Foray into the Volta Region

Writing this week's post from one of my favorite little bars in Accra. The Honeysuckle is an Irish pub which is very similar to Crossroads, my home base in Boston. While I've been trying very hard to have an "authentic" Ghanaian experience, I've found it's good to sometimes go places that remind you of home. The Honeysuckle is such a place. Also, seeing as we are nearing St. Patrick's day, I thought it appropriate to spend some time in an Irish place.

Another great thing about it is that it has free wifi. My power and water have been out at the apartment for about 24 hours, so its nice to get out and connect with the outside world. This is another thing I've learned to get used to in Ghana. Electricity is a luxury. Blackouts are common, so you learn where the free wifi spots are pretty quickly.

The week at work was pretty good, mostly due to an exciting trip I made on Wednesday into the Volta region. The Volta region is the westernmost region in Ghana, and it is absolutely, stunningly beautiful. It is one of the few places in Ghana with a constant water source (the Volta, the biggest manmade lake in the world), so it is incredibly lush and green. Like an idiot, I forgot my camera, so I'll post some pics next time I head out there. This region also happens to house many of the country's beekeepers, so it made sense for me to visit with Abraham, my forestry department friend, and Tordey, another forestry dept. guy. Tordey's office is in Ho (yes, Ho), the capital of the Volta region. During the day, we met a few beekeepers, visited Tordey's office, and met with some NGO's.

Several good things came out of that day. First, there is plenty of honey to export. I think I've decided to export a small amount (.5 ton) home this summer and put Ellen to work selling it at farmers markets in the area. If that all works out, I may look into importing a couple tons in November. Second, and more importantly, Tordey is interested in setting up a sort of beekeeping community behind his office in the 200 or so acres of forest the forestry commission owns with the Volta Region Association of Beekeepers. If this all gets set up, it means I can contract directly with a bunch of beekeepers, and have a constant honey supply. Having them all together also solves all sorts logistical problems. So long story short, SEED honey is well on its way to actually being something.

Well, I'm off to pick up some groceries at Koala, aka expat central. I think I need to make some young expat friends, as I currently have none and my Ghanaian 30ish friends are very lame and like to stay in on Saturday nights. So, I'm hanging out in Osu today, where the obruni (whitey) to african ratio is probably about 1 to 3. I've found that, when by myself and wearing a cute dress, attractive expats are much more willing to come up and introduce themselves than when I'm surrounded by my Ghanaian friends. Time to broaden my horizons a bit...and happy St. Paddy's everyone!