Best of Accra

I have to admit that, on first arriving in Accra, I wasn’t all that impressed. It just seemed, to me, to be just another charmless and chaotic African metropolis. However, in the weeks I’ve been here Accra has really grown on me and I am now sad to leave. Of all the cities I’ve been to in sub-Saharan Africa, which include Khartoum, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, if I were to be based long-term in any of these cities, Accra would certainly be my top choice. It may not be the most beautiful city in the world, and the appalling traffic - which can make the shortest of journeys a real ordeal  - is a real downside, but Accra is a whole lot of fun. Here is a rundown of what, in my opinion, are Accra’s best bits.

By Day…

I have to be straight with you, I’m afraid that I didn’t bother making a trip to the National Museum after hearing from friends that it probably wasn’t worth the trip. Guide books will tell you to take a trip up to the University of Ghana in East Legon, or a trip around Black Star Square or the Kwame Nkrumah memorial. I’m not sure about any of this advice. The University is in nice leafy grounds, but is probably not worth the long tro-tro journey through Accra’s traffic, unless of course you are heading over to visit friends, need to use the library, or are heading out to enjoy Legon’s nightlife.  Black Star Square, to me, was a brief photo opportunity and really not the most interesting of memorials. I felt the same way about the Kwame Nkrumah memorial, though the leafy grounds do provide a nice respite from the surrounding chaos of Old Accra.

I would also avoid frequenting the Centre for National Culture – not actually a “cultural centre” as we might understand but a tourist oriented market selling tatty souvenirs, African masks, drums and beads. Unless you have your heart set on a mask or a drum (in which case it is worth a visit), the levels of hassle is not worth the effort. A casual look around will result in you feeling completely worn out.

So that’s the stuff you might want to skip. Here is the stuff I really enjoyed:

1. Makola Market. I had a huge amount of fun shopping in Makola Market, chatting with the vendors, and browsing for fabrics. I’ve dedicated a whole post to this (see my July post ‘Fabric Shopping’). You could, and indeed I did, spend hours there. Makola Market is the best place I’ve found in Ghana to buy fabrics and designing outfits and getting them made extremely cheaply is some of the best fun you can have in Ghana.

2. La Beach. OK, so you’ll get a degree of hassle from vendors, but it’s all pretty harmless and everyone is very friendly. La Beach certainly lacks the breathtaking beauty of some of Ada (see post ‘Ada Foah’) and the spots in the west of Ghana (posts on this to come), but its Accra’s most accessible beach and the blasting reggae, chilled out vibes, and tasty fish restaurants does make this an enjoyable way to spend the day. See my July post ‘La Beach'.

3. Aburi. OK, so it’s not strictly speaking in Accra, but it’s only an hour outside and the views back to Accra are spectacular. The botanical garden is a lovely escape from urbanity. See my July post ‘Aburi'.

4. Jamestown and Usshertown. The oldest neighbourhoods of Old Accra are certainly the most interesting and definitely worth a visit. The lighthouse, the focal point of the neighbourhoods isn’t much to write home about (though, given I visited with a broken ankle I didn’t climb to the top so cannot comment on the view), but the fishing village at its base makes for worthwhile exploring (see my dedicated post on Jamestown). Usshertown is home to a variety of crumbling colonial buildings, many of which are now adorned by fascinating murals.

5. Swimming. Accra is hot, sweaty, humid and crowded. Taking a dip is therefore welcome relief, but swimming at La Beach is not advised due to rip tides and strong currents. Luckily, most upmarket hotels allow day use of their pools, where you can bask in the African sunshine and get some exercise. I used the pool at the Golden Tulip and I recommend it highly. The Golden Tulip is well located near 37 tro-tro station and the pool costs 40 cedis (£6) for day use. The pool is very clean, the changing rooms are immaculate, sun loungers and towels are available, and on the Saturday I visited there were very few other patrons. There is also an extensive food and drink menu, should you get peckish.

By Night…

I have to admit that it’s really Accra by night, rather than by day, that I’m sad to be leaving. There is an enormous amount going on when the sun goes down. Here are my favourites:

1. The Alliance Française. On both occasions that I frequented the Alliance, it did not disappoint. Both experiences were very different but equally enjoyable, and I have dedicated previous posts to them. The Alliance is probably Accra’s best live music venue and its website contains listings of up and coming events. Events are carefully selected. There is also a restaurant on site. I didn’t eat there, but it all (especially the pizzas) looked pretty delicious.

