Kumasi: An Anthology of Statues

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If you read my previous travel post on arts and crafts then u know i have been staying in Kumasi the capital city of the Ashanti region of Ghana for the past two weeks now. I must say my stay has been awesome. So many things to do and see here. Kumasi though cosmopolitan has a very rich cultural history. The city is predominantly made of the Ashanti tribe who are a tribe of people known to be proud of their culture. Social gatherings and events especially funerals are a must see. One of the things i like about Kumasi which makes it distinct from other regional capitals of Ghana is how nicely they decorate public spaces. Hardly do you pass by a roundabout without seeing a statue or a monument of some sort. Therefore for the past 2 weeks i have been here, i put it upon myself to document some of my favourite statues and monuments in the city. Most of the people you would see made in statues are people who have had an impact on the city and the region at large. Therefore there is a plethora of statues which represent spiritual leaders, political leaders, past Ashanti kings and what have you. These are some of the statues and are by no means exhaustive i would be adding more as i see them.

            

Okomfo Anokye was a revered spiritual leader in Ashanti legend has it that he conjured the "golden stool"(which is the embodiment of the Ashanti people) from the sky.

One of my favourites 

                                   

Dr, Kwame Nkrumah Ghanas' first prime minister and later president. He was known to be at the forefront of the battle for independence in Ghana. This statue can be found in front of the University of Science and Technology which is named after him. 

The Insignia of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

An Ashanti king 

This can be found at Kumasi business district

Yet to be unveiled can't wait to come back in December and see what it is.

4 Quotes Entrepreneurs Must Live By

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I am a big fan of quotes. For me, quotes help me enter the minds of geniuses and people whom i know i would never meet because they are dead or people i have not had the opportunity of meeting yet. I respect entrepreneurs. This is because i see entrepreneurs as dreamers, creators, marketers and leaders. Everything we see around us was initially an idea. Apple was an idea, Facebook was an idea cars were first an idea. It took an individual to sit down and say "i can really bring this idea to life" then he started creating or inventing whatever it is you see today. One interesting thing about an idea is, the one who brings it to life or makes something out of it is not the only person who has actually thought of it. I bet there were thousand and one others who also thought of the same idea. But that is what differentiates the entrepreneur from others. An entrepreneur is willing to create something when everybody has had the same thought and discarded it. They end up working extremely hard to bring their ideas be it a service or a product to fruition. Therefore it is little wonder that the idea that succeeds makes these entrepreneurs extremely rich. We enjoy the goods and services we have to day thanks to the creative thinking of entrepreneurs. But entrepreneurship is not easy that is why many startups fail. Therefore as an aspiring entrepreneur i have some great quotes by successful people i live by. Here are a few of them.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.-Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is a storied entrepreneur and inventor of the light bulb and this quote by him really strikes a chord with me. I mean 10,000 ways? seriously? this by any means is is too large a number for failure that a lot of people would give up. If a perceived genius is failing this number of times then what hope is there for the rest of us. Because whatever idea it is the entrepreneur is not succeeding at costs money, time energy and the emotional pain. Hell! by the 5th or 6th try and it's not working i'm done not to talk of 10,000 (that is why i have not played lumosity for a while now). But the core of this quote is noteworthy. In that, it teaches the tenets of hard work, perseverance, focus and agility. Which are all must haves if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. 

A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd-Max Lucado

This is such a powerful quote that really sums up the entrepreneurs relationship with naysayers. I know by now you've read or heard countless stories by entrepreneurs who said initially their ideas were discouraged and rejected. There are many stories out there especially in the book/publishing industry where some of the best selling books were rejected by renowned publishing houses. This quote therefore is powerful for me in the sense that, since most ideas shared by entrepreneurs to his friends, family, associates among others are usually new and unheard of, it is bound to receive some level of resistance. But most times successful entrepreneurs have to go with their gut and intuition therefore expect as an entrepreneur or an aspiring entrepreneur "this would not work"  sentence when you share your idea with family and friends. A lot of close relations say this to you because they feel they care about you to see sink your money, time and energy into something that might not work out. This quote therefore is all about your determination to make a difference with your idea. One way to measure whether you idea will be successful is to evaluate whether it would solve a social problem . This quote and "if i had asked people what they wanted" quote by Henry Ford are cousins.

