Something's been bugging me

   I haven't been up to much in the last 2 weeks since we got back to Ghana. I caught myself a nasty and very persistent tummy bug which meant I couldn't really go to the library. Had to see the doctor eventually and today is the first day I've sort of got my appetite back. Maybe it's got something to do with these very tasty muffins baked by my friend Rozahn. You can't buy these over here. What a treat!
   Rory and I spent a few hours on the bikes again trying to get this radio kit wired. It wasn't as tricky in the end as we thought but I'd say being electrical savvy is a definite bonus. We have to fit the headphones and mics into our helmets yet. Should be no problem though. Can't wait to go for a spin and test the whole thing. 
   Unfortunately that spin might have to wait. One of the rads on my bike is leaking coolant at the moment. Total show stopper! A colleague of Rory's said I should be able to get Radweld in the neighbouring village. Let's hope so. I've also been trying to figure out what's wrong with my speedometer. It hasn't been working ever since the last puncture and besides not being able to read current speed it's messing with my overall mileage. I will need a new cable. Also looking into replacing the horn. That has never been working in the first place but somehow being here I feel the pressing need of being able to make myself heard and to get this sorted. Little by little I'm learning more about the make up of bikes and enjoying it. Ok, I've bored you enough with my bike antics I'd say. 
   We're definitely in the rainy season now. It's been hammering down pretty much every evening. If you think you've seen rain before, wait til you experience this kind of weather. Incredible thunder and lightning too. It makes me feel strangely alive and, also very happy to be indoors.
   There are 2 more Irish guys working on site now. Strange to hear a thick Cork accent all of sudden in the middle of Ghana.
   We had a 'lock in' on compound yesterday due to a large number of locals from all surrounding villages protesting and blocking several site entrances to the mine. We were told in Africa people sometimes end up getting killed at events like these - although unlikely to happen in Ghana. Hence the management announced a lock in and no one was allowed to leave the compound for safety reasons. It kinda messed with my lazy daily routine and most importantly I didn't get to sleep in as all of Lycopodiums staff was buzzing over this unexpected day off. It's good to look at the bright sight of things. It's all back to normal again today.
   Hope everyone is well.

Return of the whales

WE'RE BACK! 

   Accra to Galway to Berlin to Galway to Accra in 3 weeks, with temperatures varying from +34 °C to -17 °C. We caught up with family, friends, good music and gorged on delicious foods (borderline gluttony). Both of us are carrying food babies at the moment - hence this weeks blog theme - so we were actually looking forward to return to Ghana to lose the gut. Although, the pounds of cheese, salami, bottles of wine among other tasty drops 'smuggled' into the country mightn't help matters. We looked like packed mules landing into Accra on Tuesday night. On arrival back in Purple Rocks last night it took me 2 hours (!) to put everything into place in our small humble room. 

 Reunion with the love of his life :)

600 gr prime rib chargrilled steak... clearly vegetarian!

Thank you duty free :)

Thursday of flat tires

   Remember the story of the ingenious patch job that fixed the flat tire I had on the way to Cape Coast in December? Well good! I didn't... until last Thursday morning that is. So UN-GERMAN of me! But hey, it lasted a month. That's impressive, isn't it? :)

   Here are a few snaps of the whole procedure of getting it fixed this time. Not quite as exciting as the first time round since I had a spare tube this time but you get the general idea. The comical side of it, there were bikes with flats to be seen about everywhere that morning. Hence, the Thursday of flat tires!

   We had a new addition to the camp for exactly 2 days. A little homeless puppy that was taken in by one of the guys. Her name was 'Lucky' which seemed to be fitting. Not so much now as she sadly has disappeared and it is very unlikely that she is still alive :(

   Saturday may have possibly marked an early end to the Harmattan season with rain like I haven't experienced it before. A blessing and relieve from the dust that is everywhere. I have robbed a few pictures off my friend Rozahn (thank you!). Hope it gives you an idea.

   I'm in Accra now and will be heading to the Airport in a couple hours. Really looking forward to going home! Shneaky pints on Tuesday night anyone? :)

Tour de Library

After many weeks of tedious data entry, maintenance and similar work we've reached a milestone: The first ~300 books are in the shelves!
It may not look or sound impressive but to finally see this progress is giving me and my 2 permanent helpers Hayford and Seth new energy and motivation.

Left picture: View from entrance. Shelves will separate the room in fiction (left-hand) and non-fiction (right-hand). The left hand side of the room will be further divided to create a 'junior section' for children. 

View from the desk to the right-hand side of the room. This is the non-fiction area we are currently working on.