2. +233 Nightclub. Like the Alliance, this is good fun. There is a passable restaurant serving pizzas, burgers, and seafood, but all the outdoor tables are arranged around a stage where live bands play. The atmosphere at +233 is great. See my dedicated post.

3. Republic Bar and Grill. Skip the food (with the notable exception of the very tasty cassava chips) but make sure you try their hibiscus infused cocktail, the Kokoroko. Happy hours are fun on Monday and Tuesday evenings (5-8pm) but it really gets going on a Friday night, when people overflow into the streets and DJs and dancing are plentiful.

4. Afrikkiko. Opposite Flagstaff House this complex has a number of outlets. Owing to my broken ankle, I never attended the Wednesday salsa nights, but I’ve heard good things. I have however enjoyed Café Dez Amis on a Friday night, which is another pretty good live music venue (though call ahead to check – some of the music can be a bit cheesy).

Hungry?

Ghana isn’t really a place you visit for the food and after a while you might get a little fed up of the local staples of fufu, banku, and kenkey, which are all pretty heavy. Luckily, there are some really great places to eat in Accra, although all are expensive by local standards (though not when you consider how much you might spend eating out in the UK).

1. Rockefella’s. This Osu eatery is the best restaurant I’ve found in Accra (see separate post for directions and more information). The menu is enormous  - normally a bad sign – but everything my friends and I tried was delicious. However, the real draw is the fantastic sushi – some of the best I’ve ever had – made fresh on site by a Japanese sushi chef. Get a group together and enjoy the Bridge Platter of tasty rolls and salmon and tuna sashimi (200 cedi/£40). The cocktails are also not bad and shisha is also available.

2. Mamma Mia. Also in Osu, Mamma Mia serves up tasty Italian style thin crust pizza for around 30-40 cedi (£6-8). The grilled seafood platter is also very good, and extremely good value, given how much you might pay for lobster at home.

3. Khana Khazana. This tiny Indian-run restaurant, located at the back of a petrol station, is far better than you might expect from its modest exterior. All the curries are great, as are the breads. Just avoid anything milk based (eg raita or lassis) – fresh milk is hard to come by in Ghana. Condensed milk is generally used instead. 

The Golden Tulip, Mamma Mia and the Alliance Français

By Saturday I was in need of some rest so decided to spend the day at a pool where I could swim safely (La Beach is not recommended for swimming owing to strong currents and rip tides). Most of Accra’s hotel swimming pools are open for day use for a fee. I headed to the Golden Tulip, not far from 37 tro-tro station.

The Golden Tulip’s pool is calm, uncrowded and very clean, and the changing rooms are immaculate. At 40 cedis (£8) for day use, it is a bit on the pricey side but worth it if you are spending the whole day there. There is a menu with plenty of choice of food and drink for those who spend all day (prices range from 20 – 70 cedis). There are also sunloungers to relax in with a book, and towels are available free of charge.

Next I headed into Osu to meet some colleagues for dinner. Needing a break from red red and plantain, we headed to Mamma Mia, Accra’s best Italian restaurant, for delicious thin-crust pizza (around 30 cedis / £6) and mouth watering fresh lobster, prawns and calamari (70 cedis / £14).

Afterwards, as the Alliance Français had been such a success on Friday night (see previous post), we headed back there for a hip-hop concert, featuring artists from all over Africa. It blew away all expectations.

Friday night’s entertainment had been upbeat and fun, but pretty mellow and not too crowded. I had been expecting the same thing on Saturday, but was hugely mistaken. The place was packed out. You could barely move for people bouncing up and down with excitement. We had been expecting a showcase of relatively little known artists. It turned out that the line up featured some of Ghana’s, and indeed Africa’s, biggest contemporary rappers. Everyone knew the words. Girls were screaming with excitement.

We could soon see why. The quality of the hip-hop on offer was great. I will definitely be looking up some of the artists on Spotify when I get home. E.L., Gemini, Shaker, M.anifest, Sarkodie, Sargo, Kojo Cue, PK and C-Real are a few names I will definitely be taking away with me.

