Back to Accra & Amasaman Market

Friday, June 14, 13

            Today was a travel day, from Ho back to Accra.  After the usual pack and sweep of the room, I headed out on the streets of Ho in search of an Accra-bound trotro.  It was a quick ten minute walk to Ho station, and not ten steps in I spotted a car and hopped in.  It was the “nicest” trotro I’d ever been in – so nice, apparently, that the staff chose to keep on the protective plastic seat covers that came with the car! 

In any case, it was a comfy ride, and it had air conditioning!  (I’ve NEVER seen AC in a trotro before).  Of course, the dream car was too good to be true, and after four hours on the road we reached our “final destination” – 37 station, a few miles from Tudu station where the driver and I negotiated he’d take me.  No dice!

            I ended up finding a cab that drove me the extra few miles for only a few Cidis more, and just as easily found a large trotro to take me to Amasaman road for only one Cidi!  As always, it was quite nice to return “home” to the joy family lodge.  Frank and James greeted me, I had a nice plate of chicken and rice, and was even able to cool down for a few minutes before the power went out. 

            With no AC, my plans to take a nice shower and remain non-sticky for the afternoon evaporated, so I decided I’d check out the Amasaman area a few miles down the road.   

        I got directions to take me through the residential area past a few schools.  I took a picture of what I though was an eerie juxtaposition of schoolyard innocence and stark anti-burglary imagery. 

 I suppose the kids are safe, though!  Further down the road, I encountered my first elusive Zoomlion dustbin.  

       I couldn’t decide whether to be happy to have finally found one, or disappointed to see how the community members frame the waste receptacle.  For hundreds of feet on both directions of the street, plastic and non-biodegradable waste formed a carpet, getting thicker as I approached the dustbin.  Of course I’m not sure for certain (or who to blame), but it looks as if the community members get their rubbish as close to the dustbin as possible without getting it in the actual dustbin.  Because Zoomlion employees have a reputation, a job, rather, to peruse the street and pick up trash to bring to the dustbin, I imagine that the community just gets their trash as close as they can and figure Zoomlion will do the rest.  Just as likely, however, is the possibility that Zoomlion has such infrequent and irregular pickups that community members are forced to bring it close to the dustbin in hopes that it will be picked up.  I’ll have to interview some folks and find out!

            The main mission of my walk, of course, was to go grocery shopping.  As a solo traveler covering a lot of ground here, I’m finally realizing how little variety there is in cooked food.  Aside from breakfast which is the same all over the country – bread, tea, egg – Ghanaians have little choice what to eat in chop bars and restaurants too.  Most often, light soup, some kind of meat or fish, and some starch (fufu, banku, or rice) is THE meal of choice here.  If you want to pay a little extra, there’s the possibility of buying noodles or spaghetti, and slapping some tomato paste on it (my meal of choice, as far as dinner goes). 

            I’ve found salvation in the markets – the opportunity to add some flavor and much needed vitamins to my diet has proven the most important factor to keeping me happy and healthy.  So, check out what I got for the next few days.  I hit three or four stands at the market, a small store by the roadside, and charmed whoever I could with my Twi and Ga (a greater Accra variation on Twi).  I ended up spending exactly 20 Cidis, which is a pretty penny (You’ve got to remember, I’m in Accra, the biggest city and the capital.  It’s like shopping for food in downtown San Francisco or New York).  However, on the flip side, 20 Cidis is about $10.05.  So, at the end of the day, I purchased 5 large 1.5 liter bottles of water (I drink 1-2 a day, it’s hot here!), 4 “VitaMilk,” (a soy milk drink with vitamins…), 4 oranges (Ankah), 3 bananas, two HUGE mangoes, a whole pineapple (cut right in front of me!), and of course, a small bag of ground nuts (peanuts) for protein.  Try buying that in America for ten bucks!