A few years back while working in Ghana, I came across a number of people who were spending their gap year volunteering in Africa. I remember being quite impressed by the fact that these young high school graduates had put their academic lives on hold in favour of altruistic pursuits. I was curious and wanted […]

Have you ever noticed that there’s always some peculiar system or archaic procedure to adhere to while making your way through immigration? Each country presents the traveller with its own ridiculously bureaucratic hoops to jump through without any logical explanation. I have a large 70-page business passport which lasts me, on average, about 18 months. […]

A few days ago I lost my smartphone on a flight from Nairobi to Accra, not something I do very often. Actually it was the first time I’ve lost a phone, usually any loss is due to me dropping them or worse still, drowning them in salt water. To cut a long story short, I […]

While wandering all over the world it is inevitable that someone will enquire as to your country-of-birth. The vast majority of these new encounters follow a relatively easy path; where you’re from, what you’re doing, how old you are or if you’re married – but some take you by surprise and lead you to completely […]

Just recently I’d completed a project with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. It’s not the heat here, but more the humidity that gets to you. It’s just above the equator so the sun pretty much sets and rises at around 6am/6pm every day. But I […]

Ordering food in some West African countries requires a certain approach and decorum. The most important thing to remember is that the menu is never representative of what is available in the kitchen; and even though the wait-staff are agreeable and seem to be able to deliver anything you ask for, it usually pays to […]