Alliance Français

This weekend I sought out more live music, this time heading to the Alliance Français on Friday night. AF Accra hosts occasional music performances which, being carefully selected, don’t disappoint.

The AF is both a restaurant and a concert venue, with amphitheatre style seating arranged around a reasonably sized stage. Friday’s cover, at 10 cedi (£2) was a bargain, and the music was great.

Two bands were playing, Akablay and Zohzoh. Akablay, a guitarist, is a Highlife musician who blends west Ghanaian music with east African rhythms. He was great, but it was Zohzoh who stole the show. Zohzoh’s up-tempo grooves, complete with dancers, filled the place with energy. The music was a blend of Fela Kuti inspired Afrobeat and James Brown style funk. In no time at all everyone was dancing – including myself, broken ankle and all. 

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!”

Fabric Shopping

I had it on good authority from a number of friends who have previously lived in or visited Ghana, that some of the best fun you can have in the country is having clothes made at a fraction of the price you would spend at home. A large part of the fun comes from browsing the many gorgeous batik fabrics on offer (patterned cloths made using wax to build up blocks of colour) for which Ghana is so famous. Find yourself a seamstress/tailor and ask them to recommend how much fabric you need for your particular items in advance of buying. As a rough guide (though this will very much depend on your size), two yards should make a shirt or skirt, two-three yards should make a short dress. For a very long dress you might need four yards, to be on the safe side.

Having had a seamstress recommended by one of my colleagues, and having a few items in mind, I decided to dedicate Saturday to fabric buying, so that I would have enough time to get everything made before leaving (it can take a seamstress around a week to make a dress, and then sometimes several fittings are then required to make sure the fit is perfect). I jumped in a tro-tro and headed into Old Accra.

If you take a tro-tro to Accra it is likely you are going to disembark at the chaos that is Tema Station. It’s a maze. It is probably better not to try and understand it, but just go with the flow. There are people absolutely everywhere, tro-tros everywhere and vendors all over the place selling all sorts. There is an overpowering smell of sweat, petrol, sewage and smoked fish, which you will find for sale just about everywhere, glistening in yellow oil.

At the far end of the station a small rocky path will take you out into a market place. Just about everything is on sale here and is worth taking a quick look around (though be warned people in this area do not approve of photo-taking). Keep moving quickly, though, or else you’ll be jostled to the side by ladies carrying enormous loads balanced on their heads. The market sells fruits, fish, homewares, basic provisions like toothpaste and washing up liquids, clothes, and just about everything else (in the tro-tro home the woman beside me had purchased an actual kitchen sink). There are also a fair few fabric stalls to browse, selling materials by the yard. These are good options for fabric buying if you only need a yard or two. However, for more choice head to Makola Market…which is just what I did.

Makola Market is a short walk away from Tema Station. It covers an enormous area and is made up of both outdoor stalls and several blocks of shops. Again, just about everything you could need is on offer here. I was even confronted by a man selling rodent killer and who demonstrated his product’s effectiveness by waving in front of my face two dead mice tied up on a piece of string. Lovely.

Makola Market is centred around Makola Square. You’ll know it by the huge concrete arch in the middle (it looks a lot like half a giant McDonald’s “M”). Immediately around the big arch are lots of stalls selling clothing, bangles, soaps, homewares etc, as well as a few restaurants to sit and enjoy a drink when Makola gets too much. I passed a stall selling Christian music CDs. Strangely, rather than playing gospel, this particular stall was blasting Johnny Cash through its speakers. I’m not entirely convinced that “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die”, is entirely the Evangelical message!

If you pass through the big arch and through the square you will find yourself surrounded by shopping streets which, again, can be quite overwhelming. If you are after fabrics you want the shops directly in front of the square. Here you will find warehouses stacked from floor to ceiling with beautiful fabrics of every colour of the rainbow and every possible design.

I found myself browsing the warehouses for several hours, chatting away to all the salesladies as I went. One lady asked me if I would be interested in marrying her son; another asked me my Twi name;* another explained to me all about funeral fabrics;** and another, on discovering I was British, proceeded to ask me just why the Queen refused to abdicate and made it quite clear she hadn’t been a fan of the royal family since the death of Princess Di.

