Accra, Ghana
Posted by pertorkelson | Filed under Ghana
So far it’s been an introduction week in Accra containing information about the different projects, taking care of formal things like visa extensions, contact with embassies etc. We have also had some time for sightseeing, hours at the beach, clubbing and so on. The tropical heat is around you all the time and it has rained one time since I got here, today. There are two things that have happened so far which I would like to tell you more about…
How should I start? I know my brother has told me so many times: ”I dislike the kind of people who starts to talk to other people on the bus, on the train, on the airplane or where ever”. I’m that guy and I’m glad I know how to socialize, because in such a short time I have already met so many interesting people. I met two Ghanaian men on the flight between Frankfurt-Accra, met an American guy in my hostel working for MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) in Liberia. Now to the part which I find funny…
On Sunday (15 Oct) things were happening slow, I was sitting outside the hostel I’m staying in during the introduction week, reading my guidebook about Ghana, then a man comes up to me and says hello and starts talking. We talk for awhile and it turns out that he’s a politician from Freetown, Sierra Leone working with external affairs for the political party APC and at the same time he owns a gold and diamond company. He told me about his $10 million dollar project with time shares on a beach twenty minutes outside of Freetown, the elections which will be held in Sierra Leone next year in June (where his party will try to take the power) etc. He gave me his contact information and invited me to come and visit him in Sierra Leone. I’ll definitely try to get there when the time comes. He was having a meeting with some other people at my hostel and they all came up to me and started talking about business and politics in West-African countries. A little while later one of the men from the meeting came to me and we started talking and he turned out to be the Liberian ambassador in Italy who’s also doing business with several West-African countries. Me and him talked for 2 hours, he was telling me about the war in Liberia, how people fled the country, how he was saved back in 1990 when other ministers throats were cut during the war and we discussed West-Africa in general. You can imagine how surprised I was when they came to me and started talking, and the Liberian ambassador told me later that night: “The Sierra Leonean man asked me about, who’s the young guy sitting with the book behind us, do you think it’s ok for me to go and talk to him?” I got their business cards etc. Did you like the story? Hehe…
Monday evening at 19:30 (16 Oct); I had dinner by myself talking to a German volunteer, Sara. While I was eating she told me that she would like to walk around here in Accra when it’s dark. So we started walking trying to find a place where we could listen to some live music; we walked to a hotel called Paloma, got there and started talking to the security guards asking them for suggestions where to hear live music, but they told us that there’s not much live music in Accra on a Monday. So we started leaving the Paloma hotel when one of the guards’ younger brother, 18 years old, told me and Sara that he’ll walk with us. This walk together with the 18 year old Ghanaian boy turned out to be an amazing experience. He was very kind and confident and he showed us around all different places where you’ll never go as a white person during the evening. He showed us chaotic bus stations with maybe 100 buses and all these people walking around, he showed us alleys, real crummy places, a river called “the gutter” where the locals just through trash, take a piss in and so on. We really got to feel the night pulse of Accra and how a lot of the people really live; we also met his brother’s (the guard) wife and their two children. They lived in a real crummy little box and it was steaming hot inside this 3×3 meters big room. I loved the tour he did for us and we told him that we couldn’t offer him any money, because we weren’t carrying any. Just imagine, an 18 year old Ghanaian boy you have never met or seen before, you meet him in the street and he shows us people lying in the streets, shops, market places, black market with illegal business, city lights, he took us to a bridge where we weren’t allowed to walk, we crossed bridges and so on. I have never ever before got this close to the local people in a city before, being a “tourist”. I didn’t bring any camera that night out of respect for the people, but it would have been great to have this tour documented in photos. Last night I met the boy again and gave him a Supersci cd I burned and a Supersci tank-top, he loved it!
Tomorrow I leave for Kumasi, where I’m going to work until April 2007.
11 Responses to “Accra, Ghana”
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Viktor Says:
October 19th, 2006 at 9:47 pmHallå Per, kul att läsa lite om din första tid. Garvade lite när jag läste om det där med att du alltid börjar prata med alla
Du verkar redan ha fått sett en hel del och pratat med olika människor, hoppas du har det bra där nere, ser att du kör hårt med dieten(kyckling och ris, kommer hem rippad och brun som fan).Vi hörs, sköt om dig!
