Fallen trees are quite a common site during thunderstorms, luckily I managed to get around this one without to much trouble.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Rain Rain Rain!
In Ghana we get some impressive tropical thunderstorms, today I was caught in the middle of a huge thunderstorm on my way from Accra to Obuasi. At one stage I had to pull over and stop because the visibility was terrible.
Fallen trees are quite a common site during thunderstorms, luckily I managed to get around this one without to much trouble.
Fallen trees are quite a common site during thunderstorms, luckily I managed to get around this one without to much trouble.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
What type of bike is this?
More strange sights from Ghana, this is Kweku riding the "Hicycle" (made that up!), I just saw him riding it along the road so I stopped and took some pics.
How does he get on? If you look at the bottom bike you will see a single pedal, he sort of runs beside the bike to get it going and uses the 3rd pedal at the bottom as a step and simply jumps on.
How does he get on? If you look at the bottom bike you will see a single pedal, he sort of runs beside the bike to get it going and uses the 3rd pedal at the bottom as a step and simply jumps on.
African Bull
The other day I drove around a corner to meet this beast ahead of me!
This reminds me of a joke:
Q. Why do the swiss but cow bells on cows?
A. Because their horns don't work.
This reminds me of a joke:Q. Why do the swiss but cow bells on cows?
A. Because their horns don't work.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Electrical problems
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Leo & Leah, the Boerboels
These dogs belong to a friend of mine, the breed is from South Africa and is called a Boerboel or South African Mastiff.
They are great dogs and very playful, but I wouldn't like to be on the wrong end of an aggressive Boerboel!
From Wikipedia: "Boerboels are a very dominant but intelligent breed, with a strong watchdog instinct. They are self-assured and fearless, but responsive to the needs of the family displaying an intuitive ability to sense if the family is in danger. Like other large dogs with a strong guard instinct, the Boerboel needs to be watched around strangers always, and introduced to friends and other dogs early on to avoid aggression, and like all dogs should never be left with young children unattended. They are a dog that thrive on love and attention and need constant companionship from their owners and cannot be left alone for regular extended periods without becoming destructive, reckless and dangerous."
Above are photos of Leo, a three year old Boerboel dog.
And this is Leah, a seven month old Boerboel bitch.
Leah & Leo playing.
They are great dogs and very playful, but I wouldn't like to be on the wrong end of an aggressive Boerboel!
From Wikipedia: "Boerboels are a very dominant but intelligent breed, with a strong watchdog instinct. They are self-assured and fearless, but responsive to the needs of the family displaying an intuitive ability to sense if the family is in danger. Like other large dogs with a strong guard instinct, the Boerboel needs to be watched around strangers always, and introduced to friends and other dogs early on to avoid aggression, and like all dogs should never be left with young children unattended. They are a dog that thrive on love and attention and need constant companionship from their owners and cannot be left alone for regular extended periods without becoming destructive, reckless and dangerous."
Above are photos of Leo, a three year old Boerboel dog.
And this is Leah, a seven month old Boerboel bitch.
Leah & Leo playing.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Ashanti Gold vs Sahel FC
Last Sunday I went to watch a football match between the local team Ashanti Gold and a team from Niger called Sahel FC.
This was the second leg, Ashgold had lost the first leg 1-0 in Niger so then needed a convincing victory to go through to the next round. I was fortune enough to sit with the VVIP's and was only a few seats away from the delegates from the away team Sahel FC.
The first half was very tense, both teams scored within minutes of each other after about 15 minutes. At halftime most of the crowd was disappointed by the way that Ashgold had played, then came the second half!
About 10 minutes after half time I noticed a disturbance in the crowd where the away supporters were seated, these seemed to be a number of Ashgold fans fighting with the away supporters, yes it even happens in Africa! I then notice the police chasing a couple of of the away fans, then 5 minutes later the two away fans appeared just in front of me being treated by the St. John's medics. It later transpired that the two fans had Juju or black magic on them that were preventing Ashgold from scoring, during the disagreement the Juju was taken from the away fans and Ashgold went on to score a further 5 goals, winning 6-2 on aggregate.
