Darkuman, Jamestown and Kaneshie Market

Finally I made it, after 6months of words, dreams, fears, doubts and preparation, I am in Ghana.
I landed in Accra on Friday evening hitted by the heat that intrude your clothes, invade your skin which starts sweating after one second outside. It's 30 degree celsius and it's 8pm.
I will try to resume my three first days in Accra, three days of slow discovery. The hostel where I am staying is pretty cosy, relaxed and warm so it's a nice start to feel yourself at home in here. Easy to stay there all day, and letting yourself fall into the comfort. Once you pass the gate, it's like you're in a transit world. Many foreigners are staying there, tourist, volunteers in various organisations... The sounds and smells from the street don't pass the gate, even the heat is stopped by the breeze going through the compound.. There is a nice seating area where you can stay there for hours without even sweating.. So thinking of going out in the unknown, in the heat, in the loud, messy and smelly street was kind of a scary feeling first..
But I made it.. First day, I only went to the main road near the hostel, looking for 20min for an old woman who sells fruits on one of the corner. That was part of my dream arriving in Accra : having a fruit salad on my first morning. Mangos, bananas, oranges... Souvenir of the Comores and Peru. Unfortunately, I only found her the next day. But managed to buy enough ingredients to make my first jollof rice which I made enough for my first 2days, until I got to the main market around here. The women here were really surprised and were laughing at me for trying to make local dishes. They didnt believe I would be able to make it. After this first try outside and the long preparation for the rice, I decided to take it easy and not go further on that day.
But the district around the hostel is nice, the street full of cars beeping, drivers shouting, hundreds of little shops along the way, selling all sorts of things, a mix of colours, of smells, a mix, a mess, disorganised, crazy, spontaneous but organised in their own ways, can't wait to go further into it..

Second day, I had to go further and deeper into Accra. Despite the offer and the possibility of going with others, I wanted to go on my own, find my way alone, take my time and see.. Jamestown was my target. Described in the guide as one of the oldest part of Accra, situated by the sea with a lighthouse and a fish market.
It was sunday and took off at around 10.30am. Ghana is a very christian country. Most shops, businesses are named after god, "God's gift motors", "God bless motors"... So at 10.30am on a Sunday, most people in the street are well dressed, on their way to church. Beautiful dresses full of colours for both men and women. Got in the tro-tro, the cheapest way of travelling in cities here, mini buses that transport you anywhere for only 50cent of a cedi (ghanaian currency). After one tro-tro, one taxi and 1/2h of walk, a few meetings on the road, I finally arrived at the lighthouse of Jamestown, where I found this little organisation run by a couple from the area, that helps street kids to go to school. Through resources made with the bit of beach they cleaned, a bar and couples of drumming and dancing lessons, added by some funds donated by few people met by chance, they can feed, host and clothes almost 50kids. Spent a few hours there, discussed with the organiser, learnt a few drumming rythms, went on a motorcycle ride through Jamestown streets...Nice experience for a first day outside the near neighbourhood. It's a start and it's encouraging for more tries. And it's also saying about the opportunity of meeting other various organisations around the city.

After eating Jollof rice for all meals during 2days, it was time to go to the market and get some other ingredients to make more and delicious dishes. I am sticking to my principle of only buying local and eat local and more important cook myself. It's easier, cheaper, more exciting and more delicious.. And i just  love to see the face of the women when I am frying plantains or manipulating the hot peppers.. So the third day, I went to Kaneshie Market with the niece of the hostel's owner, Eunice, who guided me through the different sellers, the different tiny lanes, between the hundreds of okra stands, the dozens of smoked fish, peppers, tomatoes, onions... mainly women who are asking my name, giving me another ghanaian name depending on the day I was born (Adjoua, Efia...), laughing again at me buying huge snails, crabs and others.. After one hour going through the market, 2big bags of food, I am ready for the week: okra, vegetable leaves, snails, crab, cow leg, chicken, spices, tomatoes, onions, melon seeds (egusi).. back to the house where Eunice will advise me on how to cook all those.. Result: okra soup with snails, crabs and meat which can be eaten with fufu, banku or boiled yam.. and egusi vegetable soup with meat which I am going to eat with rice.. hopefully it will last me until wednesday..