//Viktor
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Henrik Says:
October 19th, 2006 at 9:50 pmHi Per!
Haha, I also laughed when I read, but i laughed about the part about your brother disliking people who starts to talk with unknown people..
Seems like you already have had lots of impressions and I’m sure that you will find more. Nice that you gave the boy a tank top also, I’m sure he looks good in it, I mean, I would like to have one of those..
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Arre Says:
October 19th, 2006 at 11:02 pmTjena PIR!!
Kul läsning, e lite besviken att jag inte fick krossa dig i 4 across birds en sista gång, men jag ser fram emot o träffas snart.
Bartendern på bilden verkar soft, antar att ni e tighta som fan, går ut o tar en joint i solnedgången.
Se till o köpa en hyena o en babian i koppel så du går säker på stan, ser lite farligt ut på gatorna.Ta hand om dig, kram.
ARMUK
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Jeannie & Jim Says:
October 20th, 2006 at 12:17 amHi Per,
Wow! what an adventure you are on! It’s good that you are open to meeting new folks. Sorry, I don’t like to meet those timeshare sales people…there are just too many of them in Hawaii & Mexico. Meanwhile, the pictures of the hostile seem to be less than where you usually stay! Jim thinks it is a good experience for you….sort of like being in the army! Rebecca came back from Africa a couple of months ago with the idea that maybe she should go back as a volunteer. She admires your decision. Aloha, J&J -
Javier & Christine Says:
October 20th, 2006 at 6:27 amHello Per-
Thank you for sharing your experience of Africa with us.
We are very proud of your decision and follow through to make this trip. I am sure that your work will be rewarding, but also challenging as you get deeper into the social challenges of the various areas you are visiting.The name of the hostel is very literal- Pink Hostel. What else could it be called? We are interested in hearing about what type of food you are eating and also look forward to hearing specifics about the work you will be doing.
Be safe and good luck. Keep the correspondence coming.
Javier & Christine
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Kusin Monika Says:
October 20th, 2006 at 10:20 amHej Per!
Det låter som om du hittat rätt! Härliga historier du berättar! Jag ska försöka översätta för mamma och pappa så att dom också får ta del av det hela. Pappa kommer säkert skicka mail.
Ha det bra
Hälsningar från hela släkten i Mark -
Anki Says:
October 23rd, 2006 at 12:57 pmMy dear son Per,
Thank you very much for your nice diary from Accra. We just love to hear your stories and see your pictures (of course). Glad to hear that you have had an advantage of your subject from school - “to dare to talk”. Seems to be very paying. Hope your future stay = adventure in Kumasi will be just as challenging and comprehensive as in Accra.To work with children will be right for you. You are such a good person, careful and pay attention to all people.Take care and stay strong as always.
Your little brother was at home for a few days and counted on one hand the cars, which are passing Kustvägen during one day. Different story from yours.
Lot’s of love and hugs,
Mamma -
René o Birgitta Says:
October 25th, 2006 at 2:18 pmRoligt att höra från Dig. Inte minst fotona var informativa. Vi tänker på Dig spec den 1 nov. då de Dina besöker oss i Skummis. Kerstin o Indira är hemma till den 2 nov.
Ta väl hand om Dig.
Birgitta & René -
Rob Anna Ella Says:
November 14th, 2006 at 11:43 amHi Per
It sounds like you are having a very exciting experiencing.
Thanks for the card you sent to Ella it was very nice of you.
We are thinking about you and we all love to read your dairy.
Take Care Rob Anna Ella. -
Jenny Dibble Says:
November 21st, 2006 at 5:00 pmhey per
I know that you are experiencing lots of new things! I hope that you are enjoying yourself. I bet that you are though and I hope to hear from you soon talk to you later and be safe! I like reading you diary and seeing the pics that you are putting up.
Love, Jen
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june Holroyd (santa barbara Says:
November 23rd, 2006 at 1:20 amMaud just gave me your web address, I have enjoyed your diaries and photos. Before I was married, in London I was part of the office that was designing the University of the Gold Coast in Accra. Have you seen it yet? I worked on the science building, and the hospital.
June Holroyd.