Miles and Braids

I traveled from Nigeria to Ghana expecting it to pale in comparison to Nigeria. I was wrong. Ghana is Nigeria’s sibling. Arguably, Nigeria is Big Brother but Ghana is impressive and a beacon for travel in the vast family of West African countries. I’ll leave the jollof rice rankings for another time but I must say, I found Ghana to be pleasant, palatable and pretty. Accra is well-planned with good roads, bustling markets, entertainment options, and proud people.

Ghana has ranked high on my travel list. I wanted to visit Ghana during my six-week stay in West Africa because I was curious about this nation that is so often compared to Nigeria and because Ghana is the closest anglophone country to Nigeria. Despite the arduous road travel to get there, it was well worth it. Ghana is very similar to Nigeria and I enjoyed the visit.

I became curious about Ghana as a young girl. “The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah” was one of the first non-fiction books I read. It was fascinating to read about Ghana’s first President and a person who fought for Ghana’s independence and the sovereignty of African nations. During my visit to Accra, I felt and witnessed the same pan-Africanism that Dr. Nkrumah espoused as many of the streets in Accra are named after various African leaders and dignitaries. Ghana’s Black Star, found in the flag and central at many monuments, is a symbol of Ghana’s independence and African emancipation.

Ghana was host to several “Year of the Return” events that commemorated the 400 years since the first shipment of African slaves reached the United States in 1619. It was a great time to be in Ghana and I was grateful to mark this anniversary with many fellow Nigerians, British African and African American friends who were there as well.

Below are some pictures from my first visit to Accra along with some narrative about the places I visited.

Standing amidst the kente and wares at the Textile Market and Center for National Culture in downtown Accra.

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum.The mausoleum, designed by Don Arthur, houses the bodies of Kwame Nkrumah and his wife Fathia Nkrumah. The building is meant to represent an upside-down sword with a black star at the apex to symbolize unity… — Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum.
The mausoleum, designed by Don Arthur, houses the bodies of Kwame Nkrumah and his wife Fathia Nkrumah. The building is meant to represent an upside-down sword with a black star at the apex to symbolize unity. The mausoleum is surrounded by water, a symbol of life (Wikipedia).

Standing in front of the bronze statue of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President. The statute is said to be placed at the point where Dr. Nkrumah declared Ghana’s independence.

This impressive, life-sized statue shows Dr. Nkrumah pointing forward symbolizing Ghana’s path after independence in 1957.

As you know, I’m a foodie and love to try local cuisine everywhere I visit. Honorable mention goes to Kelewele, the popular Ghanian snack made of fried plantains seasoned with spices. More on the foods I tried and loved later. But first, had to try Ghana Jollof…

I tried Ghana jollof. It was good. Was it better than Naija jollof? I’m going to say…no :)

Markets are a great way to gain the true essence of a place. I visited Makola Market, the central shopping district, in the center of Accra. This place is vast, and they sell everything from food to jewelry, electronics, shoes, clothing, you name it. The market is packed and full of activity. I wasn’t able to get a lot of pictures because the market people frowned upon photo taking - as they should.

I have to say, as much as I like to visit a market and take it in, this one was above me. It was a blistering hot day and I was overwhelmed and overstimulated by a lot happening there. So in the battle of Makola Market versus Moni, the Makola market definitely won.

The gold city section of Makola market. You can find some Ghana gold here. It’s sold by weight.

Osu is a commercial and entertainment hub of Ghana. The majority of Accra’s restaurants and nightlife venues are located here. During the day, it’s also a major commercial nerve center with banks, shops and street vendors conducting business.

I spent a lot of time in Osu. Most of the time, after sightseeing and visiting monuments, you find yourself back at Osu for food and drink.

Unlike Lagos, Accra’s food service was limited. The city was facing a flux of visitors because of the Year of the Return events so dining infrastructure was stretched but still, I have to admit, the wait times for food prep were extremely long and enough to test even Mother Teresa’s patience. I have to say I found myself frustrated about the food prep times and dining service at most of the places I ate - and in a week, I tried a lot of places - but Que será será.

A street scene of Osu, another commercial area in Accra

I’m sure by now you’ve seen at least 100 images of Ghana’s Black Star Square of Independence Square. That’s because it’s ubiquitous in Accra and very impressive in design and significant to Ghana and Africa. This square often hosts the annual independence celebrations and other events such as presidential speeches and military parades. The Black Star Monument is a symbol of Ghana’s fight for independence and African emancipation from British rule.

Tried to get into some fun shots with the Independence Arch

The Independence Arch from the square grounds.

Accra is very vibrant and lush. There are loads of colorful buildings and places all over the city.

I love Accra sign. A landmark in Osu district of Accra.

Had the pleasure of attending a concert at the beautiful Nubuke Foundation gardens.

Although I enjoyed a lot of what downtown Accra had to offer, I decided to take a trip to Jamestown, Accra to visit its fishing community. Jamestown is home to about 3,000 of Accra’s poorest residents. This seaside community relies mostly on fishing and has little to no governmental support or available amenities. I was sad to learn that the government has plans to demolish this place, considered slums, to make way for Chinese investors who plan to build a commercial port on the same site. Jamestown has a lot of children and a school that is supported through donations. It’s home to many people who have never lived anywhere else and reminded me very much of Makoko in Lagos (lookout for an upcoming post on this). The government has no plans to relocate or pay restitution to the people who will be displaced by the port.

Here are some pictures of my visit here:

The Jamestown port built in the 1930s during British colonial rule.

A cross-section of boats in Jamestown. Many of the people here are fishermen and they adorn their boats with various symbols and mantra that support their way of life.

Spotted this boat with the Nigerian flag. My tour guide said there are many Nigerian immigrants in the community and he’s half Ghanian and half Nigerian. I was surprised to learn that there are many Nigerians there for different reasons but soon rem… — Spotted this boat with the Nigerian flag. My tour guide said there are many Nigerian immigrants in the community and he’s half Ghanian and half Nigerian. I was surprised to learn that there are many Nigerians there for different reasons but soon remembered that Nigerians are everywhere!

I got to sit in one of the boats to see how sturdy they feel and was told they are carved out of special Ghana wood. As you can see, there was also a lot of refuse and plastic. As I say often in my Instagram posts, travelers have a special responsib… — I got to sit in one of the boats to see how sturdy they feel and was told they are carved out of special Ghana wood. As you can see, there was also a lot of refuse and plastic. As I say often in my Instagram posts, travelers have a special responsibility to live and travel consciously of the environment and how we can make things better. I’ve started traveling with a water bottle that has a filter to reduce the number of plastic bottles I have to trash when I drink bottled water.

Children playing in the water in Jamestown.

As you can imagine, this waterfront community is prime real estate in the eyes of investors and the government.

A billboard with a rendering of the planned harbor complex stands in the middle of the town.

I was fortunate to take a two-hour trip outside of Accra with friends to visit the Boti Falls National Park (home to the Boti waterfalls and the Umbrella rock). This spectacular rock formation can be found in the middle of lush forest and after about a 45 min - 1-hour hike. The hike was described as a modest hike but I dunno, it was kind of steep for me especially because I was unprepared. I had shoes for the falls but didn’t plan for the hike because it was optional. I had to do the hike when I got the park because I have terrible FOMO (fear of missing out) so it was rather treacherous to do it in my open-toe croc shoes but I must say, it was worth it. The views are simply amazing and you connect with nature along the way.