My final weekend in Ghana wasn't too adventurous as the other volunteer was flying out on Sunday and I was on the Monday.
I decided to go exploring the city as that was something I had not done yet and I always love cities, and that probably has to do with me from birth being a city girl.
I paid local person to show me around Accra and I guess the advantage with that is that I wouldn't have to go to Jamestown myself which is a slum and so crime is high. So where did I go on this tour and what did I do?
Before I start, just to set the scene a bit I thought i would tell you that the day before I had my hair braided into Cornrows!! So I looked like a true Obruni attempting to fit in.
We started by going to the National Museum where I learnt all kinds of wonderful things which I will share with you when I upload photos as I can't remember them at the top of my head. An example is that in ancient tradition when a woman could not conceived the chief mother would give the women a wooden doll which she had to treat as a child and prove that she had potential to be a loving mother and this would be followed by a pregnancy.
From the National Museum we walked to the National theatre, the walk was lovely because although we were in the city, we were in the government district called Ministry (our version of Westminster) so it was extremely quiet and clean. There were still red and black fabrics wrapped around everything in order to commiserate the late President Mills who everybody loved (I did not meet a single Ghanaian who didn't like him and Ghanaian are very political!).
I saw the National Museum from the outside it was a beautiful structure, very modern. It reminded of the Opera House in Sydney (although I haven't been there), it had a similar feel to its aesthetics. From there we walked to the independence square where I saw the wall of independence and the area where very year people congregate when the president makes a public address. When I went I also saw the ending of this Christian meeting that happens every third Sunday when people congregate there in the mornings to sing hymns and pray.
From there, we walked onto the beach of the city which isn't beautiful when you've been to the Volta region but regardless it is a beach! And as ever I got another few marriage proposals! We ended up leaving there quite quickly just to get on with the tour and also apparently according to the local person I was with it wasn't safe to be there too long with my big camera with the kinds of people that were around.
We then took a taxi to go to the infamous fishing town, Jamestown. Jamestown is a slum where all the people who live there are basically fishermen and women sell the fish. Over there, however, there is an ancient lighthouse which is pretty tall and allows you to get a beautiful view. On the one side you have the beach where all the fishing takes place and on the other the slum settlement. The lighthouse has an open balcony at the top however in order to go there you need to use the stairs to get to the top and then take a ladder which is half broken (you can see where they tried to fix it) and given I was wearing a skirt it wasn't exactly possible for me to climb. So I took pictures from the windows from where I standing and the local guide took photos for me from the balcony with my camera so I can't wait to show them with you all!
Following this we went to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, he was the man who made Ghana get their independence from the Brits. It is located in a central part in the certain on a busy road. However, once you enter it is so peaceful. It has a beautiful layout of plants, trees and water fountains. I absolutely loved it! Also the structure in which his and his wife's tomb lays is so beautifully made. You can tell it is made with love.
I also went inside the museum where I got to learn about his life and see photos of the celebrations that took place when Ghana became independent. As usual I had another proposal and I also saw an absolutely stunning peacock just roaming about in the park.
Finally, we ended the day by going to Osu and going to one of Ghana's top restaurants called 'Mamma Mia'. It is run by an Italian couple and is full of Obrunis given the fact that it has European prices. The food is so tasty! I had a ham and mushroom pizza and sat in the cool AC, it was a good way to the day and the Ghanaian trip.
On Sunday, I went to the Arts Market - the Arts market is open on Sundays but not all the stalls so its the best day to go as you won't be grabbed by that many people trying to sell you things you don't want to buy. I bought a pair of African trousers and waistband which is said to give you a good body and an even better husband! Lets see if that actually works! I spent a good hour talking to the stall owners as they were telling their dreams of making it to Europe and America and how hard it is because of the average pay.
I couldn't resist so following this I made a quick trip to Accra Mall where I had a nice lunch at the Chinese restaurant again and bought expensive Mannos (owned by Paatchi) chocolates for the family. I went home and had to bid farewell to the fellow volunteer.
It was quite a sad time because (a) I was all alone in the house getting ready to leave for London the next morning and (b) it was my 20th birthday on the Monday and waking up on your birthday all alone is not a particularly nice experience!
And this brings me to the end of my Ghanaian adventure, can't wait to share with you stories from where I go next year!
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