Places in SA: Maropeng - Cradle of Humankind

Maropeng is a Tswana word that means "return to your roots" and it is a museum dedicated to the archaeological finds of the origin of man. The area in and around Magaliesburg is called 'The Cradle of Humankind' as it has produced the largest and oldest number of the fossil finds of hominid man ever found.

Gastronomy in Lesotho: Renaissance Coffee & Cafe

I met a friend for a coffee or rather, Red Cappuccino - a very strong rooibos tea filtered and made in the same manner as cappuccino served with honey. It is packed with anti-oxidants and tastes great. It was milk shakes for the kids. It was late afternoon, the cafe was relatively empty but I was absolutely charmed by the decor. They have on the walls prints of the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X - with accompanying famous quotes.

Gastronomy in SA: Tsunami Seafood Emporium

The lunch was pre-arranged a month ago...a reunion with former colleagues. We chose Tsunami Seafood Emporium in Morningside; a restaurant that first opened in 2005 after the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004.

Gastronomy in SA: Vida e Caffe - Hyde Park

Internet access at last! Between travel and trying to find a quiet spot with a free wi-fi service, the posts had to wait...
Vida e Caffe (Life and Coffee); just the name brings a smile to my face; is a franchise of coffee shops in South Africa that first opened about 5-6 years ago; with the first opening in Cape Town and several more following in the rest of the country - I remember it being one of my stops every day to the office...ahhh fond memories of caffeine-filled mornings.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Tribes Bar and Restaurant at Afia Beach Hotel

I am continuously surprised by a view of the ocean a mere five minute drive from Accra city centre. Being in the inner city one forgets that we are actually by the coast and that reprieve from the traffic, smog and tro-tros is just a short drive away. My son had yam sticks and kelewele with shito - no worry about carb content with him. I had the fruity mango chicken curry; also sampled off my other dining partner's plate the steamed paw paw and rice with beef at Tribes Restaurant.

Places in Ghana: Till's Beach Resort

It was a long weekend this past weekend and we had no plans to travel beyond the immediate borders. Farmer's day  is a public holiday in Ghana falling on the first Friday of December that was first introduced in the 80s as a way to honour the farmers of the country and their contribution to the economy - a sign of the times, when sub-saharan Africa was experiencing boom times in agriculture. For now though, with the agricultural sector not performing that well, due mainly to crippling droughts and food security under threat in Ghana and much of Africa, one wonders as to how much longer this holiday will hold much significance.
That aside, Accra was relatively quiet, a refreshing change. We decided to go to Till's for the day yesterday.

Gastronomy in Ghana: La Chaumiere

This one was long overdue. One of my favourite restaurants in Accra, La Chaumiere was open for business at lunch as usual. The food as always was superb. They have a wonderful chef who always manages to consistently reproduce the menu without disappointing. I met some friends for an impromptu lunch which turned into one of those long Mediterranean meals. La Chaumiere is a French-Mediterranean restaurant on Liberation Road.

Conversations in Ghana: Anna Kurtycz - Artist

I have had countless encounters with wonderful people in this city and it is a shame that they are not always shared. Well, this one is to sharing... Anna Kurtycz is a renowned Mexican artist specialising in engraving and woodcut who has been living in Accra for two years. She has held numerous exhibitions with local artists and holds workshops at her studio with local artists as a means to get people more aware of local and regional talent.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Afrikiko Resort in Akosombo

An hour drive from Accra gives you a trip out of town and the chance to have freshwater-reared Tilapia looking out at Lake Volta. I find it interesting that although Tilapia is actually not an indigenous fish but was introduced to Ghana some ten years ago, yet has firmly become the country's favourite fish, and prepared well, it makes for a tasty fish.
Afrikiko is a small(ish) resort on the banks of Lake Volta and near the Akosombo Dam, which is popular with tourists, expats and Ghanaians alike.

Eating for a good cause...always a pleasure.

For a change this post is not just about food...well, not entirely. The signage directed me to 'High Tea' at Labadi Beach Hotel this morning and for a moment I groaned inwardly. As much as I love going for 'High Tea' at posher than posh hotels, I was really hoping that Labadi had deviated from the norm just a bit this time. They had indeed. I can't remember the last time I had prawns for breakfast, but prawns it was, done tempura style. There were salmon and cream wraps, profiteroles stuffed with a variety of fillings, bacon-wrapped sausages and a huge array of pastries and bread. But we were there for a good cause and that made the experience all the more worthwhile.