I was dyslexic, i had no understanding of schoolwork whatsoever. I certainly would have failed IQ tests. And it was one of the reasons why i left school. And if i'm not interested in something i don't grasp it.- Sir Richard Branson

I heard of Sir Branson because he's the founder of Virgin Airlines and i honestly thought of him as an airline industry veteran. i figured, for someone who owned a successful airline he had worked in the airline industry for years and after he had mastered the art of running an airline he started Virgin. It wasn't until i read his bio that i learnt how he dropped out of school to start working on his own. For someone who did not even finish high school how did he become so successful?  That is when i noticed his bio said he started doing business at age 16, virgin was founded in 1984 which means he had had 18 years of training working as an entrepreneur before founding Virgin airlines. This is a long period of education and personal training again throw in the 10,000 hour rule and you have a successful entrepreneur. The quote has an emphasis on "interest" which i think is key because developing interest for something be it a sport, skill or an art would make you want to learn more about it and if you fail your passion for that interest would likely make you want to try again and that is how you gradually build knowledge and stamina as an individual. Be prepared for failure if you want to be an entrepreneur and see failure not as a problem but rather as a learning curve  and a challenge.

We face neither East nor West: We face forward-Kwame Nkrumah 

This is a great quote from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah one of Africas' greatest leaders of all time and a proud national of Ghana my country. Ask who Dr Nkrumah was and you would get responses such as 'visionary', 'strong-willed' etc and i would like to add 'entrepreneur'. A lot of projects and things he did in Ghana are still being enjoyed today just like we enjoy Thomas Edisons' light bulb. I love this quote from this great leader because it is about focus and having a sense of direction. Usually when an entrepreneur has no sense of direction, he/she can be easily swayed to unimportant matters that is not part of his mission. Having a sense of focus also gives stamina and perseverance.

Kumasi Arts and Crafts

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A few weeks back i wrote on the awesome arts and crafts i saw in Bolgatanga whiles backpacking  in northern Ghana. Currently i'm in Kumasi which is the capital of the Ashanti region of Ghana. I have a soft spot for this city because i lived here for 10 years and therefore have so many fond memories of the time i spent here growing up. One of the things the people of Kumasi are known for is how high they uphold their traditions and culture. I dare say Kumasi is the most culturally grounded city in Ghana. The sense of community is strong and family ties are revered. On any given Saturday you would see droves of people clad in black going from one funeral to another. Their passion for football is unrivaled and be ready to listen to not less than 6 daily sports updates on local radio at any given day.

There are many things to see and do in Kumasi (expect a bazillion posts on that one). One of the things Kumasi is known for is its beautiful wood carvings and sculptures. These carvings are made primarily in a suburb of Kumasi called Ahwiaa though some can also be found at the arts and cultural centre. At Ahwiaa you would see a wide array of beautiful wood carvings made from the finest of wood  and sculpted to perfection. Some of the wood carvings include dolls known locally as 'akuaba', masks, stools,drums, key chains etc.It's interesting to note that the school i attended when i lived in Kumasi was quite close to Ahwiaa but i never really bothered to admire the beautiful work of art and the amount of time, energy and work that goes into these crafts. Now that i'm old i tend to appreciate it more because there is no way i can make any of these things therefore i have new found respect for these craftsmen and what they do. Just take a look at some of them.

African drums

A clock in the making (made to resemble African sandals) this isn't finished yet but i know it's gonna be awesome.

Assorted crafts can you notice the stools

A craftsman busy at work

Assorted bracelets on sale

One of my favourite pieces

Impact of Ebola on the African Tourism Industry

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I read with excitement all over the web as the doctor who caught the ebola virus and was flown back to the United States had been healed. I don't know what warrants my excitement because as Africans we still haven't found a way of dealing with this deadly virus yet. I am happy there has still not been a major reported case of the ebola virus in Ghana where i am. I usually hear on the radio once in a while that someone is being quarantined in a hospital for a suspected case of ebola later it turns out to be a hoax. Measures Ghana has put in place includes suspending all international conferences for the time being as well as guarding its entry points to prevent entry by people suspected to be carrying the ebola virus. These are all good measures and i sincerely hopes it works. From the time i heard about the outbreak of this deadly virus in Liberia, i have been particularly concerned about the impact this disease would have on the tourism industry.

All the stories i have read on this disease since the outbreak has tagged it as a "west African disease" which is not helping matters in any way. Ghana amongst other west African nations receive an influx of tourists all year round. Tourism revenues has been a big earner for the Ghanaian economy and i dare say that a huge chunk of this revenues come from foreigners because for every tourist center i have been to in this country, foreigners are charged twice as much because they are deemed non-nationals. We can then add the fancy hotels, restaurants, parks and public places of entertainment which are closely associated with the tourism industry that is where we know foreigners especially Americans and Europeans are really supporting Ghanas tourism industry. I recently visited a museum (a blog post on that coming soon) and when i was asked to sign the guest book, most of the visitors that had been to the tourist site for the past two months were either European or American. Therefore if major contributors to travel/tourism industry  in west Africa do not want to come for fear of ebola virus then there would be a guaranteed decrease in tourism revenues.

