Safer at work...

Wow, long day at work...I got a cab home, eventually (about 10pm) … As usual I was out on the road, waving at it while it was still about 200m away and, as usual, the driver didn’t see me until the last minute (although he was the only car on this very straight road, and I was the only person, waving furiously. And not even the only person, the only tall white person on the road…) There was a screeching of metal-on-metal as the bits where there used to be brake pads hit the bits that used to like being pressed up against brake pads.

It was a very beaten up on Diahatsu Tico – there are quite a few of them about. As seems to be the rule for taxis, the windscreen looked like a rhino had been dropped on it, every panel was dented and you could have passed an average-sized paperback though the gap between the door frame and the car when the door was “closed”. It pulled up and I stooped to ask the driver if he knew where the Royal Park hotel was and start the bargaining process for the fare. I was aghast…the driver was so cross-eyed that, by comparison, Clarence the cross-eyed lion had 20-20 vision. Still, he was a cab, there weren’t many about, so I jumped in. The Diahatsu Tico is an exceptionally small car. The driver and I ended being very close. We found that he couldn’t really get it in 4^th or 5^th gear at all, with me and my bag there. There was just nowhere to get my legs out the way. It wasn't helping matters that the seat had been impacted from the rear or the side somehow and had a twist on it that left me practically facing the driver. Not only that but the structural metal brace above my head and the windscreen had a nice round indent in it where, I presumed, a previous passenger had been thrown up into it.

However, with lots of tooting (to variously tell others to get out of the way, say “here I come”, just say hello to someone he knew or due to a nervous twitch) we got home fine.

Tue 14th June - Random observations

• I’ve never come across so many stutterers. I work with two who have it strongly I have met at least 3 or 4 other people who stutter.
• At least 75% of all cars on the road are taxis.
• The cars here are beyond decrepit, I have been in taxis where the back doors are held on by one hinge, where the indicators switch is broken and has been replaced by the rocker-switch that used to the fan speed, where every window in the vehicle has a major impact crack on it – but which are all still used … replete with current warrant and insurance! Additionally, it appears all suspension is removed when a car is imported.
• Nothing is ever fixed or maintained here, just run into the ground. Cars, buildings, you name it. In the main bank branch, with about 30 people working in it, there is 1 loo that works, out of 5. I reduced it from 2 working loos to 1 today by breaking off the metal flush lever. Unfortunately it fell straight into the bowl…before I’d flushed a No.2 away.
• Toilet paper – the worst I have ever come across. No strength at all. Seems the same everywhere I’ve been. Even if you fold the two-ply 3 or 4 times your finger will still go through (depending on Technique of course). Best toilet paper I’ve come across? On a Swiss train: 3 ply, quilted, must have been aloe-vera soaked too.

Sat/Sun 11th/12th - It came from outer space

Sorry, lots of text here, but it is two days! J

The plan - Work till 5, then head out to Lake Bosumtwe (a meteorite impact crater and the largest body of swimmable fresh-water in Ghana). The “Tro-Tro” station is just across from work, so at about 2 I scoped out where the departure zone was. It is chaos in that station - hundreds of vans, not enough room, traders, passengers. Chickens. Madness. There is no central office that I found, though was told it existed, so I asked lots of people where the van left from. I was gradually circling closer, by the 5^th person I got there. 2500 Cedi for an hours journey (about 15p), no problem. "Would there be a departure at about 5?" Sure, no problem, they said.

The reality - At 5, I came back to the same spot – nothing. No-one there. “No tro-tro this late.” Arrgh. I was in luck though, there was a second station about 10 mins walk away. Luckily a van was filling up just as I got there, so I injected myself into it. An interesting ride…about 10 mins into it there started to be raised voices amongst the other passengers. Gaining in angry-ness quickly, the object of their ire was the girl sitting next to me but one (two tiny kids, one on the knee of the other, between us). Suddenly the guy directly in front of me starting hitting the girl. Everyone else seemed to be on his side too…and for her part the girl was very angry (at the world generally from what I could make out) and super-gobby. Something she’d said had started it all and she just would not shut up for about 30 mins. Eventually she got off and everyone clapped. No-one would tell me what it was about.