Fiction area of the library: Currently a mess... Once done with the books, all 3 areas will provide seating and study possibilities.

The month of many 1sts

After laying Suzi down (while driving of course) as well as running out of petrol (sort of) it looks like December has had at least one more first time experience in store for me and Suzi. Rory and I were headed for Cape Coast on Wednesday morning. We were really excited about this trip. Only 30 km into the journey I got a puncture in my front tire. Within minutes several locals stopped offering their help but none of them really could do anything. We were fine. That was until we figured, that it wasn't a classic puncture. The valve had completely ripped out of the tube. I have no clue how that could have happened. Stupidly I had left my spare tube at home - very smart! 
   Rory drove to the next village and got their mechanic to come out. He had a very clever way of fixing the tire by cutting the valve incl. a large base of rubber out of an old tube. He stuck that one into my tube and fixed it with a nut as tight as possible. No glue, no rubber or similar to seal it. Believe it or not, it worked! It's a patch job but it brought us all the way down to the coast and back. My heart was bleeding though when I saw him butchering my rims with a screwdriver. First order I put in online when we got back from our trip on Saturday: A decent set of levers :) It will hopefully arrive together with my GiantLoop Saddlebags in time so that I can take it all back with me at the beginning of February. 
   I'm actually delighted the misfortune with the flat tire happened as well as the other episodes of falling and running the bike dry. It's good experience and a boost in confidence. I wish I had taken pictures of the puncture getting fixed but I was too focused on the mechanic and worried he'd damage more than do good. I'm pretty sure though next time I'll be more relaxed about it. 
   Before I get more smart comments how I could possibly run out of petrol with a transparent tank... :)
    I hadn't actually run out of petrol. With the type of tank fitted to my bike there is around 3-4 liters of petrol you can't really use because it's lower than the carb and it doesn't have a vacuum. I knew that but since I was about 10 km away from home and although the level of petrol was very close to the carb line I thought I would make it. Turns out I didn't :) Within minutes of me trying to somehow get use of the fuel left in the tank a taxi packed to the roof with people stopped and squeezed me in as well. They took me to the next petrol station, dropped me back at my bike, helped me push the bike as she wouldn't start at first and then wouldn't take any money for their help. Silly episode perhaps, but great experience altogether.
   Back to our trip down to Cape Coast... It was a very enjoyable ride. Rory was leading the way most of the time. Following him was entertaining as I watched the reactions his KTM causes with the locals. Driving through villages he sent chicken flying (rare sight!) and sheep stunned like a rabbit in the headlight. 
   By the time we got to the coast - it took us about 8 hours - I was well ready for food and a ring cushion to rest my aching behind. We stayed in Elmina, a Portuguese colony built in 1482 about 12 km west of Cape Coast. We took a tour through St. Georges castle, the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara. It was used as a slave trade post in it's time. Pretty grim to imagine how slaves where stacked and treated in there.
   We went to an animal sanctuary in Kakum. The place is run by a Dutch couple who have been living there for about 8 years. They rescue various animals but primarily monkeys from ending up in someones cooking pan. It's a tough battle and I really admire they're efforts.
   It took us 5 hours to get back on Saturday, just in time for lunch and a nap to get ready for some NYE shenanigans Ghana style. Who would have thought I'd be spending new years in Africa only 6 months ago?! Let's see what 2012 has in store for us :)

 

Kilometers of dusty bumpy roads (left) and grave of someone who died at an impressive age (right)

No clue what they were celebrating...

Skinny cows and other dangerous encounters along the road :)

Hundreds of slaves were kept here sometimes for months until the next boat would stop at Elmina and take them to Europe or elsewhere 

As the skull and crossed bones let guess if you were to step into the "condemned cell" you would not leave it alive

Boatmakers at Elmina Bay and hustle and bustle at the fish market in the heart of the city (lovely scent of fish in the air too *yikes*)

Spin to the beach and welcome present in our bathroom back in New Abirem

Ho Ho Ho

   Sunday week ago we went for a spin to the mountains around Nkawkaw. Lovely scenery, particularly loved the serpentine-like stretch of road that brought us up and down the mountain. There were several abandoned trucks along the way, either to weak to make it up or abandoned because the breaks aren't working. You'd be shocked to know how many motors over here are speeding about the place with no breaks and you'd also wonder why someone would even attempt to go down such a road when the breaks aren't working. Suicidal if you ask me. Actually one of my constant worries when I'm on the road myself. Once again, welcome to Africa :)

   On one of those sharp bends uphill we encountered an abandoned bus blocking the way. Cars, including ourselves had to pass it on the inner side of the steep curve. At least by the time we were headed back a towing truck was working on it. 

