TRAVEL BLOG THURSDAYS - ACCRA || Part 1

MY RETURN TO THE CONTINENT || ACCRA || GHANA || JULY 2018

It would make more sense for me to write about each city in order but I’m not going to do that. I’m going to write in the order I feel compelled… Back story first tho…

Mid July 2018, I took a trip to a few countries in West Africa and one North African country. Over the next couple months, I’d like to share my unique experience in each of the cities I visited.

Small Rant Ahead: The entire trip changed my life. I experience anxiety and depression (I don't want to say suffer from because I'm not suffering anymore). This Africa trip re-calibrated my being as a woman, an African & a Black American, and a believer. The experience allowed the perspectives I’d worked to reach in therapy to come to full fruition. It allowed me to take these perspectives and apply them back to my relationship with God, Jesus, my spirituality, my family, my friends, my significant other, and strangers, as my anxiety and depression are triggered by different events from my relationships with people in general. We unpacked that in therapy 😊 That’s how I know. Everything comes full circle in life… Things I learned there (in Africa), I’m noticing more now, are and have been, manifesting in my life since I can remember. That’s all I’ll say about that since this is ultimately a food and travel blog but I hope in reading the full story of my experiences you’ll get where I’m coming from in my above-mentioned rant about my mental health and what not and such which. I'll keep it light though. 

Side Note: The chronology of the trip will be listed throughout the blog post so it is possible for a post to contain only days 2 – 3, for example.

Night 2 – Saturday, July 21st, 2018:

We left Casablanca, Morocco on a Royal Air Maroc flight bound for Accra, Ghana. I was sups excited because I hadn’t been back to the continent since 2016 and hadn’t been back to West Africa since 1996, so WELL overdue for a trip. By the time we deplaned, boarded the bus from the tarmac to the terminal, and walked in to clear customs, it was about 2am. The air was warm and breezy; it wasn’t too hot or too cold, and there was a slight hint of smoke fragrance in the air. Kind of like when there is a wild fire on the west coast but it’s at the tail end and all the smoke is almost clear. I immediately saw Adkinra symbols on parts of the walls of the Kotoka International Airport. Adinkra symbols are symbols originated and used by many ethnic groups in Ghana, used in West Africa, and among some African Americans as visual representations of concepts. One of the most popular is the Sankofa symbol which symbolizes taking the good from the past and applying it to the present for positive progress. I’ve got a few symbols centered around love and the meaning of love tattooed on my shoulder. I would notice later that these symbols are used in all types of décor for everything from clothing, to jewelry, to building walls.

Adinkra Symbol named Gye Nyame meaning "Supremacy of God"

I was with a large group of African American and Caribbean American women. This was my first “planned tour group style trip”. I’m accustomed to traveling solo or with 1 or 2 “down for anything” friends for ease of transportation and for reduced cost accommodations i.e. hostels. My bf was joking with me about my frugality when traveling in relation to my age (I'm 'bout 30) and I'm like "what is this 'luxury' you speak of"? Ha! This trip was my splurge and I'm thinking I can only do something like this once every 5 years or so unless I become a bajillionaire...in that case, ball out!!  I'm used to just buying a plane ticket and winging it from there but my friend (an awesome pastry chef in the Boston area!)  told me about the trip and asked if I wanted to go and I said “sure”. It was nice not having to plan everything but as with any large group trip there were hiccups and difficulties both in preparation and while on the trip but overall the experience was amazing!!

Once we all cleared customs, we met our bus. We had a very nice set of guys (a bus driver/bomb DJ, a local tour guide/keeper of all fun events, and an older Black American tour guide who was very familiar and well connected with the area / Uncle) take us around Ghana; each affectionately nicknamed towards the beginning half of our trip. The names and identities of the individuals have been left out to protect the innocent. Haha! We all developed a tight bond over the course of our time together. To get everyone’s attention, Uncle would say “Ago!” meaning “listen!” and we’d all reply “Ame!” indicating that we were giving our full attention. This call and response is one of the first things we learned on the trip and it comes from the Akan, one of the ethnic groups/languages spoken in the region. 