Ask most Africans why they don't go on holiday and there would be a unanimous "I can't afford it" answer. If we as Africans can't afford tourism, revelling, camping, sightseeing, backpacking and what have you then we must be willing to go the extra mile to make our countries safe, comfortable, clean and crime-free for those who can afford it and are willing to spend at our tourist sites. Whiles desperately trying to find the cure for ebola ourselves, we must also make our tourist destinations attractive to receive more visitors anually. But knowing Africa the way i do, it won't take long before i see it in the media that African leaders are 'pleading' with the American government to provide the serum that cured Dr Brantly for African patients to use. Americans have cured their own, it is left for us Africans to do same and i fervently pray this happens soon.

Northern Ghana Travel Bucket List

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Writing a 'bucket list' of places i want to go to always gets me excited. For me a bucket list is like a to-do list without the added pressure. For the past year, i have been living in the northern part of Ghana for my national service ( a mandatory one year spent working for the government upon completing a tertiary institution) but i am done with the service therefore i am back home in the south. Whiles living in the north, i took a one week backpacking trip to explore some of the beautiful tourist sites that the northern region had to offer. The northern parts of Ghana consists of three political regions namely the upper east, upper west and northern regions. All these regions have a variety of tourist sites and places of interest. My backpacking trip could not take me to all the places i wanted to go because i did not have the time or enough money to go there. I am writing this blog post as a public to-do list or travel bucket list which will make me extra committed to going to these places i'm about to mention.

First on my list is Mole National Park: The Mole park is a wildlife game reserve located in the northern region of Ghana. It is about the most popular game park in Ghana and has a variety of wildlife for viewing pleasure. There are elephants, antelopes, monkeys, Buffalos, leopards etc This park is one of the tourist sites i can't wait to visit. Information i've gathered so far tell me its best visited during the dry season which is usually from November to April. I am making plans to go there early next year. Mole has onsite catering and accommodation therefore it would be great to spend a few days watching the wildlife especially the elephants since i've never seen one in real life. Whiles returning to Wa from my backpacking trip, the bus i was travelling in passed by the Mole park but all i saw was tall trees and vast forest. I thought i could catch a glimpse of an elephant or a baboon.

courtesy: Mole Motel Ghana

Larabanga Mosque and Mystery Stone: Close to the Mole National park is the Larabanga Mosque. The mosque is an ancient work of art built by an Islamic trader in the 15th century. Larabanga is one of Ghanas revered tourist sites and receives lots of visitors both nationals and non-nationals alike. It also features prominently on some post stamps from Ghana. Over the years it has gone through several repair works because it was built with mud but the essential design that set the mosque apart has been maintained. The mosque is not very far from the Mole national park (about 10 kilometres)  therefore i plan to visit this ancient mosque as part of my trip to Mole

courtesy: Wikepedia

Close to the Larabanga mosque is the Mysterious stone. Legend has it that during the colonial era in Ghana, a road was to be constructed where the mysterious is situated therefore the stone was removed and displaced but it was found at the exact spot where it was removed the following day. The stone found it's way back when it was removed the second time. This by any standards is not normal hence the name 'mysterious'. This said stone is believed to have healing powers therefore pilgrims to the Larabanga mosque also touch the mysterious stone for healing and spiritual purification. The road has since been diverted around the stone and a wall built around it. I caught a glimpse of the wall which encompasses this stone whiles travelling to Wa but i was really sad i didn't see the stone itself.

Mysterious stone photo courtesy: Ghana photographers

Tongo Whistling Rocks: These rocks can be found in Tongo in the upper east region of Ghana. The rocks at Tongo makes ghostly whistling noises during the harmattan when the weather is generally dry and airy.

Tongo Rocks: Photo credit Ghana Travels

Tono Irrigation Dam: The last tourist site on my northern Ghana travel bucket list is the huge irrigation dam in upper east region of Ghana. It was built in the 70s for agricultural purposes but has clearly served another purpose which is tourism. Tono dam is an ideal destination for water sports and relaxation and it's very popular in the upper east region since there are not enough water bodies in the northern part of Ghana.

