Cobra

It’s snake season in Kecheibi. I started noticing them about a month ago. Small green snakes squirming under logs and big dark shapes vanishing in the grass. Maybe it’s the colder nights, I see them basking in the late afternoon on foot paths and rocks. A few weeks ago a volunteer in a neighboring village woke up to the thud of rocks on her door and the violent barking of her dog. That’s her story to tell but the long-short of it is there was a Cobra hanging out on her stoop. This sort of thing has happened before; earlier this year a volunteer in my district managed to kill a cobra and a green mamba in his bedroom. Its obvious to me these serpents are crying out for attention. In a country that is positively slithering, young cobras have little elbow room when it comes to being noticed. It’s pathetic really. Last week I had my own visitor, a young black cobra, maybe only five or six feet long, waiting on my stoop. He was no doubt hoping I would let him in. Every time I cracked the door open for a better look at him he would stare back at me with an expectant look. This sort of behavior is normal for adolescents, no doubt he was abandoned by his parents at a very young age – I would be surprised if he ever even knew his own father. But even with troubled youth –especially with troubled youth- you have to be firm. I grabbed my machete (known locally as a cutlass –which I prefer because I sound like a pirate when I say cutlass) and a frisbee which I quickly drew eye-spots on (I wasn’t sure yet whether or not it was a spitting cobra, they aim for your eyes) and charged out the front door, hoping to surprise and corner him. But he was a little quicker than I gave him credit for; he darted over to the compost heap and out of sight. I went back inside and collected myself. But before long the stranger was back at his post, practically begging for my attention. Well, like I said you have to firm, firm and unrelenting, that’s the only way to get through to them. I made a second charge, brandishing the underside of my frisbee with a menacing look on my face, and followed him into the long grass. I haven’t seen him since. I’m not proud. In fact I feel a little empty inside. Maybe I’ll be easier on the next one, you know let him in for a while, make some coffee or something.

Home

Road to Nkwanta

Nkwanta

I Don't Need Anything.......... here's a list

I've been at site for a little over two months now and I'm starting to really get comfortable. My home is coming along, as of today I will have propane for my stove (being able to cook for myself regularly is a big deal). And yes Mom, I'm making plenty of friends here -I'm also figuring out who to avoid. Just in the past week I've met some people that I think will make my work much more productive and enjoyable. Specifically, I met a beekeeper in a nearby village called Ambrose. He's got a 50-box operation and has been successful in getting others into apiculture. His work is in the fledgling stages, and I think I can play a role in vamping up production and securing markets. More on him later... the point is I have plenty of meaningful work for the next two years, and more importantly I've met some capable, forward thinking people. And I've already mentioned my garden project etc. In a lot of ways I will be spending the next two years as a gardener.

I've been pretty persistent so far about not letting my friends waste their money back home to send me things. But now I have a few requests. Mostly I need seeds for my garden. There are plenty of seeds for tropical varieties. but I want to tryout/introduce some new varieties from back home. Don't bother running to the hardare store and sending a box full of seeds. I would much rather people just sent a single packet enclosed with a letter here and there. And I'd be even happier if you chose stock from your own gaardens (ie if you've been growing some giant pumpkins for halloween). Also don't rush, I won't sow anything until february/March. And I will happily plant anything throughout my service. So this is just a standing request. Don't go overboard. Its always hot here and either really wet or really dry. Annual plants should do fine during the wet season, especially if they like a lot of water.

Seeds I'm interested in:
Bushbeans, Large disc/ornamental sunflowers (not the wild types that spread quickly), lettuce (especially "summertime" and "optima" which are heat tolerant), chives, Perrenial Kale, nasturtium, Bell bean, Pinto beans, Sesbania, cowpeas, kiwi, Scarlet runner beans, ALL Herbs (parsely, Oregono etc.), Bread root, goldenberry, Olive, Grapes, red bell peppers, ALL squash/Pumpkins (epecially the kind that will attract attention to my garden), ALL melons (the Coloradoan who can get me some Rocky-Fords will have a special place in my heart). And whatever else you think might grow here.