Have I arrived? - There was a short taxi ride from Kuntanse, which was the destination of the tro-tro, down to Abonu by the lake. A huge thunderstorm and washed out roads prevented the driver from taking me straight to my hotel, but his English wasn’t good enough to convey that. To my mind he was throwing me out in Abonu, which had no streetlights, in the middle of a huge lightning storm. I wasn’t keen and was very uncertain what was going on. Eventually I got the idea that the hotel wasn’t far and that someone would take me. A crowd of men and boys materialized, all offering the same service. I was very uncertain. Eventually an older man got a torch (the only time you could see anything was when the lightning came) and just told me to follow him. Some other lads were saying to go with them in another direction but the older guy suggested it was a trick (!) Followed torch-guy down to the lake front, the sky was being rent by lightning, though it wasn’t raining just then. We waded though a flood of rainwater that covered the path, over rickety wooden bridges, through mud, around a swamp, every now and again getting a clear picture from the lightning. Boy was I glad to check in!

I was the only guest at the whole hotel! (about 25 roooms)

Early bird - Woke up to the view of the lake at 5.30 Sunday morning. I actually wanted to be up this early to go for walk before the sun rose. It was a bit difficult to tell, since it was so cloudy still, but it was light enough to walk around the lake by the one dirt road that circumnavigates it. I passed through 3 villages before turning back. Very squalid, all of them. People were just getting up, sheets still wrapped around them. They have power, but no lights it seems. Mud huts. Communal outdoors loos. Scabby dogs, chickens everywhere. Kids everywhere! Asking for toffee...I didin’t have any but did have to hand over some cash for some photos.

Big - The lake is HUGE, it must have been whopper of a meteorite. It's about 2 km across and the crater rim, now deeply forested hills, rise about 200m above lake level, right around it. Had a swim after the walk – the temp was about that of my blood! I could hardly tell I was in water. No Bilharzia apparently…guess I’ll find out soon enough...

That's a boat? - The fishermen have lots of nets set up, they get around on these “boats” which are basically a long, thick plank. The only concession to hydro-dynamics is a slight chamfer at each end on the bottom surface. These things are not even at the dug-out stage…incredible. I tried one out for 30 mins or so and they are a nightmare to steer and not very stable. It does make you wonder, why hasn’t this design moved on over thousands of years? Oh, they paddle by using their hands…

And...Relax - After the walk, the swim, the lingering breakfast overlooking the lake, the paddle, the swim, the lunch; I have to say I’ve seldom felt so relaxed. And I needed it, it’s been so hectic at work, and Kumasi itself is to hectic what the QE II is to that log I paddled.

Fri 10th June - They've got be cheap somewhere!

I thought I’d struck gold today too, with Mach 3 razor blades. Now, we all know that replacement Mach 3 shaving heads are, by weight, the most expensive material on earth. They are good, but they are expensive. I can’t remember exactly but I think it’s about 6 quid or more for a pack of 4 of these things (and the pack weights NOTHING). I found, in a chemist here, a pack of 4 (exactly the same size as the pack of 4 in the UK) for 50,000 Cedi – 3 quid! I was so excited. I told them that if any more stock came in (this was the last pack) then I’d buy it all and take it back to the UK and flog them there. I got it home, ripped it open … and found there were only 2! The other 2 slots where there should have been blades were blanked off! So, that means these things are just as expensive here as in the UK. It was the same story in Serbia. Somehow Gillette have managed to charge the same absolute value in every country in the world!

Thu 9th June - Find Yoda here you will not. Hmm?

Had a very strange thought today, not entirely complimentary to some Ghanains, but speaking with people at work often reminds of me of something, especially when they get really animated. I finally figured out it reminded me of speaking to someone who is a cross between Yoda and Jah-Jah-binks. Sorry, perhaps not that complimentary, but I can’t shake that thought now I’ve had it. It’s the rising, and slightly guttural, “Hmm?” a lot of people do here at the end of a sentence; very Yoda-like. Plus the Ghan-english mish-mash they often use and the clicking and squeaking noises made when in full flight of an arm-waving conversation. My apologies to all of Ghana, but blame has to fall at the feet of Speilberg.

Huge thunderstorms this evening. Whenever it rains the power goes out in this part of town. This means the hotel generator is on. It’s right outside my room (though one floor down). I can hear it thrumping away happily. Not so happy for me, usually but the rain is so heavy that the rain is the primary noise. I can sleep to the sound of rain ok, who can’t? Unfortuately it abates before I get to sleep, so I am left with the generator. I suppose that even that is better than the piteously whining hotel security dog that’s kept me up for the last few nights. I guess it keeps away burglars by appealing to sense of care for an unhappy animal, or more like likely if they keep the guests awake a burglar isn’t going to get far in robbing the rooms!