   Hope everyone has had a relaxing and enjoyable few days with their loved ones. Can't believe the year is nearly over. Although Rory and myself are not the Christmassy type we thoroughly enjoyed a chilled out day by the pool with the few remaining staff left at Purple Rocks. We had some visitors from Newmont also. Rory's day was made when we were presented with a big, tasty lump of ham. He made sure to stuff himself with as much as he could eat and he somehow talked the canteen crew into handing him the leftover ham when they finished up. Opportunist! :) We ended the day with a round of Monopoly. Haven't played that game in years and it turned out to be quite entertaining. 

   Since my library crew won't return until the 9th of January I have decided to take a few days off myself. I shall mostly be sitting by the pool today reading a book (if the haze decides to lift) and thinking of the terrible freeze-shock I will get when I am back in Ireland in just 4 weeks time. I'll be hitting Irish soil on the 24th January until 14th February. Would love to catch up with whoever is around then.

   Tomorrow we'll take a spin down to Cape Coast for a few nights. It's meant to be beautiful with lots to see. Really looking forward to the trip. 

Petrol station - the moment just before he managed to spill the petrol all over the bike *classic* :)

 

Heading towards Nkawkaw and the mointains (Kwahu-Oda)

Rory pushing it...

 

 

The big feast

Harmattan

To stick with the ole Irish way lets talk a bit about the weather. For the last 2-3 weeks I haven't seen a decent blue sky. It's constantly hazy. this is because the Harmattan season has started. During that season Ghana weather is very dry and dusty due to the northeast trade winds blowing from the desert. It also is a little cooler at night. In short: It's the Ghanaian cold and flu season. At an average of 30 degrees Celsius I do find this most peculiar. 
   Thursday last week I felt courageous once again and joined the guys at the library for lunch. This time they escorted me to a different 'chop bar' or restaurant. There was quite a vibe about the place when they realised I was about to be their first Obruni customer. I was equally excited (or worried?) to have my first experience of eating Fufu. 
   Fufu is made by boiling starchy root vegetables such as cassava, yam, plantain or rice, then pounding them into a glutinous mass. It is eaten with light soup, for example tomato or palm nut. We had it with a chicken soup and bits of lamb. Oh yeah... it is eaten by hand. You right hand to be precise. Soup... by hand. Interesting experience. It isn't actually as bad as I had been told (I had been warned of Fufu's tastelessness and gooey consistency by several of Rory's colleagues). Admitted, I wouldn't let it become part of my daily diet for nutrition reasons alone, but if it was put in front of me again I'd eat it, no problem. 
   When I couldn't make it the next day, the restaurant owner enquired about my whereabouts and insisted to send the guys back with a gift of 'bushmeat' soup for me. Well presented in a plastic bag. I had to ask a good few times what kind of meat 'bushmeat' is and only after a while Sammy explained it was Antelope. So I'm guessing 'roadkill' is more like it... I tried it but it was way too spicy for my likings and tasted too much of the local 'pepe' sauce which has fish in it. The combination didn't float my boat. I was genuinely happy about the gesture though, especially when so far it has been a rare experience for me to be given presents by a Ghanaian.
    Instead and sadly in the past 2 months I have perhaps met a handful locals who seem genuine and friendly for no superior motive. There is hardly a week that goes by without people trying one of their many tactics for you to give them money or any type of present. People over here are poor, no doubt. Amazingly enough though, it isn't the poor that have the cheek to ask for money. It is the ones that are doing well enough, have 2-3 mobiles, new clothes, a job... They are opportunists and I don't blame them for that. I'm frustrated with their way of thinking and expectant attitude however. It can be tiring, especially when you look around and see the potential that surrounds each one of them and how little they seem to care. Instead they go begging :( Not sure if I'm able to bring across what I mean. Maybe it is a bit of a culture shock I'm going through and I will be able to deal with it better in time. I doubt it though...
   On a more positive note. After many weeks of a testosteron filled environment we're now one step closer to hormonal balance at Purple Rocks. Rozahn, a young lady my age from South Africa has moved to Ghana a couple weeks ago. Her husband works for one of the contractors on site. This is good news :)

Akoasi roundabout with traditional goat randomly passing the road - we're still waiting for proper roads but at least the roundabout thingy is tiled ;-)

My 3 library helpers Hayford, Daniel and Seth (left picture) and Restaurant owner and husband preparing food

Palm nut soup (left) and Fufu (right) in the making

Food order Fast Food style and proof of me getting my hands dirty (I'm a legend!)

Opportunist lady with cute baby and fan group posing