Accra, Ghana: Sweat, Stories, and Seriously Good Plantain Chips
okay, so i just landed back home and my brain feels like it’s been through a washing machine set to ‘tropical storm’. accra, ghana. wow. it’s…a lot. i was there scouting locations for a low-budget sci-fi film - think blade runner but with more vibrant fabrics and way less rain (though, honestly, the humidity almost felt like rain). i’m an indie film scout, which basically means i get paid to wander around and look at interesting walls. it’s glamorous, i swear.
first off, the heat. i just checked and it’s…sticking to everything right now, like a second skin. 28.18 celsius, feels like 31.02. the air is thick enough to chew. and the *humidity? seventy percent. you walk outside and instantly question all your life choices. i’m pretty sure my hair has developed a sentience of its own.
but honestly, the heat is part of the charm. it forces you to slow down, to embrace the ‘africa time’ everyone talks about. which, let me tell you, is a real thing. i was trying to meet a location manager near Makola Market and ended up waiting for an hour. an hour! but then he showed up with a bag of the most incredible plantain chips i’ve ever tasted, so…worth it. you can find some reviews of the market here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298073-d568449-Reviews-Makola_Market-Accra_Greater_Accra_Region.html.
my accommodation was in Osu, which is…lively. let’s just say it is. if you get bored, Tema and Prampram are just a short tro tro ride away. the neighbors were mostly friendly, though i did overhear someone complaining about the noise from a nearby church. apparently, sunday mornings are not for sleeping. someone told me that the best jollof rice is found at a small stall near the Oxford Street, but you have to get there before noon or it’s gone.
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“Don’t trust anyone who offers to ‘help’ you find a good deal on kente cloth. They’ll take you to their cousin’s shop and inflate the price.”
that’s what a taxi driver told me, and honestly, it felt pretty accurate. everyone’s trying to make a hustle, which is understandable, but you have to be savvy. i spent a day wandering around James Town, which is…raw. it’s a historic fishing community, but it’s also incredibly impoverished. the architecture is amazing - crumbling colonial buildings alongside brightly painted houses - but it’s a stark reminder of the inequalities that exist. i found a great local guide through https://www.getyourguide.com/accra-l178/.
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“The traffic is insane. Just accept it. And learn to love the sound of the horn.”
seriously, the traffic is a whole other level of chaos. it’s like everyone decided to simultaneously forget the rules of the road. but somehow, it works. i also heard that the nightlife in Labadi* is legendary, but i was too exhausted to check it out. maybe next time. you can find some local events on https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Events&find_loc=Accra%2C+Ghana.
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“Don’t drink the tap water. Just…don’t.”
that one doesn’t need much explanation. bottled water is your friend. and the plantain chips. seriously, the plantain chips. i’m already planning my return trip. i need to find more. and maybe a better fan. and definitely a stronger mosquito repellent. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/ghana/accra has some good info too.
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