The Four Stages of My Writing

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I opened this blogger account in August of last year and i did not do any serious writing till may of this year. In fact i thought posting frequently on this blog was going to come naturally to me because on a normal day so many ideas of things i can write about comes to my mind. But i have tried as much as possible to limit the contents of this blog to two things i am passionate about and those are travel and entrepreneurship. From May this year till now i have tried to update the blog regularly. Because i read on the blog of a very popular blogger/writer that "to be a successful blogger or for your blog to make an impact you have to post everyday especially if you are a beginner".

 But i decided to limit it to writing one blog post every two days because i felt i would run out of stories. Besides the travel stories were all that i had and i felt cannot write anything meaningful about entrepreneurship until i have started a business (which i have not even started yet). But now i write about entrepreneurship because you don't have to be an entrepreneur to share ideas on starting a business. On May 19 i wrote my first blog post on my path to serious blogging and i must say the past three months has been full of ups and downs. I thought the more i write blog posts the easier blogging will be for me but it does not get easier. Writing a typical blog post can take me anything from 4 to 6 hours  not to mention the extra one hour i spend mulling whether to publish the write up or not. So far comments i gather from people on twitter and friends show that my writing is fairly good. I am grateful that people enjoy my posts and are willing to share them. But behind the scenes a lot happens before you see a post up on this blog. These are the stages that i go through

1. This is a great idea stage: I really enjoy this stage because this is the point where in my mind i have written the perfect blog post and it has a billion shares on facebook and twitter with hundreds of trackbacks to taste. At the idea stage, i let my imagination run wild as i think of great topics i can write on this blog and how i can write a hit syndicated blog post. In my minds eye the blog post is finished and it's a success and everybody is texting to congratulate me on the great blog post i have written with praises of how i'm such a great blogger. At this stage, i write down topics for further development. I always wonder why it is that great ideas come to mind when you're at places those ideas cannot be written down instantly especially when taking a shower.
2. The second stage of writing is the "shit fit" stage or "nobody will read this stage": This is the paranoia point where i throw inner tantrums. Before i reach this stage i would have already started writing the blog post and i'm quite confused on what sentence to write next. This point is usually characterized by extreme self doubt and me asking myself questions like Why am i writing this? Who would read this? Nobody likes you? and so on and so forth. At this shit fit, stage i go online to read articles by writers and bloggers who inspire me because i feel reading good articles will make my writing better. For good measure, i also check out poorly written articles and blog posts to help me feel better about my writing. At least i know my shitty writing is not alone. Only after this am i able to continue writing
3. Self Validation Stage: At the self validation stage i tell my self i'm good enough a writer to also have a piece online. I then recount all the positive compliments i have received on twitter and my blog since i started blogging and how i have even been invited to write on other websites and blogs. 
4. Excessive editing stage: At this point, the self confidence from the validation stage has made me write more than enough to bore anyone out of their minds. Therefore its time to access the length of the post to see whether it makes for a good read. I also correct the spelling mistakes and tweak some of the sentences in the best way i think can make for a good read.

After going through all these emotions i take a deep breath and hit 'publish'

West to East: My Top 3 Tourist Sites

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Northern Ghana is an exciting place when it comes to tourism. There are a myriad of tourist destinations and sites to visit. These are my top three out of the various tourist sites i have visited. These three tourist sites can be located in the upper west and upper east regions of Ghana. 

Wechiau Hippopotamus Sanctuary

The Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary is located at a small town called Wechiau in the upper west region of Ghana. The hippopotamus sancutuary is about a 10 kilometre ride from the town square. It is a pleasure to see the hippos swimming on a warm day whiles they come out to look for food at night. The hippopotamus are untamed therefore wander to and fro the Volta river where they reside. It's interesting to see hippopotamus in their natural environment. I went to this tourist site last year and i really enjoyed the trip. I particularly enjoyed the canoe ride called 'river safari' since it was my first time on a canoe. I would not hesitate to go to Wechiau again, may be this time for a longer period and possibly a camping trip. You can read my trip report of this amazing tourist destination here and for all visitors information on accommodation, dinning etc click here.

Hippopotamus skull at wechiau

Paga Crocodile Pond

I read about the Paga crocodile pond when i was a kid and since then it has been on my travel bucket list. Therefore on a recent backpacking trip it was high on my bucket list and i really didn't regret going to Paga because the last time i saw a crocodile, i was watching from a very safe distance whiles the crocodile was caged. This was about 6 years ago at a zoo. But to touch, feel and even squat on a crocodile was much more surreal. It was a great experience. Although it's been a few weeks since i came back from this tourist trip, it still feels like yesterday. The way humans and crocodile coexist in Paga is nothing short of amazing and legend of how the crocodiles became an integral part of the society is nothing short of amazing. At Paga i learnt the word 'herptophobia' as i panicked when it was time for me to hold the crocodile. You can access the trip report here and every tourist information you need about the crocodile pond here.

