Accra, Ghana

 KWAME NKRUMAH

COFFIN MAKING

It didn’t take us long to figure out Ghana was far more prosperous than Benin and Togo.  We had air-con in the coaches for a starter.  Also, on our hour’s drive from the port of Tema, to the capital of Accra, there were large subdivisions of very nice middle-class houses, European car dealerships (I saw more Audi Q7s on the road than on an average day in Ponsonby), and large modern buildings. I’m sure it helps that Ghana has the single biggest gold mine in the world, and is the largest producer of cocoa.  They also have diamonds and oil.  

Probably my most lasting memory of Ghana though, will be the number of peddlers selling things in the middle of the road and motorway.  No wonder traffic was always at a crawl.  Each seller had a specific product. Here is a sample of their wares, and this is no exaggeration: Scrabble; dog collars and leads (haven’t seen a dog since we got to West Africa.  Go to a fetish market and you’ll figure out why); garish religious paintings; bread; newspapers; condoms; lint rollers; tea towels; tissues; sleeping bags; peanuts; suit carriers; full length dress mirrors - in the middle of the road!!; tv aerials; computer software.  And all I wanted was a hot coffee. 

We visited the tomb of Kwame Nkrumah, the man credited with achieving Ghana independence from the British in 1957.  He was overthrown in a military coup in 1966.

We were then dropped off at the Movenpick Hotel for 3 hours where we could pursue our own interests.  Dad, Robin and my interests were of course food and alcohol, so we didn’t need to go far.  The hotel was pretty flash, and like the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, sweetly scented and wonderfully cool.  We started with the best coffee since Singapore, and a slice of cheesecake.  Let’s call that morning tea.  Dad and Robin then had a beer break at the pool bar while I swooned over the fantastic colourful and patterned Ghanian cotton cloth for sale in one of the boutiques.  I did make some purchases, and even bought Robin a shirt - not too loud. We then followed up with a buffet lunch in their popular dining room and more beer to wash it down with.  Amazing how 3 hours can fly by.

No visit to a city is complete without a museum visit (we are finding out).  This is how Accra’s museum was described to us in print: “...one of Africa’s finest. It displays a wealth of historical and artistic treasures with skill and sophistication” (and no air-con).  Let me say, it was a step-up from Togo’s museum in that it had an extra room and fan, and the toilets had lights. Our visit there was limited to 10 minutes.  Why they had to make it so long I don’t know.

We had a police escort back to Tema, along the coastal road, which was lucky as the cars barely moved in either direction.  We mostly traveled down the centre line as cars moved off the road to make way for us.  Our final stop (excuse the pun) was the coffin making shop.  All sorts of coffins were on display, from giant Coke bottles to giant sea creatures, even a giant hammer.  Dad thought he’d have the giant calculator.  You can probably guess what I’d go for although they didn’t have any in stock...

Three sea days now, until we get to Senegal, so you might not hear from me for a few days.