Places & Gastronomy in Ghana: Art Deco Furniture at The Orangery

First you view the exquisite art deco furniture in Art Deco, located in Adabraka, then you sit out on the patio and enjoy your crepes. The Orangery bills itself as a creperie; and crepes were the order of the day when we visited.
It was suggested by a friend who had been there once and could not stop raving about the crepes served there.
The furniture at Art Deco is exquisite, and is indeed art deco furniture - minimalistic clear lines and more importantly locally made. This is one of the better, if not best furniture stores in Accra but it's like a well-kept secret. Why I don't know, because it has truly beautiful furniture!

Places in Ghana: Arts Centre

I set out looking to take a few pictures of the Arts Centre in Accra...I left there with offers of rare Ashanti artifacts and ivory carvings. Yes, ivory carvings. Never mind that trade in or the sale of ivory is banned in Ghana, or in pretty much all of Sub-Saharan Africa,

Gastronomy in Ghana: The Pavillion Bar and Restaurant at Hillburi

The cappuccino mousse served at the end of our meal is what sealed it..."The best food I've ever tasted in Ghana" was my daughter's verdict. Okay, to be moderated slightly, without the tweenie hyperbole.

The Beaujolais Nouveau... yet again

Yes, the third Thursday of the month of November and the corks were popped last night as we celebrated the Beaujolais Nouveau once again. I can hardly write great tomes about the wine, not at all, but I can go on forever about the cheese.

Places in Ghana: Aburi Botanical Gardens

Barely forty minutes out of Accra, and you can find yourself surrounded by tropical forests and astoundingly beautiful flora, limited fauna and surprising bird life...we came across turkeys on our walk.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Cafe dez Amis

Some of the best croissants in Accra can be had here. On a good day you will definitely get light, flaky on the outside and soft on the inside, golden croissants...

Places in Ghana: Joe's Perspective Art Boutique

"It is not an art gallery in the typical sense – more of a concept store" is what the owner and creative director behind Joe’s Perspective  Art Boutique, Kukua Ampah calls it.

Places in Ghana: Uzuri

Uzuri, meaning ‘Goodness’ in Swahili is a newly-opened gift shop in Labone

Conversations in Ghana: Borlabie - Artist

"Is that a Borlabie?" is an oft-heard question in some circles in Accra. That is because Ebenezer Borlabie, or simply Borlabie, is a prolific artist with his highly recognisable street scenes and galloping horsemen paintings.
The story behind the horsemen, who are inspired by the Tuareg people of the Niger, is both amusing and serendipitous. When he started painting, he never set out to paint horses or horsemen.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Melting Moments

It was one of the first places in Accra I went to that promised good coffee with ambiance. Melting Moments is a coffee shop cum cafe in Labone.

A ship in harbour...

I was on a warship on Monday night and it was quite an experience. Yes, it was docked and floating at zero knots - but I was on a ship that has been at sea for the past seven months - stopping at various ports around the world...the wanderlust in me was thrilled to no end.

Golf in the tropics

I was invited to play in a Golf Tournament this past Saturday. I have never played in as many golf tournaments as I have since moving to Accra.

Banking 101

I remember wondering whether banking in Ghana was really as bad an experience as some expat-oriented websites warned before I moved here. It all sounded very ominous and downright scary.

Places in Ghana: Marvels Mini Golf

The mid-term break came and went quietly and we were not for a moment stuck for things to do.  There is plenty to do in Accra with young kids, at least up until the tweenie age - just a matter of knowing where to go.

Conversations in Ghana: Nana Anoff - Artist

Affable, confident and relaxed is how I found Nana Anoff, the artist. He willingly allowed me to spend a morning with him discussing his art, how he came to be an artist and the things that refresh him creatively.

UN Day - Many Nations One Voice

Oktoberfest, Thanksgiving, Heritage Day (a.k.a National Braii Day) - all the typical celebrations in any expat community, in any country around the world, illustrating our differences,but to which we all gather in a bid to understand each other or just share a pint of beer or piece of boerewors. Whatever your take on it, it is a way we learn about one another.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Arlecchino Gelateria Italiana

Gelato in Accra! Ghana never ceases to amaze. My children, who have become my official reviewers of restaurants and places to go, and I have uncovered a gem of a place for real Italian ice-cream.

The Ghana-South Africa Business Chamber

The presence of South African companies in Ghana is growing by the day and the Ghana-South Africa Business Chamber is trying by all means to promote the potential bilateral business opportunities through a host of forums and social events.