Also: I get a lot of visitors to my house. Alot of them are young children who love to flip through my field guides. They get really exited when they see pictures of monkeys and antelopes. I've had some success in getting them to read about the animals and in general this has been a great way to start conversations about wildlife. So my second request is for magazine clippings. Specifically about African (or North American) wildlife. Anything you think might spark their interest. The more daring amungst you might send a larger envelope containing a "Ranger Rick"or other wildlife magazine. I could also use a copy of "Reptiles" magazine or a similar publication. My friends here are fascinated by the fact that Obronis keep snakes as pets. Also Gardening magazines would be amazing.

[For those of you insistent on sending larger packages (this should be a short list of people, namely my parents): I wouldn't skoff at a few field guides. Plants, insects, mammals etc. I already have a copy of West African Birds and the National Geographic African Wildlife. But I'm a nerd who likes to ID things -they don't have to have pictures, Dichotomous keys are great too. Use your highspeed internet powers and look around, please.]

Don't stress. I have no particular expectations. I won't be upset if I don't get something from you. But I will be upset if I don't get some letters. So send those at least.

Thanks to all.

-Jon

It's hard to get pictures that aren't all green.

From my porch.

Tiny Praying mantis. She must be an ant mimic.

When I was twelve I spent a lot of time scheming how I would sneak a Savannah Monitor lizard into my house. This one is living in a "Lizard pit" in my front yard. With luck he'll grow 5-6 feet. He enjoys giant land snails, grasshoppers and the occasional smallboy.

Registered Badass Beekeeper Ambrose prepares a hive. He and I will be working together closely. I've known him three days and he is already designing beeboxes witch bamboo (which should reduce the start up cost immensely) -on his own initiative.

From neighboring Tutukpene (50 minutes South on bike)

Kecheibi is at the base of the mountain in this photo




From "Breast Mountain" (specifically the left one) in Kyabobo National Park. About an hour and a half ride from my house.






"Obroni feet"

Forecasting

The rainy season has lasted several weeks longer this year then it has in recent past, according to my friends at Kecheibi. Like many others Nana, my chief, is quick to blame climate change –Africans don’t enjoy the same economic incentives to pretend certain things don’t exist. While I may be more hesitant to jump to certain conclusions I definitely notice the storm clouds rolling through. If there is any way to describe the weather in my little corner of the world I would say it is unpredictable. Though I’ve only been at site for some two months I would have expected to notice some sort of pattern in the almost daily storms passing through. They come from all directions, though more seem to come from the east, forming above the mountains. Half of the time my mountain is blanketed in mist that may or may not come our way (no matter- it makes for gorgeous scenery). I have noticed that storms coming from the north are particularly violent. They come at all times of day and may last for twenty minutes or four hours. It’s almost impossible to tell which clouds will dump and which will sweep through. Some systems are absolutely buzzing; you can’t close your eyes for ten seconds with out feeling another shock of thunder vibrate through the house.
When it’s not raining its hot. Really hot. But being that it’s Africa I won’t elaborate. That’s for the dry season, which should be coming any day now. It’s marked by the Harmatan, a dry wind from the Sahara which makes yam farmers shudder to talk about. But the vegetation around Kecheibi is fairly lush (especially by the river) so I have a feeling we won’t be engulfed in any major dust storms. But as a rule, I’m usually wrong over here, especially when it comes to weather. Also the mango and papaya season are fast approaching, which my nurse informs me, spells for a rapid increase in diarrhea cases. But we all look forward to it nonetheless.
I’m itching to start my garden. I’ve only chanced a few perennial plantings thus far, some fiery flowering bushes and of course my bamboo (which is now growing several inches a day). Other volunteers are gardening happily, but I’m afraid that the approaching dry season would soon desiccate any seedlings, especially annual vegetable crops. And that could be really bad for my credibility as an “Agric” volunteer. But preparations are under way for a PERMACULTURE DEMONSTRATION GARDEN around my house. –If you don’t know what permaculture is, look it up, the definition sounds a bit granolaesque, but it’s founded on solid ecological/social knowledge. It’s the wave of the future (man).
My other projects you ask? Well I think about that all day everyday and my options have been narrowed down only slightly. Kecheibi in a lot of ways is currently in a far more sustainable environmental state than any community I’ve seen back home and, for that matter most of the places I’ve passed through here in Ghana. Fields are left fallow for three or four years after one year of cultivation and mixed plantings are the norm rather than the exception. Heavy machinery is almost non-existent; it’s the gardener’s shadow that provides most of the fertilizer and weed control. There is room for improvement, certainly, but more than anything it will be my job to encourage farmers to hold on to these practices and to help make it more lucrative –which is possible.
One of the most obvious issues here is a lack of wild animals. They have all been eaten. There are few large mammals, there was once a Chimpanzee population –but that’s probably gone, elephants are restricted to a single national park and the only hoofed animals to speak of are small, flighty antelopes known as duikers. I don’t mean to paint the picture too bleak; there are plenty of conservation success stories in Ghana including various sanctuaries for hippos, crocodiles and monkeys. And there remains a diversity of smaller creatures to keep this nerdy naturalist happy. But I have met only a handful of Ghanians who see wildlife as more than tomorrow’s (or rather last night’s) meal. Peace Corps prepared us for this, with a number of alternative livelihood projects featuring animal rearing (grasscutter, rabbits, snails etc.). With some luck and a lot of hard work we may be able to get Kecheibians raising more of their own meat (rabbits). And I’m plotting the rise of a youth wildlife club. Also members of a nearby village have requested my help in building a beekeeping collective (you’ve never tasted honey so good). I also intend to develop a backyard garden project which will include my own permaculture demonstration site and a youth club directed at establishing productive food gardens between people’s homes. The village has already designated a place for my future tree farm and I’m in the process of collecting native seeds, which will eventually be mixed with moringa, acacia and fruit species. I will begin planting the seeds around early March. There are other ideas I’m playing with and the details are too many for today’s post.
Most of this should begin as the dry season sets in, and I hope it will begin to take shape as the rains come again. At least, that is the forecaste.

