Around The World In 72 Days - Another Touring Day In Accra - Jamestown

On Monday, I spent a day at the Theodora office while Wife had a badly needed day doing nothing but catching up on all her various projects. Tuesday was our last day of touring in Accra. We went to one of the oldest sections of Accra Jamestown. It was developed at the end of the 19th century by the British colonizers. Now it is one of the poorest sections of the city. It makes for a stressful visit. 

I will go into this a lot more when I do my after-trip, navel-gazing post. Let's just say for now, there is a deep seated unhappiness and frustration that permeates society here. It shows in many ways. But stepping into an area like the village we visited Saturday or Jamestown as we did on Tuesday, you are clearly the outsider. You are not welcome. You are a symbol of things that people have no control over that leaves others with way more than you can imagine having. And those feelings and attitudes are blatantly apparent. 

Because of the work we've done here in Ghana and the amount of time I've spent here, I completely understand. I am absolutely sure if our places were switched, I would behave the same way. That doesn't mean I want to subject myself to that environment. As we move on to another part of the country on Wednesday, I will have to see what we can do to ameliorate this.

 Despite all the negatives, we did do photography, and I did get some decent shots!

 The general area, the lighthouse, and some of the original British Colonial buildings

 

 

 

 First public water fountain circa 1910

 

 Jamestown is not only the site of the 19th/20th century British community, it is also the location of the chiefs of the Ga tribe which owns (or owned...that wasn't really clear) much of the land Accra is situated on.

 

 Our less than joyful guide to Jamestown

 Local Taxi

Micro Shops

You see this everywhere, even in the best parts of town, little shops where you can buy small quantities of just about anything you need. This fits an economy where money is super tight, and you don't have the space to buy and store things.

On to the waterfront

Smoking fish

Selling smoked fish

Classroom

Like many neighborhoods like this around the world, boxing is an outlet

Street scenes

W.E.B  Du Bois Museum

W.E.B  Du Bois was a prominent African-American scholar and civil rights activist during the a 50 year period from the 1890's to the 1950's. You can read more about his interesting life here. He ended his life as a guest of Kwame Nkrumah after Ghana's independence.

Our driver contemplating the legacy of Du Bois

(or maybe checking social media)

Around The World In 72 Days - Ghana, The First Three Days

Our first day was having Wife actually see what all this that she's heard of for years and meet the people. This included both participants, as well as, our Ghana Board members. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of her with our team. But I did get a few of her with the Board.

Wife with JA, one of the most valuable of our Board members. He did a nice presentation to Wife

Our Ghana Board - MF, JA & AA

On Friday, we were doing touring in Accra

First, a new memorial (name forgotten) for a recent President who died in office.

Statue of the deceased President with our living driver MF

Then on to Osu Castle

This is one of many fortifications built by European powers starting in the 16th century to facilitate the slave trade.

Osu Castle was originally developed by the Danish in the 1600's, taken over by the Portuguese, and then the English.

This black stone on the entrance was the symbol for those captured and brought in that they were no longer individuals and free, but were now slaves.

There were dungeons where the new slaves were kept until ready to be sold and transported.

From this vantage point, purchasers would select the slaves they wanted to transport to the new world.

 

This doorway was the 'Door of No Return'

Once slaves went through here, they were put onto ships for the New World and their life as slave laborers.

However, when the slave trade ended the castle was converted to the headquarters of the British colonial government. It subsequently became the first presidential office for the new Republic of Ghana after independence was achieved in 1957.

 

Osu Castle is on the 50 Cedi bill!

 

This is the former office of the Presidents of the Republic

And this is a picture of former President Jerry John Rawlings

Jerry John Rawlings is one of the most controversial and complicated figures in Ghana history. While he was accused of authoritarian rule and atrocities, he also handed power over peacefully to democratic rule, laying the foundation for Ghana being one of the very few stable democracies in Africa.

Nkrumah Memorial

Kwame Nkrumah, the most public initiator of Ghanaian independence was equally complicated but more universally renowned in public history as the Father of Independence and the Republic.

Black Star Square

(The Black Star symbol was pulled from African American Marcus Garvey who created the Black Star shipping line to empower Black economic development after WWI)

Our second day of touring was focused on going to a village some ways out of Accra. Let's just say it was a bust. I take the blame as I pulled the option out of the list of potential things to do as we've had some really great village visiting experiences in the past in other countries. This experience consisted of us driving 2+ hours in heavy traffic and rough roads (apologies Wife, we were actually on the GOOD ROAD during the vast majority of the time), turning on to a rutted, dirt road with numerous deep, muddy spots to go the final way to the village. Our driver (who understands these kinds of driving but has a sedan, not a 4x4) was clearly getting very stressed out as we are going through the countryside with not much signs of human activity other than a few farmer folks walking the dirt road. 

We finally reached the village. Our guide talked to some of the people who were there and asked permission for us to take pictures. I will simply say that the Wife and I felt incredibly uncomfortable and out-of-place and bailed after about 10 minutes. There was supposed to be a  museum further down the road. But encountering a really bad muddy area and hearing the stress in the driver's voice, I pulled rank and had us turn around. 

My limited number of village pictures before retreating

 We were very hungry at that point. Getting back to the main road, our guide located a restaurant, called them, confirmed they were open. It was only 5 minutes away. It was located in a small hotel. Arriving there are no customers. The server, a young woman, seems to know nothing about what is being offered. We're given a menu and told that only one thing on the whole menu can be given to us in less that 45 minutes. Begrudgingly, a second option is offered. We choose them, but the second option doesn't come out until 20 minutes after the first so we have two waves of eating. Then as we leave, a local arrives, He has a two minute conversation, sits down and is served local food immediately. I was pissed. Thankfully the place was listed on Google so I was able to put up a scathing review as we were driving away.

Ah the joys of travel. It's all about the experience. And experiences are not always great. BUT the bad ones are usually the ones that turn into great stories in the future.

Road Food

Our guide and driver are determined to have me show my capabilities as a real gastrointestinal roulette player. They were buying all kinds of things from vendors walking between the cars during our journey. It is almost 48 hours later and I'm still alive. So far I'm a winner.

  A lot is done with corn. This is essentially a corn fritter. The outside was very crunchy and it was slightly sweet. I rate it not bad.

 This is a pudding made from Tiger Nuts. It was warm. And it was pretty good though very filling. Tiger Nuts are evidently very nutritious. 

This is some kind of fried fresh cheese thing. It was also warm. Not that crazy about it.

This is corn with peanuts steamed in corn husks. Sadly it was cold. Would have been much better warm which is the way it is supposed to.

The transaction of getting it.

SIGNS OF THE WORLD

Sorry falconry enthusiasts. You are NOT welcome in Ghana,