The Pink Month

I have not been inundated with emails from friends, acquaintances or companies calling for my support of Breast Cancer Month and asking me to display, just for this month, my pink ribbon either on my screen saver, my being or anywhere really where I can be reminded of the global efforts in the fight against breast cancer.

I am rather dismayed by this. The rest of the world is complaining about Pink Ribbon fatigue, but Ghana is nowhere close to even raising levels of awareness to such heights.

Guilty by Association

The detention of the wife of Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo; whose awarding of the Prize by the Nobel Committee this year has been mired in controversy, is further affirmation that when it comes to issues political, one can be found guilty by mere association as much of the world's history has illustrated.
Similarly is the company one keeps in the very small expat circles in Accra, which provide a microcosmic perspective of the world at large.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Mamma Mia's Restaurant & Pizzeria

Sunday in our house is and has always been the day we either go all out; making a Sunday lunch with all the trimmings or going out for lunch.

Pizza Sundays have become quite popular with us venturing out to one of Ghana's best pizzerias. They have an open kitchen where you can watch the entire process from the making of the bases to the baking of the pizza, and they use a wood-fired oven.
Mamma Mia's in Osu, Accra is a almost a cliche in the way it is so very Italian.
The gingham red and white tablecloths, the Italian flag at the bar (which I noticed was missing yesterday), its support of all things Italian and its very cheery Italian owner.

Charley...Do you chew fufu with a spoon?

Maaha (pr. Maa-ha) - Good Afternoon!
Now that I have almost lost the Obroni tag; I am now looking to have more than the basic Twi in my repertoire of languages.
I started Twi lessons again this morning. Our group was meant to use the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, but we have now moved to a different venue. We're a small group of eight with a Twi teacher determined to have us writing theses in Twi before the year is out. Who said slave driver?

An injection of International culture

There is always something going on in Accra, whether it's a classical music concert or a car launch - yes I know, a car launch. I have also been invited to the launch of a new make of Fruit Juice by a very reputable bottling company...yes, right up there with the opening of an envelope....

Stand up and be counted! If you can.

The Ghana 2010 Population and Housing Census is underway and I have been counted!

Whipping that body into shape

Getting to the gym is the one thing in my calendar that I have to stay committed to. I make it a point to make it regularly - not just for my weight; which has been tipping the scales on the heav(ier) side since the holidays, but for my sanity.

Of Stationery and School Uniforms

Now that the school holidays are almost over and the madness of getting school uniforms and sorting out stationery kicks in it has hit me how convenience is not a word one can easily associate with living in Ghana. Yes, admittedly in as far as living in Africa goes, Ghana is 'Africa for Beginners', but there are constant reminders that convenience is hard to come by at times.

An injection of Ghanaian culture - Homowo Festival

I was invited to a Homowo Festival celebration yesterday. This is a celebration of abundant harvest after a famine that is celebrated annually by the Ga-Adangbe or Ga people of  Greater Accra every year in the month of August or September.

Root canals and power surges

My greatest fear is being in the middle of major surgery and having me re-gain consciousness on the operating table with my insides spilling out...Yes, I have clearly been watching too many episodes of Grey's Anatomy and House is great fodder for an already overactive imagination.

Being in the middle of a root canal procedure and having the power go off is also another of my many fears...and this is closer to reality for me given the unpredictability of Ghana's electricity supply.

Food lover or glutton?

It has been great, but I cannot contain my joy in returning to Ghana; back to exercise and eating healthily. Our last stop was Amsterdam and it has indeed confirmed my need to return home and start whipping this body into shape again. The fine line between loving one's food and simply gluttonous behaviour has been drawn, and I have walked it.

Malaria in a Malaria-free country

It has taken me almost two years to become sufficiently knowledgeable about all the symptoms of Malaria. But I have recently been educated...while in a country that is malaria-free.

Number three is not that bad…

It was not the same as it probably would have been had I been sitting at Soccer City in Johannesburg huddling together with other soccer fans braving the cold.

Soccer madness in a soccer-mad country

You'll be hard-pressed to find a pub or bar in Accra on a Wednesday night that is not showing a match of the English Premier Football League or any other regional match.

This is what we do here. We are keen followers of soccer, and true to form have been caught up in the fever of the 2010 World Cup; not only because it is for the first time ever being played on the Continent, but because Ghana's national team - The Black Stars have made it into the next round, a step away from the quarter-finals.