*Internet was down for a month. Please excuse my lack of posts/communication. But really, I think I’m more consistent about keeping in touch now than I was when internet was virtually free, fast and available*

on Goats

You may have marveled at the grace and agility of a mountain goat or ibex while watching the discovery channel and some of the luckier readers I know have seen the spectacle first hand. While these temperate creatures are incredibly skilled, their athletic abilities don't compare with those of their stumpy-legged, African cousins. Our local variety, the African pygmy goat has been spotted on several occasions riding untethered atop every sort of vehicle. Sometimes traveling at speeds greater than 80k the creatures stand erect on the roofs of trucks, as if surfing the Ghanian highways. I recall one instant where on the last leg of a fourteen-hour journey (covering about 200 mies) my friend and I crammed with 40-some other people into a 30 person bus. After about fifteen minutes on the road the bus stopped so that a whole herd of goats could be hoisted one by one onto the roof. During the ride we would occasionally glimpse a dangling appendage and during sharp turns your could hear the animals stumbling for footing. Some goats will choose to ride by moto (motorcycle), either on the lap of its driver or behind him with its legs flailing as it lays on its back. I have seen one large ram standing confidently on the chassey of a logging truck as it bumbled down a pothole-ridden road. Other animals seem to prefer being stuffed into trunks of taxis and some still travel by traditional means, on top of their caretaker's heads.
The African pygmy goat stands about two to three feet tall, it has short legs and a spherical belly. Some pregnant individuals are clearly wider than they are tall. DEspite their sometimes comical appearance they don't suffer from a lack of self-esteem. Our schedule in Africa is largely dictated by goats. For example, sleeping past 3 am is frowned upon. As many humans have difficulty abiding by this unwritten rule, certain goats will remind these indivduals of thier blunder from outside their windows. Fortunately for us, the pygmy goat is fairly tolerant of humans living in its village. In fact many individuals will actively look out for human well-being. If an approaching vehicle appears to be traveling too fast to be safe, some beneficent individuals will put themselves directly in its line of travel to slow it down, mozying out of the way once the vehicle has come to a complete stop. Some of these animals will go as far as to physically stop cars with their own bodies, gaining them sympathy from the appreciative passengers. Chickens will exhibit a similar behavior, but it seems to be more for their own benefit. A cautious driver will slow down before approaching a cluster of chickens on the side of the road. He knows that one is bound to break from the huddle and dash in front of the vehicle when it is close enough. The most daring roosters will run in front of the car in the same direction, much to the excitement of his onlooking peers.