Crocodile at Paga

Nania-Pikworo Slave Camp

It wasn't after i have been to the Paga crocodile pond did i hear about Nania and when i heard of Nania my mind went straight to C.S Lewis classic book 'chronicles of nania'. But this Nania is different, it is a defunct slave camp which was operated  by African slave masters. Piwkworo slave camp has a harrowing story of slavery which has no doubt has a dent on the African continent and Africa in general. It was only in Pikworo slave camp that i learnt that Africans traded each other for sugar during the slave trade. My trip report is available and you can click here for tourist information if you want to visit Nania-Pikworo slave camp.

This sign post ushers you into the camp

Social Media, Branding and Sharing. How Coke Got It Right.

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Source: Wiki logos

About three months ago, i saw some public figures and celebrities i follow on twitter and instagram display bottles of coke with their names written on the label. My initial thoughts were 'this is quite interesting'. Because this is the first time i have seen someones name on a fast moving consumer good. Usually the photos these celebrities displayed were two bottles. One with their names written on it and the other bottle had 'friend' or 'family' written on it. Most of these stars thanked coca cola for giving them the drinks. A few weeks after this there was a massive advertising campaign urging all of us to 'share a coke with a friend' today. In Ghana where i am, there are pretty standard names that are given to people based on the day you were born. For example if  you were born on a saturday and you are from the Akan tribe you are known as 'Kwame (boy)' or 'Ama (girl)'. 

I am a Wednesday born hence my name Kwaku. The Akan tribe is a predominant tribe in Ghana. Majority of Ghanaians speak the akan (twi) dialect fairly well although there are different variations of it as well as other tribal groups. Therefore a lot of people by default (or design) can identify their names on a coke bottle  based on the day they were born. I talked to an old colleague of mine who works at a shopping mall and he made an interesting comment on how people these days refuse to purchase coke which does not have their names written on the label. This advertising campaign has really caught on here in Ghana especially in the urban areas. As an entrepreneurship junkie, i know startups and entrepreneurs can take a thing or two from the success of this campaign and incorporate it into their own business.

1. We all like personalised products and exclusivity. Although coca cola is a mass produced product they found away to make it exclusive. This they did by typing the name of the consumer on the label. To think of it, a lot of us dispose a coke bottle when we're done drinking its content therefore you would think a name printed on a label will not make much of a difference but apparently it does. The fifteen minutes or so that a consumer has a bottle of coke in her hands with the name on it makes her feel special. The products feels exclusive for her even if she bears her name with some other 500,000 women across the country. Exclusivity is the reason why luxury goods have the nerve to charge more for their goods. Coca cola achieved this without breaking the bank. Therefore as an entrepreneur try as much as possible to personalise products and services for your consumers and clients. Sometimes exclusivity means just listening intently to the client and repeating whatever her demands are so that you're both clear on exactly what she wants. A customer feels good when he's given a listening ear and is treated with respect.
2. The fact that the coke campaign encourages consumers to share the coke added a 'feel good' factor to the campaign. We all feel good when we brighten someones day by sharing something with them and its even better when they show appreciation. Startups can also do good by helping the local communities in which they are situated to build relationships and goodwill. Consumers as part of their decision whether to purchase a product or service consider how ethically (morally) responsible a firm is as well as their environmental and corporate social responsibilities. As an entrepreneur find a social responsibility that your consumers are interested in and make a difference there. 
3. My third observation is how social media has came to play a role in marketing and advertising. You recall from the beginning of the article that i first came into contact with this campaign on instagram? Social media has the power to connect entrepreneurs and startups to thousands if not millions of people some of these audiences will be potential customers of the entrepreneur. And it cost cheaper to do an online campaign than using the traditional forms of media. A popular public figure i follow said "we are living in a world where if i didn't see the pictures on social media, then it didn't happen" and i think this statement is true. Most of our offline conversations are shaped by the things we see/read online. Now a lot of us are switching tv with youtube and there is so much talk about the 'internet of everything'. Startups must take advantage of this global media opportunity even if the business is a typical offline business. Because a lot of us bing or google stuff that we want to know more about hence it is important to have some level of online representation and credibility. Social media outlets available are endless therefore an entrepreneur can pick any two of these mediums for example twitter and tumblr and build an online audience there.

Confessions of an African Backpacker

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This is my last post on the series of my one week backpacking tour where i backpacked from the upper west region of Ghana to the upper east. I am doing a short question and answer question to inform you more on how fun it is to backpack in Ghana

Question: Why did you decide to go on a backpacking trip?

