Accra, Ghana: Humidity, Highlife, and Honestly, Just Trying to Find a Decent Charger

okay, so accra. it’s…a lot. i’m a freelance photographer, usually chasing light in abandoned buildings or trying to make gas stations look poetic, and this place is just saturated. not just with color, though there’s plenty of that, but with life. it’s overwhelming in the best way, and also makes it really hard to get a clean shot without someone offering you plantain chips. which, honestly, i’m not complaining about.

i landed a few days ago, and the air just…hit me. it’s not a dry heat, it’s a thick heat. i just checked and it’s hovering around thirty-six point six celsius, but feels like thirty-four point nine. the pressure’s a bit wonky, like everyone’s carrying a secret, and the humidity is barely twenty percent, which is weirdly refreshing considering how sticky everything feels. my skin is already protesting. i’m pretty sure i’ve sweated out a small ocean.

finding a place to stay was…an adventure. i ended up in *Osu, which is buzzing. like, constantly. i’m staying in a little guesthouse run by a woman named Auntie Efua, who makes the best jollof rice i’ve ever tasted and keeps trying to set me up with her nephew, a doctor. she’s convinced i need “a serious man” to take care of me. i’m politely declining.

someone told me that the traffic around Circle Interchange is legendary. like, biblical. apparently, you can age five years just sitting in it.

my gear list is currently a disaster. i’m running on about three hours of sleep, fueled by strong coffee and sheer stubbornness. essentials include:

My trusty Canon 5D Mark IV (obviously).
A ridiculous amount of SD cards (you will fill them).
A portable hard drive (because losing photos is my worst nightmare).
Bug spray. Seriously. The mosquitos are relentless.
A universal adapter. Ghana uses Type D and G plugs, and i forgot mine. major fail.
Hand sanitizer. Just…trust me on this one.

i spent yesterday wandering through Makola Market. it’s absolute chaos, but in the most incredible way. mountains of fruit, fabrics, spices…the smells are intoxicating. i overheard a guy trying to sell me a “genuine Rolex” for ten cedi. i politely declined. i also heard that you can get anything you want in Makola, if you know the right people.

if you get bored, Cape Coast and Elmina are just a short tro tro ride away. i haven’t made it there yet, but Auntie Efua says the castles are…heavy. she didn’t elaborate, but i get the feeling it’s not a lighthearted trip. i’m planning to go next week. you can find some info on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g303683-Accra_Greater_Accra_Region-Vacations.html.

I heard from a fellow traveler that the best place for street food is near the University of Ghana*, but you have to be brave. Apparently, the spice levels are off the charts. Yelp has some reviews, but take them with a grain of salt: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants&find_loc=Accra%2C+Ghana.

my neighbors are mostly families, and they’re incredibly friendly. they keep inviting me to join their evening gatherings, which involve a lot of drumming and dancing. i’m trying to learn, but i have the rhythm of a broken metronome. i also found this local forum with some useful tips: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=39911.

honestly, accra is exhausting and exhilarating all at once. i’m constantly overwhelmed, but i wouldn’t trade it for anything. now, if you’ll excuse me, i need to find a charger that actually works. and maybe another plate of jollof rice.

Accra, Ghana: Humidity, Highlife, and Honestly, Just Trying to Find a Decent Charger

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About the author: Elena Rossi

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