Tue 7th June - "Us v Them"

Religion: The country is both Christian and Muslim (I get the feeling there are no other real options). Both religions seem to get on well too. Muslims are the minority, and most Christians I have spoken to certainly more than tolerate the Muslims, everyone seems to get on ok, but, as with all minorities, there is a feeling that the Muslims “stick together” too much. There are certain parts of any town, for instance that is a Muslim “ghetto”. Perhaps this is reversed in the north , which is predominantly Muslim. Several people I’ve spoken to here actually seemed to have backed Pres Bush for his “stance on Muslims”, notably the “war on terror”. There is no “terror” to war against (in the religious sense) in this country and yet it this idea still seems to resonate with some here. Strange.

Names of people and things are also entwined with religion: the “The Lord Protects Chop bar” (a “Chop bar” is kind of street restaurant), “God is Great hair boutique”, “What a mighty god, Plywood and Art shop”. I even met a guy today who introduced himself as “Do the right thing”, no kidding, though most guys seem to be called Samuel.

Another Tro-Tro moniker: Saw one today that said “God is God” on the wind-screen tinted bit at the top and “Blood of Jesus!” in huge print on the bonnet.

Mon 6th June - Don't cross the streams!

Apparently the Malaria pills (Doxycycline) make you a bit constipated, feels like it.

Bloody Hell! I’ve just read the chapter on Bilharzia in my travel guide…If that was all you read about Africa you’d never come here. Basically, when someone with this disease craps into fresh water, the eggs hatch and find their way to the nearest pond snail where they develop and then emerge as a tiny torpedo-shaped thing called cercariae, which, when it lands on you (it floats in the air) it digests its way though your skin! So, you can come into contact with this thing if you are in infested water or, if you are really unlucky, even being within a couple of hundred metres infested water since they are carried on the wind. These things live for about 30 hours after hatching, and get less vigorous (less able to digest their way into you, ugh) as they get older and are pumped into the air in their greatest numbers between 11am and 3pm… Get those morning or late evening wades in! My flatmate, Dan, had a bout of this – I’ll have to check the loo in my house for pond snails when I am back.

Sun 5th June - The Big Game

Antony got me up early to go for breakfast – a local delicacy of rice balls, fish & beans. Not bad, but I am a bit fed up with rice, what with living in a Chinese restaurant ‘n all. The beer was the best bit, this time one called Gulda, halfway between a Guinness and a lager. Sunday morning, 9.30am, first beer of the day…These people are religious, but not certainly not puritans.

I went and worked a bit then Antony picked me up again for the game. We had paid 100,000 cedi (6 quid) for VIP seats but we’d got there too late and all the best seats were gone. We were left with seats on the lowest level of the VIP area, essentially about a metre above ground-level, with views obstructed by barbed wire, concrete walls, the squad shelters, pointy fences…and women balancing large trays of plantain chips or watermelon slices on their heads J But, for all that, we could still see and it turned out to be a brilliant match: The Burkina-Faso “Stallions” went one up in the first half, then a penalty to the Black Stars (Ghana) brought them level in the second. Finally a great goal gave Ghana the lead. Pandemonium!

When the final whistle went there was first a pitch invasion by the fans, then by the police. But the police just wanted to clear some space for the real VIPs to do some speechifying. I’m not sure that the crowd understood that because they legged it back over these really spikey fences into the stands. I’ve mentioned that the Ghanaians aren’t very tall. Well, the exception is Ghanaian policemen, who could form a very good basketball team. I’d run from them, for sure, tall black guys in severe black paramilitary-style uniforms, armed with long black truncheons (ahem). Running would seem like a good bet.

Strange co-incidence: The Ghanaian coach is a Serbian…this was his first game. In the first half he had put on all the overseas-based players, and they didn’t really look like a team. For the second, he mixed up the local-based and internationals and there was much more cohesion, and two goals. The guys in the crowd near me, who looked like they were having a very big argument, were actually all agreeing with one-another that the internationals get paid too much and so have nothing to play for when with their country.

Anthony then took me out for a few Guinness’s. For some reason they LOVE Guinness here, though it’s actually the stout (at a healthy 7.5%). It’s absolutely everywhere. We met up with some of his friends and went for more booze at another place, the Timber Gardens (because it appears to be situated amongst some timber yards, on the city outskirts. I wanted to try some of the local firewater, something called Akpetesie, made from Palm wine. I couldn’t get it but I did get the palm wine, also quite strong, and smooth (and red) but my lasting association is more Palmolive than Palm wine. Horrible soapy taste.