After several hours of browsing and chatting I finally settled on a selection of fabrics with which I intend to make a couple of dresses and a trouser suit. If you do buy fabrics in Makola, be aware that most of the stuff on offer at the warehouses (where you will get by far the biggest selection) are wholesale only. This means you’ll have to buy a minimum of six yards of each piece. There are a few places selling by the single yard but with nowhere near as big a selection. Given the choice on offer, I would advise buying direct from the wholesaler. Six yards comes in at around 30-35 cedis (around £6-7). If you buy per yard, this is normally around 10 cedis (£2) per yard anyway, and if you need 3 yards for a dress, buying in bulk from the wholesaler doesn’t cost you too much more.

For anyone who wants to shop in a more relaxed atmosphere, free from smoked fish and mice on string, there are a couple of places in Osu that you could try. Woodin’s on Oxford Street stocks a range of high quality fabrics and readymade items. You can also find some very beautiful designs in a small store in Oxford Street Mall. Sarah’s Fabrics on 15^th Street, just off Oxford Street (opposite the petrol station at the northern end) doesn’t stock batik, but is a good place to pick up lining and also raw silk in a variety of colours, should African print not be your thing.

* In Ghana, many people are named according to the day on which they were born. I was born on a Friday, so my Twi name is Efia.

** When someone dies, it is customary to have a whole new outfit made for the funeral, typically in the colours red and black.

+233 Jazz Club

It was my second Friday night in Ghana and after a week of working on reports in to LGBT rights, disability in Ghana, and the Ghanaian Constitutional Review, it was time to relax and try and find some live music to enjoy.

We succeeded.

A few colleagues and I headed to +233 Jazz Bar and Grill (named for some reason after Ghana’s international dialling code) in the North Ridge neighbourhood of Ghana. We had called in advance to check what was on and how much entry was, but didn’t manage to get through. So we chanced it.

+233 is not cheap by local standards, with a cover of 20 cedis (around £4), but is a very pleasant place to spend an evening. It’s entirely outdoors - so avoid when it’s raining and bring mosquito repellent – which means that it’s a great place to enjoy the warm evening breeze. The tables and chairs are arranged around a large stage area, with some space for dancing in the front (although no one got up to dance until around 11pm – primarily this is a place to listen).

+233’s food, though not likely to win any Michelin stars any time soon, provides a break from fufu, kenkey and rice, and my vegetarian pizza wasn’t at all bad. Mains range from around 20 – 55 cedis (£4 – 11) and options range from pizza to burgers to lobster. There is also an extensive cocktail menu (be warned, they are strong).

Friday night’s music, which kicked off around 20.30 wasn’t really jazz – more a selection of old Motown hits and some newer R n B. The band and singers, though, couldn’t be faulted.

All and all, the atmosphere at +233 reminded me of being at a wedding – such was the style of band, arrangement of tables, and awkward shy dancing. Not a jazz club par excellence, but an enjoyable way to spend an evening.

A note on tro-tros

Visitors to Ghana will likely at some point in their visit experience the tro-tro. Tro-tros are large vans and are the main feature of Ghanaian public transport. They are useful for intercity trips, and for travelling out to smaller towns and villages that don’t benefit from a coach service. They also zip around the streets of Accra, on routes that are more or less unfathomable to the uninitiated.

It is likely that wherever you are in Accra, you will be able to get to another part of the city by tro-tro, even if you have to make one or two changes. They pick up passengers from the roadside, and also at tro-tro stations, the most important of which are Tema Station (in Old Accra), 37 bus station and Circle. Other stations include Tudu Station, Medina and Achimota. 

One of the trickiest things about the tro-tro is working out quite where they are going. The conductor, or the "mate", uses a variety of hand signals to indicate its final destination, and passengers also signal where they are going in order to ensure the tro-tro stops. If you are a visitor and are unsure, the best thing to do is just ask around, and flag down any passing vehicle on the off chance it’s the one you want. If you flag down the wrong one, people are very understanding.

So far, I have managed to work out two hand signals. If the mate is moving his hand in a circular motion, the van is heading to Circle. A pointed finger in the air means the van is just going straight ahead. Abelemkpe to 37 station, for example is pretty much down a long straight road, so I look out for fingers pointed to the sky, and do the same myself, so that the tro-tro knows to stop for me. 