I have uploaded quite a few photos of the match to my Flickr account, slide show is below:
Slide show of match between Ashanti Gold of Ghana & Sahel FC of Niger.
This was the second leg, Ashgold had lost the first leg 1-0 in Niger so then needed a convincing victory to go through to the next round. I was fortune enough to sit with the VVIP's and was only a few seats away from the delegates from the away team Sahel FC.
The first half was very tense, both teams scored within minutes of each other after about 15 minutes. At halftime most of the crowd was disappointed by the way that Ashgold had played, then came the second half!
About 10 minutes after half time I noticed a disturbance in the crowd where the away supporters were seated, these seemed to be a number of Ashgold fans fighting with the away supporters, yes it even happens in Africa! I then notice the police chasing a couple of of the away fans, then 5 minutes later the two away fans appeared just in front of me being treated by the St. John's medics. It later transpired that the two fans had Juju or black magic on them that were preventing Ashgold from scoring, during the disagreement the Juju was taken from the away fans and Ashgold went on to score a further 5 goals, winning 6-2 on aggregate.
I have uploaded quite a few photos of the match to my Flickr account, slide show is below:
Slide show of match between Ashanti Gold of Ghana & Sahel FC of Niger.
Lightning!
This evening we were treated to a pretty awesome thunderstorm, unfortunately most of the lightning was sheet lightning, but about 30 minutes after the rain had stopped I managed to get some half decent lightning photos.
It was the first time I had tried taking photos of lightning but I was fairly happy with the results, hopefully the next storm will be much more spectacular!
It was the first time I had tried taking photos of lightning but I was fairly happy with the results, hopefully the next storm will be much more spectacular!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Fisherman on the beach
The other day I drove from Obuasi to Accra to return a vehicle I had been renting for the past couple of weeks. The drive itself is about 4-5 hours long and used to be an awful drive, the stretch from Cape Coast to Accra used to be treacherous because the road was in such a poor condition. I'm happy to say that the road has been completely renovated and is now in a first class condition. Additionally there are dozens more police on the road and highway patrol vehicles making sure people drive sensibly, this was something that needed to be done.
The route from Obuasi to Accra.
The best thing about the drive is the opportunity to stop off at a beach resort and stop for a bit of lunch and a break from the driving, it certainly beats the little chef on the A303! I usually stop off at a place called Biriwa Beach, but this time I thought I would try somewhere different and opted for the Anomabu Beach Resort which was very nice indeed.
The "Little Chef" Ghana style.
The view from my table.
Looking the other way.
A boy throws a ball for his dog.
A view of the beach.
A fisherman looks out.
Fishermen prepare to pull the net in.
It's fun to stay at the...
The net being pulled in, I was going to hang around to see what they caught but I was told that they would be pulling it in for 3 hours!
There is a newspaper in Ghana called "People & Places", it is the Ghanaian tabloid and comes out every Thursday, It is full of strange stories of people turning into lizards and wizards flying in the night. I will get a copy next week and scan it for the blog!
Jeremy.
The route from Obuasi to Accra.The best thing about the drive is the opportunity to stop off at a beach resort and stop for a bit of lunch and a break from the driving, it certainly beats the little chef on the A303! I usually stop off at a place called Biriwa Beach, but this time I thought I would try somewhere different and opted for the Anomabu Beach Resort which was very nice indeed.
The "Little Chef" Ghana style.
The view from my table.
Looking the other way.
A boy throws a ball for his dog.
A view of the beach.
A fisherman looks out.
Fishermen prepare to pull the net in.
It's fun to stay at the...
The net being pulled in, I was going to hang around to see what they caught but I was told that they would be pulling it in for 3 hours!There is a newspaper in Ghana called "People & Places", it is the Ghanaian tabloid and comes out every Thursday, It is full of strange stories of people turning into lizards and wizards flying in the night. I will get a copy next week and scan it for the blog!
Jeremy.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Lake Bosomtwe
Last Sunday I took a drive out to lake Bosomtwe, an ancient meteorite impact crater that is over a million years old. There is a fair amount of information on the lake on Wikipedia.