Saturday 4th June - Run Forest! Run!

Got up at 7.30 and went for a run! Wow, the humidity just saps the energy right out of you. My hotel is on a busy main road with some small roads off either side, tried a couple but ended up running through some villages, or perhaps a better word is “slums”. I didn’t really feel comfortable… (a) I stand out like a sort thumb and (b) I am wearing (relatively) expensive trainers – most western shoes here are second hand. I have not yet seen a new-shoe shop. Not that I think someone is going to take them off me, though I was getting lots of admiring stares (and not at my running style), but more that I didn’t want to “flaunt” my relative wealth. Eventually found some quieter roads.

Went to the “Cultural Centre” in the centre. Quite cool, basically a museum and craftshop. Didn’t buy anything in the craft shop but there are some very good carvings, people, animals etc. The museum was great, small, with an excellent guided tour, mainly a history of the Ashanti kings. These guys are “enstooled” rather than enthroned. They have a golden stool for the coronation of the king – solid gold – supposedly it originally fell from the sky. Had a great rambling political chat with the guide – Another Ghanain who likes Pres. Bush! …because he stands up to terrorism! Tried to disavow him of that notion, almost got him to see who might be the bigger terrorist…

Went to the market for food, passing through the main bus station, “tro-tro’s” (vans) actually. Loaded up the gunnels with goods and people, they don’t leave till they are full. No schedule. Crazy place, sooo busy with vans and people. Even Cairo wasn’t this full on. Each tro-tro has it moniker on the front of it somewhere. There was one that was so beaten up, and so loaded down, that it’s name echo’d my thought: “Jesus!”

Went from there to the market, for some quick food, before going back to work for a bit. I wanted to take some pics of the waves humanity crashing out of the market area but these people don’t like photos being taken of them much. You have to be discreet, but how do you do that with so many people around you and you stand out like I do?

Fri June 3 - Marriage proposal

OK, I was mislead - they are not vultures circling the bank... one came close enough to see the neck is too short – some sort of eagle-like thing, big. Lots of them too.

I made it to devotional at the bank this morning, dragged myself out for 8am. It’s basically singing and praying, led by one rotored staff member each day. Quite evangelical, the singing was great! Impromptu accapella’s all over the shop, interspersed with really fervent praying.

One of the guys took me around the town in the middle of the day to try to find a spare battery for my p800 phone. Pretty rare, the battery that is, not cellphone shops – there are hundreds of them. It was incredibly unpleasant, no so much the heaving throngs of people, but the heat and humidity. Samuel had sweat rolling down his face, and like so many people here, carried a hanky to dab it all away, so I reckon I was doing pretty well just to be alive.

Victor, one of the two gatekeepers at the head office – very empire british in his demeanor, loose tan-uniform, upright, always very crisp in his salutes to me, “sah!”. Well, Victor offered me his daughters hand in marriage. He said he liked my “structure” (outlining my shape with his hands) and my smile, so I would do. I was flattered, of course, but felt I had to decline. I didn’t seem to be able to get away with not meeting said daughter, so I have a date for 4 o’clock tomorrow afternoon – with no idea what she is like, age, or anything! Though Victor did give me permission to “do what you like, I’m only the father”…

It’s Friday night, so thought I’d better go out. Looked in the guide book, settled on Ryans Irish pub, just down the road. No, luck, closed. The guide book is from 2001 (thanks, Dan ;-) Ended up at Vic Bamboo’s café near the centre. I had an expectation of a bustling place, esp. on a Friday. Uh-uh, very quiet. Huge menu with everything from Italian, to Indian, to Chinese. I had the butter chicken, which wouldn’t be recognized as such in Brick Lane, but was quite edible. That, plus a small beer, small water and Gordons Spark (G&T in a bottle) was 80,000 Cedi, or 5 quid. Chatted to a young American woman, who was working for an NGO and living in a small village to the west for a few months…all credit to her. No running water and even less electricity that we have but she appeared to be loving it.

The Black Stars are staying in my hotel tonight – that’s the Ghanain national football team. They play Burkino-Faso on Sunday. To which Antony, at work, got me and him some VIP tickets. I might get religious just for a moment…I hope to God that there is some shade in that stadium!

Day 5 - Fee, fi, fo, fum...