Tro-tros are not the most luxurious form of transport around town. They could probably comfortably seat about 10 passengers, but routinely squeeze in around 22. Most are made up of about 5 rows of seats, each of which sit 3 persons on the main seat, and then an additional person perched on a fold away seat in the aisle (these poor souls are then obliged to get out of the van every time someone behind them wants to disembark). Two other people squeeze in with the driver. The fold away aisle seat immediately behind the driver is reserved for the mate – who collects fares from everyone and then gives everyone their change, apparently without any difficulty recalling who gave him what.  

To say  that tro-tros are rickety is an underestimation. Most appear to have been made from two or more vehicles that have been welded together. During Friday morning’s commute, as we were pulling away from the kerb and the mate was sliding the door closed, the door completely fell off, leaving the driver hanging on to it out of the window while the entire vehicle shouted for the driver to stop. The driver did stop, and the mate - apropos of nowhere - magically produced a large piece of rope and tied the door to a bar on the roof. And off we went.   

Given the limited levels of comfort, and limited levels of vehicle safety (there are no seatbelts on a tro-tro), you may wonder why anyone would ever get in one. The answer is cost. Tro-tros are cheap. The tro-tros around the city have so far cost me between 0.50 and 1.30 cedis (between £0.10 and £0.25). They also, in many respects, feel much safer than getting in a taxi with a driver you don’t know. The presence of a whole van of people looking out for you is very appealing. However, anyone travelling with lots of luggage, or who is taking a long journey and is a fan of leg room, may wish to avoid them. 

La Beach

Being God’s day of rest, a lot of Accra’s shops and museums close on a Sunday. So I decided to head out to La Beach, a few kilometres east of the centre of Accra, and easy to get to by tro-tro from 37 station.

I arrived early and took a stroll down the beach. It was still pretty quiet and most beach bars were still setting up. The beach has a long stretch of sand, more or less covered in parasols and tables and chairs belonging to the many restaurants. The sea seems pretty rough here and I wouldn’t recommend swimming.

I settled down in a comfortable looking spot and relaxed with a book. Within an hour, once church services were over, the beach really started to liven up. The restaurants were quickly filling up, small children were enjoying pony rides along the sea front, boys were playing beach football, and surfing lessons were up for grabs. I was content to simply read my book.

Visitors to the beach will not want for food and drink options. I opted for Vienna City Beach restaurant, simply because it had a huge, comfortable indoor area where I could shelter when the rain inevitably came. The food wasn’t bad, though a little pricey at around 30 cedis for a main (around £6). The red snapper was tasty and fresh, and served up completely whole (eyes and all) on the plate. Avoid the bread (or better yet, ask them for no butter – which is pretty grim tasting margarine).

The down side of a trip to the beach is you’ll find it difficult to find a spot for quiet contemplation. Even early on a Sunday afternoon music blares from all the restaurants, sometimes aggressively so. Apparently Wednesday night is the time to visit the beach. Given how buzzing the beach was on a Sunday, I wonder just how loud it gets on a Wednesday.

There are a number of vendors ploughing the beach, mostly selling paintings, shell jewellery and wood carvings. As a result it is impossible to go to the beach without experiencing some hassle to buy. However, most of those selling are so very amiable in their approach that the hassle really isn’t too bad at all. In fact, from time to time I enjoyed the company and conversation.

Jamestown

 My first weekend in Accra and an opportunity to get out and about and see a bit of the city. But before that, I had to stock up on some essentials and so headed, with my host, Odette, to buy some fruit at the market. This was, hands down, the best looking fruit stall I have ever seen, and I came away with as many mangos and avocados as I could manage – as well as this hitherto unknown delight. Is it a prickly pear? I’m not sure.

Ben had kindly agreed to being my Jamestown tour guide for the day and we were planning on setting off on my first day of sightseeing at 1 o’clock. Unfortunately, the day was delayed somewhat when the car failed to start, resulting in Ben peering into the bonnet and playing around with some very unsafe looking copper wires (I couldn’t watch). My concerns, however, seemed misplaced as Ben eventually got the car going without injury and we headed into town, with the aid of some friendly passersby who gave the car a push to help us on our way.

Our first stop was Nkrumah Circle (known locally as plain old “Circle”), a bustling transport hub and a major junction where the Ring Road meets the main North-South road heading through the Old Town. As well as being a major landmark, taxi rank and bus station, Circle is the place to get fixed whatever you might need fixing, and we made our way through a labyrinth of electronics shops to a shady looking shack where I hoped to get my phone unlocked so that I could get a Ghanaian SIM card. This didn’t seem to be a problem and I handed my phone over with instructions to pick it up later.