Anyway, we made our way to our accommodations which happened to be along the beach. We stayed at Afia Beach Hotel. It was gorgeous! There was a semi outdoor eating space/restaurant, a shop with traditional art, a bar, a great view of the beach, a garden, and each of the rooms had its own outside door and was very spacious.

Side Note: Have bug spray on deck-y… as with any tropical location or North/South Carolina, ha!, mosquitoes have no regard for your feelings and will rip all the covers off of you, bite you, and then tuck you back in and read you a bedtime story like ain’t nothing just happen. #savage

Day 3 – Sunday, July 22rd, 2018:

The next morning, we got up to explore the hotel property and eat breakfast. I had the breakfast that is seemingly typical of most hostels and hotels I’ve stayed in overseas, with a bit of variation. This time I had potatoes and onions, French toast, chicken sausage which were basically Vienna sausages that were grilled, Heinz beans, and fruit.

Let’s pause to talk about how freakin’ delicious this fruit was… this was only the first day and I’d find out that this deliciousness was the norm in these parts but oh my goodness, oh how sweet it was! The mango and pineapple ended up being a daily thing once I had my first taste.  Rant Alert: It’s amazing how much better fruit tastes when it is sourced locally and allowed to ripen properly before picking and consumption; novel idea! I’m being sarcastic about the novelty. Of course, it is better to source locally and allow fruits and veggies to ripen properly but I also understand how our food system in the US works. Some things just can’t grow properly here but we want them anyway so they must be picked early and shipped. It is best however, as much as you can, to eat fruits and veggies that are locally sourced and in season so that not only will you get the best tasting stuff, you’ll reap maximum nutritional benefits from said vegetation…rant over!

After breakfast we explored a bit more. We saw the beach and some interesting plants and recycled water bottle sculptures on the hotel grounds.

For lunch, I had banku and tilapia and sobolo to drink. Sobolo, zobo, bissap, sorrel, hibiscus tea, whatever you wanna call it… every country with melanated people has some version of it. Check out my Naija version of the recipe (zobo) on @taste_tutor Instagram.  Banku is a Ghanaian swallow made of fermented corn and cassava. It is used to eat along with a variety of meat dishes and stews.

Side Note: This is Africa, be aware of what I call the “time difference”, meaning, don’t expect to get your food in any hurry. The best you can do is order before you’re hungry so that once you ARE hungry the food will be there OR go to a buffet. But most of all be polite, be communicative (learn a little bit of French at least. I’m currently duo lingo-ing French so that I can be a better communicator for my next trip to a Francophone country) and be patient. It’s not like the US, ain’t nobody in a hurry. I expected this to be true but the extent of the experience and my expectations were quite different. Plus, with as many similarities as there are in our cultures (black folk, I mean), there is an interesting and complicated dynamic and difference between Africans, Caribbeans, Afro-Latinx, and African Americans on the African continent as there is in the US, the Caribbean, and in Latinx countries. Keep that in mind as well when observing and communicating (If you didn't get it already, I’m speaking to the black sistren and brethren at this moment). Be firm in your position and your requests but be understanding of the nuances and cultural differences. I know this is supposed to be about getting your food order correct and in a timely manner but everything is connected here, as in all of life. I’m just trying to make you aware. For the sake of you actually making it to the end of this "dissertation" of a blog, if you have questions about specifics, contact me here or on Instagram and I’ll be happy to go into detail.

After lunch we set out to tour the city of Accra and the University of Ghana, Accra. We saw Independence Square which included the Black Star Gate. We saw the National Theatre of Ghana, beautiful architecture, and The Flagstaff House (Ghanaian Presidential Palace).

As we were riding along, we saw people carrying goods for sale on their heads. Basically, who needs the corner store or the bodega when you can get literally anything you need from someone walking by selling it. I’m talking everything from grapes, to drinks, to sandwiches made from scratch in front of you, to belts, shirts, pens, waist beads, movies, shoes, anything. If you weren’t dressed on your way out the door, you will no doubt be able to find what you’re missing on your way to wherever you’re going.