Vultures…there are vultures circling above the bank! No carcases that I can see but I guess there is a good thermal up there for some reason. Maybe the heat from our servers?

Huge generalization coming up…things are really big here!; (well, generalizations for a start ;-), the lizards (which are everywhere and are the equivalent of london pidgeons but much, much nicer), I think the biggest I have seen so far (right beside my table at the café) was about 25cm long from head to start of tail and another 20 cm for the tail itself, leaves – there are leaves on the trees here I that I could wrap around me like a cape, beer - nice big 650ml bottles, those suitcases at the airport, not to mention pot-holes J, smiles!

Day 4 - The lebanese

My walk to work is along a busy main road and it only takes about 10 mins. You have to do it slowly or the humidity gets you sweating loads. The road is festooned with stalls selling, in order commonness; Phone cards & Phone calls, Machete’s, cold drinks and food/fruit.

The phone call sellers are funny, there is a phone wire coming right up out of the dirt beside the tarmac, connected to a phone that is generally perched on top of a couple of stacked crates. All this protected by a big umbrella. It costs about 2000 cedi/min to make a local call from that phone. That’s about 10p/min. This must be for the really poor because most people seem to have mobiles, Mobiles are incredibly popular and there are dozens of shops selling all the paraphernalia you can imagine.

The machete sellers worry me make me think. No doubt these are just used for ground clearance, but you can’t help but recall the footage from Rwanda, and other places, where it wasn’t ground that was being cleared. Saw a kid in school uniform waling with a machete – that would have made the teachers a bit nervous at my school.

Another awesome lunch with the staff today: a selection of chicken leg or fried spicy whole fish (or both) with plantain again (soft this time though, much nicer, sweeter. Closer to being a real banana) and some very tasty sauces with chickpeas and chilli powder, and rice. All this, a large plate, cost me 7000 cedi, or about 40p.

Strangely, though everyone I’ve met at the bank is very friendly, no-one has invited me out anywhere. I am going to a football match on Sunday, but had to suggest it to the guy I am working closest with. He’s cool, and is getting it all organized now, but I had to make the suggestion. It’s a big match! A world-cup qualifier between Ghana v Burkina-Faso…

I was told this morning by the IT manager that 9am isn’t an appropriate time to turn up to work (that’s my default getting to work time). This is because “devotional” is held at 8. “Devotional?” I asked? Then clicked, yes, this is a very religious country, christian and muslim, and a Christian organization. In Serbia they had quiety dropped the religious angle from working at the bank, but here, no way, it’s still integral. I told him that I’d try and come once a week, on a Monday, say, just to show some respect (Tony would love me!). I won’t do more than that, especially I am going to be working till late in the evenings to get this project done. Mind you, it might help! I refrained from telling him I am atheist, I’m not sure how that would go down…

Found a Lebanese restaurant just down the road from my hotel, past a busy strip of stalls, shops, and hawkers. And there were indeed Lebanese-looking people in there!

In fact, slightly off-puttingly, there was the largest Lebanese (or any other nationality) guy I have seen since being in Denver last year. It was pretty gross, made grosser by comparison with every local I have seen so far, none of whom are fat (some are chubby, I’ll grant) and a lot of whom are positively stick-like. I estimated that he could have fitted one local down each trouser leg (assuming his legs were no longer in them). More comically, he very strongly resembled a Lebanese Marlon Brando, you know, with a kind of concave face. He did actually go ahead and order a huge amount from the menu (I was well within eavesdropping range).

The Sinapi Aba trust (head office) where I am working...

The banks (head office) grounds. Nice for taking a break in...

It's a jungle out there...view from hotel balcony

Day 3 - the bank

The Bank: It’s called the Opportunity International (OI) Sinapi Aba Trust. They have about 50,000 clients in Ghana, split between an NGO operation (who handle the really small loan sizes) and the bank part. The bit I am working with is the actual bank – the biggest loan they do is about $2500 at the moment and the smallest can be about $50 per person.

Lots of meetings today, the major component of which is (a) chasing people to come to the meetings in the first place, then (b) trying to keep them in the room once they turn up, then (c) trying to keep them off the phone if they do decide to stay in the room! You just can’t wait for everyone to be giving you some attention, if someone is on the phone, having a very loud conversation (always the case) and drowning out everything else, no amount of impatient looking meaningful glances will get them off the blower. Asking them firmly is good, but won’t stop the next call from happening.