We headed next to the Jamestown Lighthouse, stopping on route at another electronics store in a Jamestown alleyway so that Ben could drop of his TV for repairs. As Ben saw to his errands, I waited outside and was quickly surrounded by a small crowd of young children who were clearly fascinated by the obruni (white person) standing outside their house. After lots of pointing and staring from afar, one of the older kids finally plucked up the courage to come closer to me and ask me my name. Assured then that I was friendly, I was quickly engaged in conversation with Kofi, Gladys, Yasmine and several others who, although were told several times that I was from Britain, were absolutely convinced that I was from India on account of my diamonte nose stud.

My first impression of Jamestown, one of the oldest parts of Accra, was that it was a world away from the quiet, immaculate avenues of Abelemkpe (see earlier post on “First Impressions”). Jamestown’s small alleyways are teeming with people, shops and cars. It is quite a full on experience for the uninitiated and, had I not been with Ben, I certainly would have struggled to find my way around. A high proportion of poverty is evident from the slums, but amongst the shacks rise some rather beautiful Victorian buildings, even if most are in a state of disrepair. It is certainly a characterful neighbourhood.

We headed down to the red and white lighthouse on the sea front. The, still working, lighthouse was built in the 1930s, but a lighthouse has stood on that spot since the nineteenth century. On account of my broken ankle, as well as a general dislike of spiral staircases, I declined Ben’s suggestion to climb the 90ish steps to the top (even though there is apparently a great view from up there). Instead we headed downhill to the fishing community at the base of the lighthouse, in the shadow of James Fort, a colonial era prison that is currently closed to the public (though is apparently opening as a museum very soon).

The fishing community, though plainly impoverished, is worth taking a stroll around for two reasons. First, because of the warmth of the community members and second to get a view of the colourful canoes, tangled up in fishing nets, that blanket the shore. Ben and I walked through the slums, past women selling delicious looking red snapper, out towards the ocean to watch the fishermen coming in. They work from very long, narrow canoe boats that are delightfully painted and, as with everything else in Ghana, endorsed with a passage from the Bible, a psalm or a simple religious message. I also saw men at work carving the canoes. They are made from enormous single pieces of wood. Each one is carved by four or five men, and takes around two weeks.

From the lighthouse we drove through the busy streets of Jamestown, past the heaving Makola Market to the Centre for National Culture, which rather than being a cultural centre as I would understand it, is really a craft market selling items like wood carvings, djembe drums, tribal masks, woven fabrics, and some lower-end souvenirs like bangles  and Black Star football shirts. Unfortunately, owing to our car difficulties (which lingered on throughout the day – every time we restarted the vehicle we had to enlist the help of obliging others in giving us a push) we got to the Centre rather late in the day when most stalls were closing up. Despite this, there was still a degree of hassle to buy, albeit mostly non-aggressive and friendly.

Before jumping back in the car, Ben and I stopped to pick up snack of corn-on-the-cob, freshly roasted by the side of the road. Corn-on-the-cob in Ghana tastes rather different to corn-on-the-cob at home. The corn is smaller and much sweeter and is delicious eaten with a small piece of coconut. I told Ben that at home corn-on-the-cob is often eaten with butter. This was not only met with disbelief but with Ben nearly lying crippled on the floor rolling with laughter. Such is the absurdity of barbequed corn with butter, apparently.

On our drive through town I had noticed several funeral gatherings taking place. I was already aware that funerals are a very big deal in Ghana and that after a person’s death several “celebrations” take place, including a “celebration of life” one week after the death and a funeral service later on. The funeral gatherings were easy to spot: crowds of immaculately dressed people decked from top to toe in red and black. Apparently before attending a funeral it is customary for mourners to buy brand new red and black special funeral fabric and have it made into a new outfit. However, at one point we passed a huge gathering of people all dressed in matching white and blue outfits. I asked Ben if that was a wedding.

          “No”, he explained. “This is a funeral too. But the person who died was over 90 years old. To live so long makes a person very blessed. So we don’t wear black, we wear red to celebrate the person’s good fortune.”

          That to me sounds like a very nice idea. 