Answer: I had always wanted to visit the tourist sites in the upper east region of Ghana like the Paga crocodile pond and the mysterious stone at Winkongo near Bolgatanga. But i never really made enough time or money to go to all these places. Then the perfect opportunity presented itself. There was a one week break from work therefore i used that time to go on the trip. Besides i knew i wouldn't be in the northern region of Ghana for long (since my mandatory one year service rendered to the government was coming to an end). I wanted to take the trip before its too late. And one week seemed like the perfect duration. It was long enough to see the tourist sites and it was short enough not to overwhelm me since i feared i might not enjoy the backpacking trip.

Question: How did you prepare for your backpacking trip?

Answer: I had never gone backpacking prior to this trip therefore i honestly didn't know what to take along. But northern Ghana is quite sunny and warm therefore i decided to pack 2 pairs of jeans some cotton sweat shirts and some underwear. I went along with a huge sweater as well. I also packed my little laptop so that i could blog about my experience and an ipad since i did not have a camera the ipad served as my camera besides i wanted to upload pictures of the tourist sites on my twitter page. I also downloaded a map of Ghana to enable me track my journey as i went along. I packed some deodorants and a light towel i would use to shower when i stayed in a guest house.

Question: Do you know anybody in the places you wanted to visit?

Answer: Yes i knew one person in Bolgatanga and another old school mate of mine in Tumu but when i called to find out whether i could see them. They were both out of town therefore i didn't get to see any of them. Garu was initially not part of the places i wanted to visit but a very good friend of mine lived there and since it's quite close to Bawku. I added it to the list in order to see my friend.

Met my friend in Garu

Question: How was the entire trip like?

Answer: I really had a good time. It felt good to see places i have heard and finally being there. It was interesting to read the map as the bus moved along during the bus rides. i was tracking every where i went on the map which really cool. For once i got to know how a map actually worked,  I was happy to see the Paga crocodile pond because it's such a major tourist centre in Ghana. I felt really good when i went to Tumu and Navrongo since they are popular towns in Ghana. I also loved the arts and crafts at Bolgatanga, i even bought a cool little xylophone.Though most parts of the trip was fun and exciting, i felt like coming back home on the first day. It rained heavily that day so it was cold, wet and lonely. But then again i told myself nobody was forcing me to go backpacking. I am doing it for fun therefore i can go home anytime i wanted. The fact that i told myself i can go home at anytime put me at ease and helped me relax.

Paga crocodile pond

Question: Any special observations?

Answer: I was really blown away by the level of kindness shown me by complete strangers. People offered me rides on their motorbikes others were willing to escort me to places when i asked directions for. I thought the food in the upper east would be different but it didn't vary much. People were quite surprised when i told them i'm on a backpacking trip. According to them they have not seen an African on a backpacking trip. I didn't know there was another tourist site close to the Paga crocodile pond, a former slave camp known as Nania slave camp so it was great to visit another tourist site i didn't know about.

Watchtower of camp security at Nania slave camp

Question; Knowing what you know now will you do anything differently on your next backpacking trip?

Answer: Sure, i would definitely pack fewer clothes. I didn't even wear 50% of the clothes i took But i would  definitely pack more underwear. The sweater i took was unnecessary since after the first day it was sunny through out the week. The laptop did not serve any purpose because i used the ipad through out the journey. Next time i won't worry too much because one does not achieve anything by worrying and  would rather hope and believe that the world is a safe place.

Question: Any regrets?

Answer: Yes, i couldn't take pictures at night since the ipad does not have a flash light. Therefore i couldn't document what happened in the evenings. It was the world cup season and most of the Ghanaian matches were in the evening so i wanted to document how people were watching and enjoying the world cup. On hindsight i regret my backpacking was only just a week because i was really enjoying it and by the last day i didn't want to come back but i was running out of time and money. I was also sad i couldn't make it to two other tourist sites that is the Tono dam in Navrongo and the mysterious stones which makes ghostly noises at Wunkungo a small village near Bolgatanga.

Second day after i have braced the storm. Notice the big sweater around my neck?

Question: Would you recommend this backpacking trip or backpacking in northern Ghana?

Answer: Yes definitely ( i would like to go again myself and for a longer period this time).

Brought home this cool xylophone as my travel souvenir 

Question: Do you have plans to go on another backpacking trip?

Answer: Now that i have tasted how backpacking feels like, i want to go on one every year. I would take time off every year to backpack and enjoy the wonderful things that my country has and hopefully backpack and holiday in other countries.