If your're so inclined

Here is my address:
DISCLAIMER: Please do not send me big packages *it will cost you a lot of money!!!! Unless I request something specifically (in which case you are probably my parents) you are under absolutely NO obligation to send anything (except maybe letters). It is likely I will not receive many parcels for a month or so. Also I know many of you have expressed interest in sending things over for kids like pencils, candy or toys. Most of these items can be had in Ghana (often at a much cheaper price than in the US) and it could end up costing you 3 times an item's worth to ship it here.

So please use this wisely...

J. Trimarco, PCT
Peace Corps/Ghana
P.O. Box 5796
Accra-North, Ghana
West Africa

Excuses

Well... I've been lousy at posting anything substantial on this blog. I won't be writing a descent post today either. I'm sorry but its just been really hard finding time to sit down and write something. I thought communication might actually be easy after about a week in country when we went on our "Vision Quest" which despite its name is not a hallucinogen inspired bout under a warm blanket, but rather a four day visit to another volunteer's site (I was only a little disspaointed). The volunteer we visited (I traveled with another trainee) was down in the southeastern tip of the country, in the Volta region. He had a tree planting project well underway that was no doubt the result of his good relationship with his counterpart and the rest of the community. Myself and the other trainee, we'll call him Leroy because I'm not sure if he's ok with me using his name, shared a mat on the floor for the four nights we were there (for those of you wondering, Ghana's warm enough that we weren't ever tempted to spoon). Our host volunteer, who for the record was a really cool guy, lead us around the area on bikes during the day either to his farm or into a neighboring town which had a market. More stuff happened that was fun.... any way the point is he had internet and great cell service at his site -so I thought, maybe I won't have to worry about talking to people back home that much.... but then we started traveling.
After Site visit Leroy and I caught a "tro-tro" to Accra and then another to Koforidua and then finally Kukurantumi (be sure to tune into to next week's episode: Travelin by Tro or 'how in the world did you get that bruise?'). At Kukurantumi we spent several nights at a hotel and hung out with all the other trainees and attended sessions. It was good... but there weren't many opportunities to talk with you all and I didn't know what to say....
Then we went to our host communities, mine is in a town called Ado Nkwanta that is about an hour by taxi away from Kukurantumi. Its here that we spend our mornings learning language in a church and play football in the evenings with children (yesterday I finally whipped out the boomerang -there was much excitement). I'm staying with a family in a compound right in the middle of town. my room is tucked in the corner, facing our courtyard. Its mostly women in the house -a great-grandmother and four daughters and their children. The women in my house are especially beautiful by any standards which makes refusing marriage proposals all the more difficult. By the way if you ever feel want to feel famous, please don't pursue a career as a rock-musician, just buy a ticket to West Africa. I've made some really great friends at homestay and I'm on the verge of adopting four-to-five of the children (Mom, please make room in the basement for when I come back). ... but that's besides the point- at Ado Nkwanta I'm lucky if I can get cell service and there are no cafes around so any communication has been difficult.
And as you know a week ago I was traveling all over Ghana for environment training. More details on that later... but seriously I'm running out of time so...

One of my colleagues today brought up a good point: it's really difficult to know what people back home think is funny/interesting. Events and mannerisms that I used to think were absurd are perfectly normal now... even after only two months. Its the little things that still make me laugh the hardest, like waking up to a group of kids staring over me making snoring noises or the fact that vultures have a strange affinity for bank buildings or the sound a young goat makes just before he's castrated (ok the goat thing was horrifying--- but still pretty funny). And the most interesting/funny stuff is only really that interesting if you're here... so I guess you should all come and visit (author's note: this is not an invitation to 'internet stalkers').
Missing you all plenty, and there's plenty you're missing.

Jon

Training photo grab-bag

Monastery at Techiman ETC.