Ate lunch with the staff – a typical meal is yam, plantain, fried fish or chicken and “Kotomre” (sp) which is a bit like fried spinach. Plantain is ok – looks just like a banana but tastes a bit like a slightly under-boiled potato (I subsequently found out there is another type of plantain, red plantain, that is MUCH more like a banana, softer, sweeter, much nicer) Everyone eats with their right hand – and only their right hand - as the left is associated with ablutions. Pulling apart a (quite stiff) fried whole fish, with sloppy sauces and slippery veges is pretty tricky one-handed!

It was dark when I left the office. I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, hadn’t brought any mossie-spray with me – and was walking home. Malaria-carrying mossies only come out at night, so I was a bit worried. The air outside was beautiful, very warm, very humid (within seconds you feel a coating of moisture on you) but not unpleasant at all. The air was heavy with the fragrance of flowers and other plants.

Walking to the hotel, only about 700m is a real challenge. I am lucky to still be alive…ankle-twisting potholes in the road and road-shoulder are like mini grand-canyons. No streetlamps means you really have to concentrate at night. And there are things by the roadside here that you really don’t want to fall onto. And god-forbid falling onto the road itself, in-front of the traffic!

How do I know it's rainy season? (apart from looking outside ;-) my browser weather forecast is full of these little guys :-)

Day 2 - Accra to Kumasi - home for the next few weeks)

Took early flight to Kumasi - actually cooler than coastal Accra. Not surprising, as it was pissing down in Kumasi, being, as it is, deep in the jungle! I realized that no-one had told me it was rainy season here. Asking someone on the plane when the rainy season was, I was told “May to September” and “it will rain every day”. Here they call summer the “rainy season” and winter the “hot season”. The sun is slightly cooler in Winter but the skies are clearer and there is a hot wind called the Hamattan that dries everything out, creating loads of dust and savagely chapped lips!

I was picked up and taken through this, the second city of 2m people. It has the largest city market in west Africa apparently. We only drove past it but the sheer number of people in and around this market was incredible, an oppressive surge of humanity. It was 8.30am, on a Monday - I asked if it was always this bad, they said that this was the quiet time…lunchtime is the busiest. My god, it seemed like all 2m people were there already, flooding out onto the roads, selling everything you can think of. The drivers are nuts, no indication of turns and the correct side of the road barely acknowledged. Everyone – driver or pedestrian – is weaving around everyone else.

There are women balancing 44gallon oil drums on their heads (no hands!). Asking what was in them, I got the response “oil, water, liquid – usually only half full though”. Only half full!

Spent a day at the bank, got introduced to everyone. I am taller by about a head than all of them. Very friendly though, lots of hand-shaking-morphing-into-finger-snaps. Had to have lessons on that. Generally lots of hand-holding, especially with other men. Now I understand Sams behaviour a bit more.

I get the feeling nothing will happen on time here. They have grand plans to open the new branch (in which process I am a crucial element) on July 8. But already the ops manager confided in me that it won’t happen. The whole process relies on lots of people, and people (in Ghana) simply can’t be relied upon to do things at the time they are asked …great.

Lunch: Had it in a local restaurant with Antony, the ops manager and they guy I’ll be working closely with the next 5 weeks. Lizards the length of my forearm are chasing smaller lizards around the garden bar. The sun comes out, my god, it’s hot - like a sauna.

Even the locals find it too hot when the sun it out. The ubiquity of aircon out here must be a poke in the eye for Darwin.

My hotel: It’s Chinese. With a Chinese restaurant, which is pretty good. Lots of variety too. The hotel itself is a ** but it seems more like an English ***. Except that I have the generator outside my window, which kicks in when it rains a lot. Which is a lot. It’s very loud. The power went out at work 4 or 5 times at the bank during the day. I’ll have to wear my “ear-tampons” (thanks, Bee! J to get to sleep. Can hear all sorts of crickets and god-knows what drowning out even the generator!

Dinner in the hotel cost 208,000 Cedi – good Chinese and it cost about 12 quid for two with a few beers. Very pricey for here. I’m told a more local lunch will cost about 50p.

Beer: Star is an ok local lager (“Unlocks the joy of life with sparkling brightness”), 625ml is about 50p outside, and a pound fifty inside the hotel.

Landed! 20 quid worth of "Cedi"! 16,000 to the pound...

Cloud with Toupe :-)

Clouds over the Sahara...

Wind-powered dunes v water-scoured plains...

A finger of dunes encroaching on the rocky stuff...

Deep Sahara - signs of water everywhere...