Doing a Startup, Are you a Bull or a Bear?

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When i was in school, i took a banking and financial markets course where i was taught the concept of bulls and bears when it comes to investing. The bull is the optimistic one who takes chances when it comes to investing because there is hope that stock and bond prices will continue to rise. The risk lover, the risk taker the one who is not afraid to make the bold decisions and that is the bull for you. Whereas the bear is the one who is risk averse and would take a minimum level of risk. Since the bear is quite the pessimist and does not believe stocks and bonds will rise there is 'safe' investment on his part. So i asked my lecturer is it good to be a bull or a bear? He said both has its advantages and disadvantages. 

You can easily liken the bull and bear situation to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is about taking risk which lies more on the 'bull' side of the spectrum. But even if you are a 'bear' you can gradually teach yourself to take some calculated level of risk. Because though bulls often crash and burn, they are also the ones who reach icon status. Even if you do not want to be an icon or multi-billionaire or whatever. You still have plans to be a successful entrepreneur who does not have to worry about money anymore and is making a real impact in society. Therefore it is imperative to get your bull instinct right even if you are a bear.

To develop your bull instinct you don't have to discard any crazy/silly idea that comes to mind that you feel can help people. Our minds have been trained to immediately discard certain thoughts as garbage and not right therefore we easily forget it even if it can help people.  But guess what, all the great businesses and startups you see all around started as an idea. I imagine how insane the twitter idea was when the founder was telling his friends and family about it. A social  media platform that allows you to communicate in 140 characters or less. I know pre-twitter, many people who were pitched the idea would have said it won't work because people need more than 140 characters to have a meaningful conversation. Ideas are very important, never discard any idea that you have as stupid (especially the ones that can help people and solve a societal problem).

Therefore if you have toss certain ideas off your friends and family and you receive comments like. "I don't think it will work" or "Is there something like that? Or "this looks like a waste of time". By all means seriously consider it because the fact that someone is asking 'whether there is something like that' means your idea is genuine and novel. This is a simple way to tell whether your idea is great because you're investing your time, money and energy you could have used for other things into working on the project. Interesting enough, ideas that everybody hales as great and feasible usually don't work.

 Here are some ways to protect your bear instincts whiles diving into the bull (risk) pool.

• As much as possible try and see whether your idea would solve a social problem. If your idea or startup solves a problem there is a higher chance of sucess
• Bears can also decide to have a plan B in case everything does not go as planned. therefore it would be good to specialise in a field or go the other route of being a professional or an expert. An experts opinion will always in demand. I strongly believe you can be an expert in anything as long as you are willing to do the hardwork
• You can partner with like minded people if you are afraid to go into a venture alone. I recommend partnerships for first timers. Take a cue from tech entrepreneurs on how they are able to come together and create awesome products. Ask your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend to help you with some of the mundane task and rally your family and friends around your startup/idea.
• Don't give up if the first attempt at a business or a startup fails. Believe it or not a startup that fails is actually normal. If your startup succeeds at the first attempt and becomes a huge success, that is rather abnormal. Worry more about your startup making an impact and find creative ways that your business can help people. With entrepreneurship, failure is a steep learning curve which will serve you well as you grow.

So here is an idea i thought of, even though i really enjoy travelling, i hate packing for a trip. Is there a business that specializes in packing your suitcase whiles you're getting ready to travel?

Tamale: My Brief Stopover

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After visiting my friend in Garu, it was time to go back to Lassia, yeah!!1 my same old boring village life after an awesome time backpacking through Tumu Navrongo Paga  Bawku and Garu. Yet there was one place i haven't visited and that was Tamale. But there was a problem. I had run out of money and it was a Sunday whiles school was reopening on Monday (i teach). So i figured i could pass through Tamale en route to Wa. If i get to spend a few hours at Tamale, i can't really say i have stayed there but at least i would have a fair idea of what Tamale looks like. Besides i didn't want to go back the route i came therefore i decided to do a brief stopover at Tamale.

Barrier after Pawlugu where there is fresh farm produce for sale

First there was the taxi ride from Garu to Bawku. At Bawku i sat in a bus enroute to Tamale. Some of the towns worthy of note on the Bolgatanga to Tamale highway are Savelugu, Pawlugu, Wulugu, Wale Wale etc. After a bus ride that took about 2 hours and 30 minutes we made our way to Tamale. 

These pictures were taken whiles the bus was in motion.