The university’s campus was beautiful and offered a huge variety of majors, opportunities, and resources for students.

Once the tour was done, they set us loose at the Artisan Craft Market to shop. I typically hate shopping but love buying things for people at places like this, as well as buying authentic Ankara for way cheaper that I can get it in the US.

Side Note: When purchasing Ankara or Wax print fabrics, be sure you are getting the authentic stuff made in Ghana.  So many other countries have weaseled their way into the  production and selling of the fabrics. They are undercutting the few remaining Ghanaian producers of the original product. To ensure you are getting the real stuff, look at the white lining at the edge of the fabric and make sure it says something like "guaranteed real wax block prints. Printed in Ghana" or "Imprime au Ghana" or something similar to that. Usually the white portion of the fabric will say which country it was printed in. I'm not always perfect in choosing the authentic stuff but I try my best to be down with the cause, ya know. 

Plus, I get to practice my haggling at markets like this. I hadn’t done it since 2016 and I have a lot of fun doing it. Me and my pastry chef friend ventured off away from the group, deep into the market. We were met by a group of guys who wanted to take us to their shop. (If there is a question of safety at this point, just a general note: I felt safer in West Africa than I do when I'm traveling in the US for OBVIOUS reasons 1. I'm a black person in America. 2. I'm a woman in a patriarchal misogynistic society. Glean from those reasons what you will.) At their shop, we learned how to play drums and I ended up buying one. *face palm*. What am I going to do with a drum?!

I justified the purchase by saying I could use it in my catering decorations but to be honest, why not buy a drum is the better question?! And it has my name engraved in it. So now I’ve got this drum, that comes up to just below my waist, that I’ve got to carry around Western Africa for the remaining 15 days. It’s currently sitting in my living room and gets played once in a while, as I walk by it.            

Side Note: Haggling tips…

  1. Set a price you want to pay in your head; how much is it worth to you? (It helps to know the exchange rate for the local currency vs the currency from your home country.)

  2. Let them give their price.

  3. Offer ¼th of their price.

  4. They’ll probably say that’s too low and give you a story of why. Then they’ll give a price and of course you’ll say it’s too high for you and you'll have a story for why.

  5. Go back and forth slowly increasing what you’ll pay as they lower what they’ll take until you’ve reached an agreement. Be sure it is lower than the price in your head.

    • They may ask for your best price and I typically say mine is the last amount I told them. Ask them they’re best price and see if it works for you. Please make it lower than the price you’ve set in your head. You’re tryna get a deal here.

    • If their best price is still too expensive, just let it go. Sometimes they will give it to you for the last price you told them if they see you walking away. Sometimes they’re adamant and they won’t. It helps to build a friendly rapport while negotiating so they’ll be more likely to work with you on the price.

  6. Don’t pull out all your money at once. Only pull out close to the denomination you’re willing to pay.

  7. Ultimately remember, to be fair but firm in what you want to pay for something and most of all have fun! They work hard to make or procure the product you’re wanting to purchase and you work hard for your money so act accordingly.

After shopping, we headed back to the hotel for dinner. I had fresh pineapple juice, kelewele (spiced fried plantains), and fresh fruit which was again delicious. I was pretty beat after dinner so I headed to bed to rest for the next day’s adventures.

I’ll continue with the remainder of Accra next week. It’s best to break it up since I apparently have so much to say! Wasn’t expecting to write all these words about pretty much just one day.

Here is what to expect for the remaining blog posts about this particular trip (all may have more than one part; just depends on how many words I have at the time 😊 ):

  • Accra, Ghana – Part 1

  • Accra, Ghana – Part 2

  • Cape Coast Castle and Dungeons, Cape Coast, Ghana

  • Cape Coast, Ghana

  • Koforidua, Ghana and surrounding areas

  • Lome, Togo

  • Door of No Return, Ouidah, Benin

  • Ouidah, Benin

  • Ganvie, Benin

  • Porto – Novo, Benin

  • New Ningo / Pram Pram, Ghana

  • Casablanca, Morocco

Thanks for reading all these words!

Love ya!

Taste Tutor

Adunni OgunlanohComment