_in_africa — Mon, 8 Feb 2010 04:55:00 GMT

Ok, so apart from Barbara giving me a very brief resume about the goings-on in Ambridge before Christmas, (I think,) I don't have a clue what's happening.

How did they handle Phil's death? What's the latest in the Matt and Lilian saga? Who's married/divorced/had babies? There must be some news ...

Also who won the Death List comp last year? I'll buy the kids at the orphanage something as my contribution. I know it wasn't me that won (correct grammar?) - unless you come top for receiving Nuls Points. Anything happened so far this year?

Gin isn't so easy to get in this part of the world, unless at a pretty high expense so please can you ask Matron if it's ok for me to continue with the Mandingo. If she's not happy about it, I'll sneak it in through the side entrance, disguised as medicine in my first aid kit ...

If this blog posting doesn't make sense to you, don't worry, you're not going mad! It might become a little clearer when and if someone who's in the know, responds!

Photos: Togo

helen_in_africa — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 21:24:00 GMT

To go to TOGO

helen_in_africa — Wed, 3 Feb 2010 20:55:00 GMT

Not having had our fill of being in a francophone country (Burkina), we decided to try another one and headed for Togo, which to the uninitiated is to the east of Ghana. I believe it's the smallest country in West Africa, comparable in size to England.

The border to Togo from Ghana is at a place called Aflao and it's considerably more chaotic than Paga. Money changers abound, as do young men who'll happily show you where to cross the border/how to complete the visa form/ where to change the money/ where to get a shared taxi - even ( and especially) if you don't want them to!

The crossing was much quicker here and we were through in minutes - we soon booked into a rather pleasant guesthouse and ventured forth into Lome, capital of Togo. The city is right on the beach so a walk along the main drag is the beach walk - pretty cool, with palm trees along the way and a gentle sea breeze. We had a delicious Senegalese meal (as you do when you're in Togo!) and headed back to the guesthouse as we were so exhausted from all the travelling we'd been doing (no sympathy needed or expected!)

Certainly the Togolese appeared much friendlier and more helpful than the Burkinabes and didn't seem to be interested in ripping us off. We visited the Grand Marche which was indeed Grand then found a taxi to take us to the Marche des Feticheurs - Voodoo or Fetish Market. You see, we just can't keep away from these fetishists ...

Well this was definitely one of the main highlights of our travels. After haggling robustly with the guide, we were shown items on display on various stalls. A lot of animal skulls - elephant, buffalo, crocodile, monkey, baboon, dogs, cats. The guide explained that these are ground down into powder to "cure" ailments such as rheumatism and arthritis. There were also skeletons of chameleons, rotting bird carcasses and possibly the most expensive item on display - an elephant's foot. This, he explained, was hugely expensive because of its healing properties ( we couldn't understand who could possibly afford to buy this). He showed us some stones with holes in the centre ( they looked a bit like very large polo mints but made of stone), the holes of which had been put there via thunder. I have no idea what he was talking about at this point but nodded appreciatively! Still, the stones also - of course - had healing properties so were valuable too.

Our guide explained why all this was important and how they are ingredients of traditional medicine and religion. Apparently, an overwhelming majority of people in Togo still practice traditional "animist" religions and even Christian and Muslim minorities will often incorporate animist practices into their beliefs.

After our guided tour of the market, came the piece de resistance. We were lucky enough to meet the Chief Voodoo priest who showed us a number of different talismen in his little cave. He had charms for Safe Journeys, Love, Good Luck, Memory, Happy Home etc. Needless to say we were enchanted by his explanations and his conviction that these talismen work so we bought some ...

Kerstin and I had to put our talismen in a calibash, hold it in both hands and say our name three times. Mr Voodoo man then blessed the talismen and us to "seal" their effectiveness. Then the inevitable discussion about payment. In order to work out how much we should pay, he rolled four shells - in much the same way as you'd roll dice - and said we each owed 10,000 francs. This being way beyond our budget, we told him we only had 5,000 francs altogether so he rolled the shells again and surprise, surprise, the shells "said" that 5,000 francs was a fair price. So Kerstin said her name as she held her talismen in her cupped hands, and he blessed them by ringing a bell and saying a prayer and she was a happy bunny. My turn - and he wanted a further 5,000 francs so we explained patiently that actually we only had 5,000 francs in total so he rolled the shells once and said I could pay a further 2,000 only. We insisted we didn't have the funds so after another couple of rolls of the shells, they magically "said" that 5,000 for all our talismen was acceptable. I was similarly blessed and am the proud owner of some fascinating voodoo talismen - but I won't give away which ones I chose, as that will destroy the magic ...

The visit to this market fitted in very nicely with our previous visit to the fetish priest in Kumasi, so if really nice things start to happen to me, you'll know why!

I will promise to upload some pix to show you the animal skulls and the voodoo priest but please be patient as now that Kerstin has left, it'll take me longer to upload straight from the camera and not from the laptop.

January 25th 2010 didn't exist - till the very end of the day

helen_in_africa — Tue, 2 Feb 2010 01:19:00 GMT

Once leaving BF, our intention was to make our way southwards, eventually ending up in Accra for Kerstin's final weekend, via the Volta region - the east side of Ghana, closest to Togo and where the river Volta runs wide.

We'd stayed in a town called Yendi on the Sunday night and felt sufficiently refreshed after a day travelling from Ouaga. We rose early on Monday 25th January and made our way to the bus station, eating a respectable spanish omeletter and bread en route. at one of the many street stalls.

We'd allegedly missed one bus going south as it was full so we had to wait for the next one to come - and as always waited till it was full before departing. We only had to wait a little while (one hour) then we were off - the tarmac road swiftly turned to a red, dusty and dirty track, much the same as the one to Mole (but several kilometres longer). We had hoped to get a bus direct to Hohoe (not as in Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum, but more Ho as pronounced in the word "hot" and Hoe pronounced Hoy) but this one took us only as far as a place called Bimbila - from where we could pick up another bus going to Accra and which would drop us in Hohoe.

We arrived in Bimbila at about 11 and were suitably impressed with the efficiency of the ticket office (but not with the price of the ticket) and booked ourselves on the next bus out of town. So we waited and waited ....

To while away the time, we watched as a convoy of 5 men loaded several hundred yams on the roof of the bus. You can get the picture of the excitement we were enjoying...

Three and a half hours later, we were herded on to the bus where we must have had two of the most uncomfortable seats given to man (or woman!). They had no cushions at the back - only metal - and I had to "steal" a cover for my dirty foam cushion to sit on. So off we went at 2.30 pm (remember, we'd left our guesthouse in Yendi at 8.00 and had travelled so far approx 100 kms) and bumped along the same dusty, uneven, pot-holed road until 12.30 at night, stopping only for a quickie bowl of rice and plantain, and comfort breaks. Numb bums and exhausted.

But all was not lost - for I had learned a highly interesting piece of information from one of the other volunteers at Madame's orphanage, who'd called me during the journey. She told me that ....

Madame and the Nigerian mafia manager/headmaster have been siphoning off lots of money that the main benefactor has been sending each month - to fund/build a new private school! I've heard since that Mafia Man is about to be sacked ( and is probably the mastermind behind the plan), Madame has sent away Pamela back home (home? I thought she was an orphan) and one of the Richards has been sent somewhere else, as Madame "couldn't afford to keep them ". So my instincts about the two of them were right all along. But the uncertainty of the future of the orphanage is of far more concern. I intend to go next week to meet Mia, the benefactor, and her father who are here to set things straight. More info when I get it -