Republic, Osu

Accra is renowned for its nightlife. Having a broken ankle I wasn’t particularly keen on going dancing, but I was keen to sample the bar scene that Accra is now famous for. So I joined my colleagues for drinks after work.

It seems that Friday is the day that Ghanaian office workers shun formal office attire in favour of traditional African dress. This meant that everyone in the office looked absolutely brilliant. Next to the colourful prints and impeccably tailored, sculptured dresses, my black skirt and navy shirt looked drab to say the least. Nevermind. That wouldn’t stop me going out, especially when I had France v Germany to tune into, and a host of brand new work-mates to get to know.

So I went with a number of my new colleagues into Osu. Osu is the best place in the city to find bars and restaurants. We all settled into Republic, a small bar just off of Oxford Street, in the heart of Osu. If any travellers to Ghana stumble upon this blog when looking for recommendations for places to eat and drink, I would heartily recommend Republic to them. Trendy, but extremely laid back, this little red bar with plenty of outdoor seating didn’t disappoint. The staff were friendly, the large outdoor screen satisfied all my World Cup viewing needs, and the hibiscus cocktail was delicious and cheap. And don’t miss the fried cassava. Yum.

Ghana: First Impressions

I arrived in Ghana three nights ago after a pleasant stopover in Istanbul. I spent the trip periodically peering out of the window and marvelling at the size of the red Sahara beneath me. The plane was hot and the windows burned to touch them. Then, suddenly, it was dark. The sun had gone down and as we approached Accra the clouds were illuminated by the flashes of a lightning storm. As someone who is not the best flyer, this was terrifying. Happily, it was soon over and as we landed, the whole plane applauded. I am hoping that this was because the plane was on time, and not indicative of Turkish Airline’s safety record.

To my great surprise, I whizzed through passport control and baggage claim in no time at all, with minimal bureaucracy. Given the levels of bureaucracy involved in getting a Ghanaian visa (see previous post) I was expecting lots of paperwork on arrival, but everything was very simple. For the first time on a visit anywhere, my Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate was demanded at passport control, so visitors should not attempt to get away with entering the country without one.

I was met by Ben, the very friendly manager of the house I am living in. We drove to Abelemkpe, my new neighbourhood. First impressions had to wait, as it was so dark outside I couldn’t really take anything in.

I’m staying in the home of HHJ Barbara Mensah. It’s a huge place – so big I initially thought it was a block of flats. My room is comfortable and after a quick shower I ran outside to join Ben and watch Germany beat Algeria in extra-time. This wasn’t the best start. We’d all been routing for Algeria.

The next day I decided to take it easy. It was Republic Day holiday and so my internship wouldn’t be starting until the following day. Instead of heading off sightseeing I thought I would see how I coped walking around the local neighbourhood – not the easiest task given my broken ankle. But, as soon as the morning rains had stopped pummelling down, I managed to get out and hobble around with the help of a walking stick and my air cast.

When I left the house the first thing I noticed was how green everything was. The streets were lined with immaculate lawns and tall palm trees, and everything is immaculate looking. Of the seven countries I’ve visited in Africa, this must be one of the nicest neighbourhoods I’ve come across.

Abelemkpe is about 6km north of the centre of Accra and is evidently an affluent area, judging by the size of the houses and the numerous Mercedes dotted around. On my little tour, I managed to stumble across an international school, a mosque (which I knew had to be nearby after hearing the call to prayer early that morning) and several churches. The area is also populated with many NGOs. I came across a mental health advocacy unit, an anti-poverty initiative, and the Ghanaian branch of Transparency International.  I picked up some delicious tasting mangoes from a lady selling them from the side of the road (I think I’ll be eating a lot of fruit out here), and also managed to track down my local bars and restaurants.

Here are some of my very initial thoughts about Accra:

The wildlife is pretty cool

The first wildlife I noticed were birds. Absolutely huge birds. They look a bit like large crows, but sort of greying in colour. I’m not sure what they are. There are also a lot of chickens bobbing around, but I’m not sure these really fall into the category of “wild” life.

I saw countless lizards darting around. Most are small gecko or chameleon like creatures, but I saw one that was huge, probably approaching a yard in length. It was black, with bright green and orange stripes. If anyone can identify this mysterious dragon-creature, please comment below. Unfortunately, it ran off before I could get my camera out. 