Upon arriving at Tamale, it was a little late in the afternoon around 3pm  and i had to continue my journey the same day. The ride from Tamale to Wa my final destination is another 6 hour bus ride therefore i had to get on the Wa bound bus immediately. I got really sad i couldn't explore Tamale the capital of the northern region of Ghana like i wanted to. But i know i would definitely visit another time. Although sad, i was also happy at the same time because in a single day i have been to three different cities in Ghana because my bus passed through Bolgatanga (capital of the upper east) en route to Tamale (capital of the northern region) and i was headed for Wa (capital of the upper west) so that make 3 different cities. I deserve an award...

Tourist site: Nania-Pikworo slave camp

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Pikworo Slave Camp

Pikworo slave camp is located in the upper east region of Ghana near a little village called Nania. The village Nania where the slave camp is located is very close to the town of Paga which is the district capital of the Kassena Nankana west district of Ghana. Nania was a slave camp during the era when the slave trade and slavery was at its height in Ghana. Nania means "a place of cows or cattle" whiles Pikworo means a place surrounded by rocks. The slave camp was started in 1704 by a slave master whom the people called "Baggaw" which literally translates as 'bush man'

Get There 

Pikworo slave camp is near Paga. Upon reaching Paga, there are motorbikes, taxis and mini buses that can be hired to the slave camp. The camp is about 9 kilometres away from Paga.  Paga is quite a developed town therefore it is fairly easy to get there from which ever part of  Ghana one is coming from. Popular towns close to Paga are Bolgatanga and Navrongo. The most popular mode of transport to get to paga is by car/bus. 

Activities

• The main activity at Pikworo is going round the camp with a tour guide whiles he tells you the storied history of slavery and slave trade in the past. There is guided tour of various sections of the camp. That is the kitchen, sleeping areas, punishment rock, cemetary etc.
• For a little tip, the tour guides can perform to you the way slaves of the past used to sing and entertain themselves. A link is provided here for you to preview how it looks like.

Accommodation/Lodging & Dinning 

Pikworo has no hotel/guest house as well as a restaurant. But since it's quite close to Paga, you can get meals and lodging at there. Paga can be toured in a few hours therefore you can decide to go back to Navrongo or Bolgatanga where there there is a wide variety of hotels and guest houses.

Pictures of the slave camp

Prices

A guided tour around the slave camp cost 5 cedis for Ghanaian nationals and 10 cedis for non-nationals. Kids and students pay different prices. 

NB: All the prices stated are 2014 prices and are subject to change.

Contact

The slave camp has a close connection with the Chief crocodile pond at Paga. You can therefore contact these lines for more information.

+233-244-691-525

+233-244-189-338

No dedicated website yet

Tourist Site: Paga Crocodile Pond

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Paga Crocodile Pond

Paga is located in the upper east region of Ghana and the last major town on the north eastern corridor. It shares a border with Burkina Faso Ghana's neighbour to the north. Paga is the district capital of Kassena Nankana west district of Ghana.

Get There

Paga is quite a developed town therefore it is fairly easy to get there from which ever part of the country one is coming from. Popular towns close to Paga are Bolgatanga and Navrongo. The most popular mode of transport to get to paga is by car/bus. There are buses which move from other major cities in Ghana such as Kumasi and Accra to Navrongo or Bolgatanga and from there you can board a taxi to Paga. There are two main crocodile ponds in Paga but the most popular one is the Chief Crocodile Pond which is located right in the centre of town. A Paga bound taxi drives past the pond therefore its easy to locate it.

Information board and reception area

Front entrance

Activities

The prime activity at Paga is crocodile watching and the interesting nature in which crocodile and humans coexist in a peaceful way. At the pond, you will be allowed to touch the crocodile fave a feel of it scale and hold it tail as well as take pictures with them from different angles.

The pond

 Crocodiles

Another interesting thing you can indulge in at Paga is go to the Ghana-Burkina Faso border which is not very far from the Chief crocodile pond. Even though the official language of Ghana is English, at the border you will here an interesting mix of English, French and the local Kassen dialect which is quite delightful. 

Accommodation/Lodging and Dinning

The Chief crocodile pond has an eatery nearby therefore finding a place for a meal will be no hassle likewise, there are a number of hotels and guest houses in Paga though they are not associated with the crocodile pond. Paga can be toured in a few hours therefore you can decide to go back to Navrongo or Bolgatanga where there there is a wide variety of hotels and guest houses.

Crocodile pond restaurant

Prices

10 cedis for Ghanaian nationals ( prices vary for school kids and non-nationals)

NB: These are 2014 prices and are subject to change

Contact

+233-244-691-525

+233-244-189-338

No dedicated website yet