I met a man there called Fred, he was a retired soldier and a true gentleman, he was very interesting to talk to and had lots of stories to tell. I spent a couple of hours with Fred talking about the history of the lake and the people that live around the lake. At the moment apart from a hotel and a few bamboo huts there is not much at all to attract visitors, there are plans to introduce speed boats and jetskis to the lake but it would spoil the peace and tranquility of the area.
Having said that, the amenities are very basic and there is room for a controlled level of development to attract visitors to the area. The lake itself is huge, Fred said that the lake is 20 kilometers wide at the widest point - I have since checked on Google Earth and the widest point is 8.5 kilometers which ties in the the sizes stated on Wikipedia. Oops, I'm beginning to sound like some kind of geek!
According to legend, lake Bosomtwe was discovered by a hunter called Bompe, he was chasing a small antelope through the rainforest when the antelope fell into a small pond, it was if the water was trying to save the antelope. Bompe gave up and caught some fish instead. The name Bosomtwe actually means "Fetish antelope" and the lake is scared to the Ashanti people, this is the reason why I think that speedboats and jetskis should not be allowed. Even the fishermen use simple planks to get around.
Fishermen on lake Bosomtwe.
A Heron flies gracefully across the surface of the lake.
The shores of lake Bosomtwe.
Fishing nets hung up to dry.
The lake Bosomtwe pleasure boats.
You can stay in these bamboo huts for $15 a night.
The first of the 2 photos above shows my location on my GPS according to Google Earth and the second photo is the locations itself, clever stuff! You may be wondering why the visibility seems to be poor in the photographs, this is because it is currently harmattan season in Ghana. The harmataan is a dry dusty trade wind that blows down from the Sahara and brings fine dust particles with it, it makes the photos appear misty or foggy, but believe me it is very hot in Ghana at the moment!
The man Fred himself!
Finally, I asked Fred to give a brief history on the lake and I recorded him.
Video of Fred giving a brief history of Lake Bosomtwe.
I met a man there called Fred, he was a retired soldier and a true gentleman, he was very interesting to talk to and had lots of stories to tell. I spent a couple of hours with Fred talking about the history of the lake and the people that live around the lake. At the moment apart from a hotel and a few bamboo huts there is not much at all to attract visitors, there are plans to introduce speed boats and jetskis to the lake but it would spoil the peace and tranquility of the area.
Having said that, the amenities are very basic and there is room for a controlled level of development to attract visitors to the area. The lake itself is huge, Fred said that the lake is 20 kilometers wide at the widest point - I have since checked on Google Earth and the widest point is 8.5 kilometers which ties in the the sizes stated on Wikipedia. Oops, I'm beginning to sound like some kind of geek!
According to legend, lake Bosomtwe was discovered by a hunter called Bompe, he was chasing a small antelope through the rainforest when the antelope fell into a small pond, it was if the water was trying to save the antelope. Bompe gave up and caught some fish instead. The name Bosomtwe actually means "Fetish antelope" and the lake is scared to the Ashanti people, this is the reason why I think that speedboats and jetskis should not be allowed. Even the fishermen use simple planks to get around.
Fishermen on lake Bosomtwe.
A Heron flies gracefully across the surface of the lake.
The shores of lake Bosomtwe.
Fishing nets hung up to dry.
The lake Bosomtwe pleasure boats.
You can stay in these bamboo huts for $15 a night.
The first of the 2 photos above shows my location on my GPS according to Google Earth and the second photo is the locations itself, clever stuff! You may be wondering why the visibility seems to be poor in the photographs, this is because it is currently harmattan season in Ghana. The harmataan is a dry dusty trade wind that blows down from the Sahara and brings fine dust particles with it, it makes the photos appear misty or foggy, but believe me it is very hot in Ghana at the moment!
The man Fred himself!Finally, I asked Fred to give a brief history on the lake and I recorded him.
Video of Fred giving a brief history of Lake Bosomtwe.
The Liberian Refugees
Finding a decent internet connection to update my blog is proving to be difficult!
About 40 kilometers east of Accra there is a refugee camp that houses about 40,000 refugees from Liberia that were displaced by the civil war 17 years ago. In the past few years Liberia has returned to relative normality and the refugees want to go home.