[UPDATE: One week since writing this post, I have also seen countless truly remarkable butterflies. I am not much of a naturalist, but I wish I had some sort of butterfly handbook with me. Also, on the way to work in the tro-tro, I saw four vultures perched on a wall, near the 37 hospital. They reminded me of these guys 

]

Ghanaians are extremely friendly

Ghanaians seem to have an international reputation for being extremely affable people. Although I generally try to avoid such generalisations, I have to say that so far Ghanaians are definitely living up to their friendly stereotype. Walking down the street numerous people stopped me to wish my broken ankle a swift recovery. I have been made to feel welcome at every turn. And, so far, I have received not a minute of hassle or unwanted attention. Of all the “developing” countries I have visited, Ghana is almost unique in this regard.

In fact, so far I’ve found that people have been so willing to appear helpful, that at times it has caused confusion. Coming home from my first day at the office yesterday, I jumped in a tro-tro rather than taking a cab. Tro-tros are vans that carry about 20 passengers a time. Basically, they are Ghana’s local buses, except that for the uninitiated it is almost impossible to know where they are going, where they have come from, and where they are going to stop. Safely installed in the extremely leaky van, and happy to be out of the torrential downpour, I asked my neighbour, a kindly looking elderly gentleman, if the tro-tro would stop at Abelemkpe. He assured me it did and asked where I was heading to.

“Koi Street”, I replied, in a moment of madness accidentally giving the address of my office instead of my house.

Before I had time to correct him, he had warmly assured me that he knew exactly where I was going and would tell me where to get off. He was eager to please, but evidently unable to assist.

Another example of friendly but ultimately confusing advice came about yesterday, on my first day in the office. It being my first day, not knowing where I was going, and the rain bucketing down, I decided to take a taxi rather than a tro-tro. It took me and my taxi driver a while to find the right street and through the steamed up window I saw a sign saying “Human Rights Office”. That must be it, I thought. I knocked on the door, which was opened by another smiling face.

                “Human Rights Advocacy Centre?” I inquired.

                “Yes! You are welcome! Come in.”

I came in. Was seated in reception and given tea. Great. Safe at my destination, on time and out of the rain. Or so I thought.

I sat in reception for around 40 minutes waiting for someone to tell me what I should be doing and introduce me to the office. As the office filled up, I started to think something didn’t quite add up. Most of the staff seemed to be extremely young, blonde haired, girls. I eventually discovered that this was not the Human Rights Advocacy Centre at all. I had inadvertently stumbled upon some sort of High School Gap Year project. I thanked my hosts for their hospitality and ventured out into the rain. The Human Rights Advocacy Centre was two doors down. 

Time and Distance are relative concepts

I had previously been warned that asking for directions in Ghana can be difficult, as concepts of "very close" and "very far" seem to differ a great deal from what we are used to at home. The same can be said of asking how long something might take. In the past few days, I have discovered this for myself.

Yesterday, a taxi journey I was advised would take no more than 20 minutes took about an hour (though, to be fair, crazy rush hour traffic was also to blame). 

On Tuesday I realised I did not, as yet, have any Ghanaian currency. My first task of the day would be to go to the ATM. I asked a neighbour where the nearest ATM was. 

         "Oh no, it's very far. Wait for Ben to come back and he will drive you. He will be a few minutes." 

An hour later, Ben having not appeared, I asked someone else. 

       "It's very far. Wait here for someone to come and drive you."

After waiting for another hour, I decided to venture out on my own anyway. I located the mysterious ATM about a 10 minute walk away (and that's walking with a broken ankle). Ben came back about 10 hours later. 

Moral of the story: make sure you allow plenty of time for journeys, and take "very far" with a pinch of salt!

Religion is Pervasive

Ghana is a religious country. I was well aware of this before arriving. But what struck me on arrival was just how much religion permeates society, including through highly amusing business names. In my short walk through Abelemkpe and whilst sitting on a tro-tro, I have come across the I Love Jesus hair salon, Jesus is my Saviour guest house, God's Time is Best Time bus stop cafe, Jesus Saves One fruit stall, and My Redeemer bar and grill. This morning's tro-tro was decorated with a bumper sticker displaying a flamboyantly decorated Jesus displaying the "peace" sign. Hopefully he'll help protect me from Accra's traffic...