Local children at the school near the cocoa farm

The local children approached us and were very excited to see us. We were happy to see them as well and they enjoyed seeing themselves on the camera display screen.

Ghana Volunteers

Some of the volunteers I am in Ghana with.

Shukriyaah

Oh how I love cocoa!

Plantain when it is ripe

Before it becomes a Hershey, this is what it looks like.

The inside of the cocoa pod

Here is what the inside of the cocoa pod looks like. It's kind of purplish in color and it tastes like dark chocolate.

Setting cocoa pods out to dry.

Now that the cocoa pods are out of the shell they are laid out to dry.

Aaah the Cocoa!

After the cocoa falls to the crown, the farmer takes a knife and splits it in the middle. Here you will find little white slimey pods.

Yam in the ground

This is a yam. They are found throughout Ghana and often served as part of the meal.

One of the original trees planted on the farm

This tree was planted in 1870.

Plantains and more plantains!

Plantains are plentiful in Ghana. They are everywhere and you can find people selling them everywhere. You can eat then boiled or fried. I like them fried and I love the chips! This plantain tree was one of many at the cocoa farm.

The cocoa bud

This is how the cocoa bud looks at it's earliest stage.

The "Go to Hell" Gardening tool.

When the farmer sees that the cocoa is ready to be picked, he uses the "go to hell" gardening tool to pluck the cocoa from the tree. Once the cocoa falls to the ground it "goes to hell".

This is Theo our Tour Guide

This is Theo our Tour Guide. He runs the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm.

Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm

On Saturday September 25, we visited the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm. Ghana is the second largest producer of Cocoa in the world. That's me next to the tree holding the cocoa. The next few photos will show how the cocoa is produced from start to finish.

Market Day in Accra

These photos are from Market Day in Accra. Everybody gathers to sell all kinds of items. It was beyond crowded and lots to see. As you will see in the photos nothing is exempt from being sold. The women are carrying an array of items on their heads. It is simply amazing to see the weight of the items and their ability to still walk gracefully and with such balance.

We were ambushed in the market with many haggling us to buy their arts and crafts. It was very overwhelming because I liked so many things. They did everything but drag me into their booths. I did walk away with a beautiful neon green outfit which I am sure I will post in an upcoming photo for a special occasion. For now enjoy the photos.