It is a tree like no other, the baobab. A symbol for the African savanna, with its massive trunk and flaky crown. In Burkina Faso, they harvest the baobab leaves, dry them and put as flavoring into soups. The fruits, however, had until quite recently been completely unchartered territory to me. One afternoon in Zebilla,Continue reading “the baobab fruit (mid-April)”
Tag Archives: traveling
when temperatures lose sense (mid-April)
About halfway through our fieldwork period, I got sick. Fever, sore throat, aching joints. I was doing OK during our last days in Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso, only feeling a bit faint, but after the bumpy ride across the border down to Zebilla in Ghana, the sickness got a proper hold in me. Just standing upContinue reading “when temperatures lose sense (mid-April)”
a hipster side of Tamale (mid-April)
After about a week on my own in Accra, I was joined by colleagues from other teams in the project that I am working in: two from Montpellier, France, one from London, two from Washington State, US – and so, with huge bags full of machines and equipment, we boarded a flight to Tamale. Tamale isContinue reading “a hipster side of Tamale (mid-April)”
off-duty activities in Accra (beginning of April)
It is strange, considering how much time I’ve spent in tropical climates, how much the heat of Accra affected me. I was fine walking around from office to office, sitting in waiting rooms with squeaking, barely spinning fans – but the moment I decided I was done for the day, it was like I lostContinue reading “off-duty activities in Accra (beginning of April)”
crafty slow Saturday (April 2)
Once we were safely back in Monrovia after our adventures in rain forests and on thunderous oceans, I spent an entire day lying on the enormous bed in mom’s guestroom. With the air conditioner set on a comfortable 26 degrees Celsius and me smelling faintly of lavender soap, not sweat and mosquito repellent and oldContinue reading “crafty slow Saturday (April 2)”
on the shores of Santa Cruz (March 28)
A two hour boat ride from Greenville lies a small fishing village called Santa Cruz. In a colorful Fanti boat named Joshua, mom and I went there to spend an afternoon on the beach. And I don’t know if I’ve ever been in a more relaxed setting. The otherwise aggressive Atlantic Ocean was made calmContinue reading “on the shores of Santa Cruz (March 28)”
Greenville – a tour (March 28)
Greenville is a small town on the central/south-east coast of Liberia. There’s a shopping street where you can buy fabrics and knock-off cosmetics, a small fish market, a harbor full of colorful Fanti fishing boats, children, and a big UNMIL base. And that’s about it. There isn’t even a proper restaurant. But there’s a charm,Continue reading “Greenville – a tour (March 28)”
amphibian safari (March 27)
We didn’t see any monkeys in Sapo National Park, even though we heard both chimpanzees and Diana monkeys. We barely even saw any birds, through all the leaves and moss. Plenty of insects, and some bats scared us half to death when they flew out of a tree by the river, but that’s about it.Continue reading “amphibian safari (March 27)”
the butterfly expert that never was
There were barely any flowers at all in Sapo National Park, probably because it was in the end of the dry season – but the butterflies were everywhere! Huge, colorful, blue, orange, black, yellow. But so flighty. Not one allowed me to get close. I wish I’d had my telelens. It’s great for photographing skittishContinue reading “the butterfly expert that never was”
traces of an elephant (March 27)
At the edge of the Sapo base camp clearing, there was a small mound with several small saplings growing out of it. Augustin pointed it out to me and said: “That is a pile of elephant dung. They wander through here on their way up to the mountains”. I was baffled, amazed at the thoughtContinue reading “traces of an elephant (March 27)”
Katja Malmborg 