Last of Hohoe!

Tomorrow, we're leaving Hohoe to go the coast at Anomabu, we've finished our work here, which was to carry out refurbishment at the mothers lodge of Hohoes hospital, which, before we went didn't even have beds and running water we have also finished our main project which was to fit as many dormitories of the local deaf school with moscuito nets to help prent the students there from being bitten by moscuitos and contracting malria, in the event I think we managed to fully refurbish 3 or 4 large dormitory blocks, each of which houses around 50 students. The two week project was the work of 21 explorers, directed by several dedicated leaders, and accompanied by several local Ghanaian scouts who's passion and technical proficiency led to the very successful conclusion of the project.

Last week, in addition to work we were also able to carry out several very interesting trips, the first was a trip to Tafi Atome which is a monkey sancturary, we had to set out early but on arrival at around 6 (the time we usually wake up!!!) the monkeys emerged from the trees and we were able to feed them bannanas and take pictures, a local guide then took us into the rainforest along several trails pointing out local fauna to us. On arrival back at the site for around 9 we went to work as usual!!! Suffice to say it was a pretty exhausting day! Another trip which happened last week was a visit to Bea school by the students of St Georges who were on the trip. We presented the school with gifts such as sports equipment and stationary then mingled with the students afterwards which was really great!

Our last trip of the week was to a Kentai weaving village where KEntai Clothe is woven, the process was very interesting with the weavers showing a huge amount of co-ordination and skill in their weaving!

My camp bed since the last post has continued to deteriorate in its condition until I was forced to apply more gaffa tape and a splint (which fell off after I lay on it again!)

Tomorrow morning we are leaving our Hohoe site and goiung to the coast at Anomabu for 2 days of R and R before leaving Ghana going back to (reportedly) not so sunny England. During this time we will go on a huge walkway across the trees of the rainforest, relax on the beach and visit an old slave fort, helping us to discover more about the history of Ghana!

Week Two!

Work is going fine here, we've been painting a LOT which is getting pretty boring, but hammering in nails was great fun! 

Some of the leaders who arrived this week brought each person a chocolate bar each which was greatly appreciated by us all. We had to wolf it down super quick before it melted though! It has been weird just getting small bits of news filtering through from the wider world through newspapers taken over by the leaders and through the occasional facebook use.

Everyone here is super friendly. We just got back from the school, and all the kids wanted our empty water bottles. I had a whole box of them, so when we stazrted giving them out I was mobbed by an army of about 30 8-year-olds all trying to get our old water bottles - I only gave them out to the one you didn't try and grab!
 

I plan on going to get some stuff at the market in Hohoe later to bring home. I've already had two pairs of local-style trousers made by a tailor.

Quick update - end of Week One

We had our first rest day yesterday where we went to Wli waterfalls. It was really good! I got some cool masks and carvings there to take home, one of the masks is currently on the wall of my tent. There was a long walk to the waterfalls but it was completely worth it, the water was extremely powerful so you had to links hands with the nearest people in order to walk through it, backwards i might add!

In other news my camp bed has decided that its time to start falling apart so I'm hastily repairing it with gaffer tape! Work is progressing well.  

I need to dash now - I will try and get back within the next few days with more ramblings.

Week One!

I have been in Ghana for one week now so time for a quick check in! I don't have the time to write everything instead heres a few highlights and interesting points!

Africa is so, so different from everywhere else! Although it may sound cliched and veyr obvious you will not believe the extent of it until you're here!

People are incredibly friendly, even if you don't know them people will say hello in the street, start a conversation and shake in your hand in traditional Ghanaian style - a normal handhsake followed by a click as you draw away.

I've got used to the heat and general rituals of camping, and being in Africa aka take your mallerone eveyr morning drink ONLY from bottled water and to get up with the sun! We're even being offered a lie-in for our rest day at Wli waterfalls tomorrow, which not everyone is sure they'll take so used are they to getting up at 6 every morning!

First post!

So, after travelling to Heathrow and enduring a 7 hour plane trip  (maybe not the worst but taking into account the length of my legs.....) I have arrived in Chances hotel where we are staying the night before continuing on to our main area of working - Hohoe. Its currently tipping it down in buckets outside the internet cafe I'm currently in, so I had to run to get here in the rain! Though the weather this morning was lovely and hot so managed to get into the pool, very tired after travelling for such a long period of time. That just about all there is to report for now!

Ciaio!!!