Since my last post we have been in technical training, which for the environment group has meant a tour of the Techiman area and its various tree farms and natural attractions. We speant the majority of our nights at a Catholic monastery (most of the pictures are from there). I've had alot of fun with night photography--- I'm a little frustrated with how they look when uploaded- but I hope you can enjoy them nevertheless. We made a brief visit to Ghana's equivalent to the Forest Service... and I was able to speak briefly with some people from INBAR -google it and then imagine my excitement.

Life be good

Da yie

Sunset during "vision quest" in the south Volta

Site visit and other adventures

Maadwo!
not so long ago I arrived in Tamale where we have an office with internet so I'll take a few minutes to update you on what's happening. I realize my posts have been sparse and short and that I havn't engaged in any other forms of correspondance lately --- all I can say is I'm sorry... we're really busy with training and it seems we are always travelling, plus there aren't many places to access internet and you ususally have to pay by the minute. Please forgive me. I will have more time to write letters (the old fashioned kind) by candlelight when I settle into my Volta home...

...My Volta home: I'm situated in the northern Part of the Volta region in a small community known as Kacheibi, outside of Nkwanta (just google map it). To the east of me are 'mountains' or rather one very long ridge that I have yet to trace to its southern extent. To the west is more forest (I presume) up to the famous Lake Volta. Ecologically I'm in the 'transition zone' there is seasonal forest all around me with larger (more rainforesty) trees growing along a stream that runs on the eastern edge of the village. My town has about 2500 people of various tribes but most everyone speaks Twi, English or Twinglish. It is not like a typical Ghanain village in that the homes are not stacked on top of one another. My town is basically one big garden. My house is enormous. I have two bedrooms that open to an enclosed porch/sitting area, a bathroom (the restroom is outside) a dining room and a kitchen. I share a wall with another dweller by the name of Chaz... we've decided our little complex will be known henceforth as the 'bachelor-pad'. The pad looks out onto a teak plantation and just beyond that is a school complex with several 'football' fields. In the moring I wake up to the sounds of schoolkids singing and I am serenaded to sleep by the bats living in my attic--- what a life

Also the chief of my village has given me a new name:

Ekienyi "who knows what tomorrow will bring"
Also many Ghanians know me by the day I as born, tuesday. -Kwabina
making my full name Kwabina Ekienyi Jon Stefan Trimarco the First

Waterfalls near Koforidua

I need to make a bamboo tripod

A few minutes in Koforidua

Hey all! In transit I found a chance to use an internest cafe... I don't have any pictures with me but I will post some next time.

We just took a trip to some waterfalls here in the Eastern Region -it was pretty much the quintessential tropical waterfall experience (well almost- the water isn't safe to touch). I know some of you are wondering how I'm doin ---- all I can really say is..... I'm in an African Rainforest, surrounded by beautiful, genuinely good-natured people, and there are lizards everywhere....

I'm currently training in the kukurantumi area which is a few hours north of Accra. Its in the 'mountains' -so its forested - well it used to be, but there are still patches here and there that I like to hiuke around through, and alot of the really big trees are left standing (some must be close to 175 ft).

My health... I've had a gut-twisting battle with one of Africa's bugs so far... but honestly it was really good it happened because now being sick here just isn't as scarry. I'm suprised by how comfortable I am here.

Thanks for all the support back home -
Love... from Africa

Quick Update

I'm in Accra for a few minutes while in transit from the south eastern tip in the Volta region (where we had our amazing 'vision quest') to Kukuramtumi where most of training will continue. Its been a week but it feels like a year. Soooooo Happy.

Well... here goes nothin.

August 2008- Spelunkin' deep Colorado -the day I got hooked. Left Jon Trimarco, Middle Gordo' Farrel, Right Steven Hoppe. "take a bad-ass shot" ~Calender in the works.

Summer 2009- Awesome storm in transit to bird count site near Walsenburg Colorado -ya shoulda been there

Summer 2008, Sunrise Wyoming -Field work for Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory-

Summer 2009, sunrise in the Colorado plains -field work for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

Hey everyone this is my first post....

umm I'm goin to Ghana on June 1st and I'm gonna try to keep this updated as much as I can. I will check this blog more than anything else, so this may be my best means of communication.

-Jon