The problem is that there is currently a stalemate between the Ghanaian government and the UNHCR over the cost of repatriation. The government of Ghana has done a tremendous job homing the refugees for the past 17 years and looking after them, now the UNHCR expects Ghana to bear the brunt of the repatriation costs. As you can imagine, the cost of sending 40,000 people back home does not come cheap, apart from transportation costs the refugees will also need funds to restart their lives in Liberia. The UNHCR should step in here and pay for the repatriation
Anyway, I was driving past the refugee camp a few days ago and the women were holding a protest so I stopped to take some photos.
The women holding up their banners, the whole line is probably 3 times longer than this.
Some refugees holding the Liberian flag,
Click on the photos for larger versions.
A Ghanaian passer by stops to read the protesters banners.
About 40 kilometers east of Accra there is a refugee camp that houses about 40,000 refugees from Liberia that were displaced by the civil war 17 years ago. In the past few years Liberia has returned to relative normality and the refugees want to go home.
The problem is that there is currently a stalemate between the Ghanaian government and the UNHCR over the cost of repatriation. The government of Ghana has done a tremendous job homing the refugees for the past 17 years and looking after them, now the UNHCR expects Ghana to bear the brunt of the repatriation costs. As you can imagine, the cost of sending 40,000 people back home does not come cheap, apart from transportation costs the refugees will also need funds to restart their lives in Liberia. The UNHCR should step in here and pay for the repatriation
Anyway, I was driving past the refugee camp a few days ago and the women were holding a protest so I stopped to take some photos.
The women holding up their banners, the whole line is probably 3 times longer than this.
Some refugees holding the Liberian flag,
Click on the photos for larger versions.
A Ghanaian passer by stops to read the protesters banners.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
And so the adventure starts!
Hello everyone,
I have recently started a job in Ghana (West Africa) as a Sales Manager for a company involved in supplying consumables to the mining industry.I promised myself that I would join the world of blogging so my friends and family could see what I was up to. So here is where it all starts.
To be honest there has not been much to write about so far. I could tell you all about Ghana itself, but you can just search Google for that information. This blog will be about my experiences and what I come across from day to day.
I first came to Ghana in 1996 and the one thing I have noticed is a difference in the roads, there is now a highway going from Accra to Winneba! In the 90's this road was treacherous! This road forms part of the Trans West African Coastal Highway or TWACH, the leaders of 15 West African states have signed an agreement to build a 4.560 Kilometer highway from Nouakchott, Mauritania, to Lagos, Nigeria to boost trade between the nations of West Africa.
Now bear in mind that parts of the proposed highway still look like this:
Thank you Robert Grossman!
Above is part of the newly constructed road from Accra to Winneba, which forms part of the Trans West African Coastal Highway,
The rehabilitation of the Trans West African Coastal Highway in progress.
This is the proposed route (in blue).
So, thats the end of my first blog input, OK it wasn't very exciting but it was a start! I will update my blog as often as possible, hopefully twice a week!
Remember to comment!
Bye for now,
Jeremy.
I have recently started a job in Ghana (West Africa) as a Sales Manager for a company involved in supplying consumables to the mining industry.I promised myself that I would join the world of blogging so my friends and family could see what I was up to. So here is where it all starts.
To be honest there has not been much to write about so far. I could tell you all about Ghana itself, but you can just search Google for that information. This blog will be about my experiences and what I come across from day to day.
I first came to Ghana in 1996 and the one thing I have noticed is a difference in the roads, there is now a highway going from Accra to Winneba! In the 90's this road was treacherous! This road forms part of the Trans West African Coastal Highway or TWACH, the leaders of 15 West African states have signed an agreement to build a 4.560 Kilometer highway from Nouakchott, Mauritania, to Lagos, Nigeria to boost trade between the nations of West Africa.
Now bear in mind that parts of the proposed highway still look like this:
Thank you Robert Grossman!
Above is part of the newly constructed road from Accra to Winneba, which forms part of the Trans West African Coastal Highway,
The rehabilitation of the Trans West African Coastal Highway in progress.
This is the proposed route (in blue).So, thats the end of my first blog input, OK it wasn't very exciting but it was a start! I will update my blog as often as possible, hopefully twice a week!
Remember to comment!
Bye for now,
Jeremy.
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