Mole National Park

We got to the national park and reported in. There were safari's by foot of vehicle available, one of the safari vehicles setting out into the park to see some big game.

We set up camp and the wildlife came to us, a warthog, one of a pair and four piglets that wandered through the camp.

A close up of daddy warthog.

Rather than the vehicle safari, I wanted to get up close and went for a foot safari with our armed guide,Sadie with a Lee Enfield so worn that it was probably left over from the First World War

Around a watering hole we found elephant tracks. They make a big mess wherever they go and churn up the ground around every watering hole.

One of the many crocodiles that live in the water.

A vulture.

A grey headed kingfisher...I know this one so Mike can't correct me later...but some of the other birds I may need help to identify correctly.

At last, some big game, a couple of young elephants.

A baboon crossing the road.

A deer, I forget which type.

And another deer or antelope with distinctive horns but again I forget which type.

A monkey...and he is not smoking but regrettably there is a red flower out of focus just to the right of his face so a poor photo but it gives you an idea of the wildlife all around us.

 Another elephant, an old solitary male.

 Another kingfisher.

Our bush camp for the next night was in a government cocoa seed development centre. They grow the best kinds of seeds and give small plants away free to local farmers. It ensures that the cocoa crop is the best in the world. Some cocoa pods. They also export some cocoa themselves.

 The white milky seed inside the pod.

 Mr Charles took us around the centre in person. These are one month old plants.

A photo to show the size of a pod.

 Another photo to show both this years yellow pod ready for harvest and the small green pod growing to be next years crop.

 The boxes where the seeds are fermented so that they can be sold into international markets.

The drying process.

 Nothing goes to waste and the husks are composted for fertiliser and some are taken to be made into soap.

 A mature cocoa plant with a full crop.