I have now been in Bolga for a couple of days and am enjoying settling in to this laid back little town. It was quite a journey on the way up, setting off from Kumasi very early after a rain storm and arriving in Tamale in the scorching heat of the early afternoon. The four of us heading on to Bolga took a tro (dilapidated mini-bus) and found that our seat in the back collapsed after every few bumps in the road so it became a balancing act on the metal frame for most of the way! Ouch.

The shop and small business signs along the road provided some entertainment - most are overtly religious such as 'Shepherd Jesus Fast Food' but you get the odd one called something like 'Foxzy Wine Store' or 'Honeymoon Matresses' too!

It felt so good to arrive in my new home, meet my housemates and unpack my things. I have a big room with my own bathroom and the odd bleeting goat roaming around in the garden. I'm living a 10 minute ride outside of town on the road to Zebilla in a quiet place called Kumbosco. The first time I travelled home in a taxi I soon realised that I had no idea where my house actually was, but after spotting the sign for the Eureka Academy (!) and getting descriptions over the phone of key landmarks (such as bumps in the road and certain trees) there is was! Then I met my next door neighbour when I managed to lock myself in the bathroom and had to shout her to come to my house and let me out! So yeah, settling into the neighbourhood nicely.

So far I've popped in and out of the VSO Bolga Office, met the guys at Link Community Development (the partner organisation I am placed with within the Regional Offices for Education) and been getting to know some of the volunteers here who have been fantastic in getting us newbies settled in. As the majority of volunteers are in the less developed northern parts of the country, particularly the Upper East Region where I am, it feels like I am right in the hub of some of VSO's work here - which is exciting and should make it easy to network away in my Advocacy role.

I'm enjoying finding my way round town buying bits and pieces, including my very own sweat-rag - an essential item as I'm lucky if its still below 30 degrees by the time I get up in the morning.

I have received my first spate of mossie-bites and am very itchy in the ankle department. Aside from getting familiar with the local wildlife I've also been getting more familiar with the local food; redred, guinea-fowl, fried plantain, jollof rice and groundnut soup! I'm not so sure that I will be able to stomach the banku (a stringy-slimey okra soup) but I'm sure I will have to eat it sooner or later. Wish me luck!