Jamestown, Usshertown, and Rockefella's, Osu

I spent Sunday taking a stroll once again through Jamestown and Usshertown. Starting from the chaotic Tema Station (see previous post) I walked down towards the High Street that follows the coastline westwards. It’s an interesting stroll that took me past the sculptured grounds of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the very impressive looking Supreme Court buildings, and far less impressive looking magistrates’ courts. On my stroll I also spotted a lorry delivering bathrooms by a company very pleasingly named “Van Gend & Loos”. Was this a coincidence or has someone actually made a toilet-based pun from arguably the European Court of Justice’s most important constitutional case (Van Gend en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen (1963),Case 26/62)?

During my stroll I enjoyed a small bag of ice cream from a street vendor. You’ll spot men pushing along small crate on the front of a bicycle. These are full of tiny plastic bags full with ice cream and frozen yoghurt. They’re tasty and only cost 1 cedi (20p).

As I got further towards the lighthouse Usshertown became more and more interesting. There are lots of old colonial buildings, now mostly wrecks, in which fantastic murals have been painted and kids play football. There are also a number of boxing clubs around, and you can see teenagers sparring outside. Opposite the lighthouse is a large playing field, which seems to be a popular venue for hosting funeral celebrations. Both times I have been down to the lighthouse I have seen crowds of people on the field, dressed in red and black, dancing and generally looking like they are having a good time.

Once at the lighthouse, I clambered down the steps onto the beach in front and rested in the shade of the friendly (though somewhat dilapidated) Jaynii Beach Bar. Just as I was making my way up the stairs I suddenly heard shouts of “Obruni! Obruni!”* I looked over and saw a crowd of small children running towards me. Unlike the kids I had encountered last week, who approached me cautiously, like a creature to be feared (see post entitled 'Jamestown'), these ones had no such trepidation. Before I knew what was happening, they had flung their arms around my legs and were jumping up and down shouting and laughing. One of them then held his hands in front of his face and started miming taking a photo. Obligingly, I took my camera from my bag and the kids immediately lined up and started practicing their poses. They then crowded around to see the finished product on digital display and looked very pleased with themselves. Here they are:

Later on, I headed to Osu to meet up with new friends and watch the World Cup Final. We went to a bar called Rockefella’s, just off of Oxford Street on 6^th Street (opposite the petrol station, just past Sarah’s Fabrics). It’s a really nice place to relax, with an outdoor seating area, which on Friday night was crowded around a large screen TV showing the match. I had already eaten before arriving but soon wished I hadn’t. Rockefella’s is, surprisingly, a sushi restaurant, and the sushi looked great. Accra’s restaurant scene is turning out to be far more cosmopolitan than I had anticipated!

* “White person! White person!”