Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Jan 14 - Accra

You can see pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8

Met all of our truck group at 10 a.m. for a very brief meeting. After attending to boring stuff like money, and moving rooms, we set with four or five of our group to visit the Independance Arch. We walked for a distance from our hotel down the main street in the Osu district of Accra where we are staying. Oxford Street, as it is known, is a long market of stalls, shops, and street traders. The best artist in Ghana, the best paintings in Accra; "I give you for market in Canada". But the paintings don't have an artists name so I quietly explained that and put the "free" gift down among the pile of other paintings. All the people are very jolly, men and women trying to make a buck. They remember you so that they catch the second time you wander down too!! Handshakes are offered, polite greetings extended and it is just a riot of noises, taxis, cars,and trotros. But it is tremendous fun. The people are really good natured and there is a quiet sense of principal that tremours though the crowd.

We had intended to visit Osu Castle which now appears to be the seat of the Ghana Government. However, when we got to the area we were surrounded by military and helpful passersby who warned us against taking any pictures. We wandered through little lanes and small houses, children, animals, and still could not find our way to the beach. So, we kept walking. Eventually we got back on the main road and arrived at Independence Arch. Even here we were warned against taking pictures of the government buildings and were chased out of the Arch by an officious guard. The trouble is, nothing is marked. The gates are open, and of course we just wandered in. We ended up at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Gardens. The moment is really beautiful, resembling the approach to the Taj with the water and beautiful sculptures in the ponds. The grave is inside a beautiful stone structure and all in all it is very impressive. Many of the flowering trees were in bloom adding more oranges and yellows to the scene. After our long walk, we caught a cab back to the hotel.\

In the evening, we had our first "group" dinner at Frankies on Oxford Street. It was quite European, but the food was OK.

I have been trying to get Red Red which is a typical Ghanaian dish I used to eat consisting of fufu (casavva), plantain, and beans. Otherwise the food has been a mixture of western/african food and quite tasty. Lunch we have just bought something to eat in the supermarket.

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