For the next few days, dont have to worry about food and meals, can finally concentrate on my research for organisations.. Tomorrow is another day..

Ciao

On the road again...

After Mapi in the North, come and discover the new adventures of Mapi in the south... Will she melt under the powerful heat of West Africa???
At least the humidity from Ireland will be respected, 2seasons of rain, almost half of the year under heavy rain...She's not going to be disturbed by this change... She won't miss the nice and humid drops on her skin... Even better, those drops, probably warmer than the frozen irish one, will be accompanied by a hot wind... Nothing to complain about..natural hot showers..
Anyway, ignore this brief and stupid dissertation about rain, I'm now on my way to Accra, seating in the wonderful Amsterdam Schipol Airport (I love that place, maybe I should actually stop my travels there), where anyone should consider to transit through one day. They have a beautiful lounge with cosy, bouncy chairs and couches, by fake fireplaces, a piano where anyone can relax his fingers, a free and public library, a forest for kids, a massage zone... Not to miss.

On the way to Accra, no time difference with Ireland by the way..
I will be landing tonight, Friday 18th of March and will be picked up by a man in a white shirt over black/blue trousers (if i'm gone missing, you'll know where to look for first ;-))), someone from the hostel where I'll be staying for first few days, before finding our own accommodation.

In the next few days, I will take my time to discover the city, walk around, find my way through the transport, get used to the heat and heavy humidity, find the markets, relax in the garden of the hostel, cook some delicious food with cassava, yam, okra, taste the probable delicious mangos and avocados, meet all the organisations which work for the women's rights or sustainable development.
Plenty of time, of new experiences, new sounds, smells, tastes..

What else can I ask from this life???? Can't wait..

Talk to you soon enough with real emotions, impressions and feelings about the place
Ciao

Sur la route des vents humides et chauds...

Apres le Nord, l'Irlande, ses pluies diverses et variees, ses collines vertes et brumeuses, ses cotes sableuses, filandreuses et epineuses, ses legendes, contes et mythes celtiques, vikings et autres, ses bieres brumeuses, ses pubs sombres et plein d'odeurs de vie, de sons chauds, de rires, de coups de gueules ou de poings, de casse, ses nombreuses communautes, son grand sens de l'accueil...
et puis ses docteurs qui consultent les symptomes sur wikipedia avant de finalement prescrire du 7up, l'absence de gynecos, de bon kines, dentistes..tout ca a des couts faramineux de 55euros la consult, sans assurance sociale, une culture riche qui se vend, qui se perd au profit de l'argent qui lui meme a ete jete par les fenetres pendant ces annees dites de croissance economique basee sur du vent venu d'Amerique (multinationales maintenant delocalisees, la main d'oeuvre irlandaise etant trop chere)

Merci Cork, si cette ville pouvait se trouver dans le sud, dans des climats plus confortables, dans une societe plus organisee et respectueuse des droits et services fondamentaux de l'homme, j'y vivrai sans hesitation..Cette ville a une ame et un coeur, quelque chose de magique, d'aimant mystique dont il est dur de se liberer... Une ville ou j'ai découvert le fond de moi-même, la vraie vie, faits des rencontres magique, tombée amoureuse des centaines de fois, et réaffirmer mon engagement pour le monde, la société et des communautés plus solidaires...

Il etait temps pour moi de faire mes bagages et m'en aller vers d'autres horizons, vers le sud..
Partir avec le vent chaud et humide de la méditerranée et s'établir au bord du golfe de guinée, jusqu'à nouvel ordre. Plus specialement a Accra, capitale du Ghana, ancienne colonie anglaise, ancienne "Gold Coast"... Pays que je vous ferais decouvrir au travers mes experiences, mes aventures et mes mots, photos...
Apprendre, échanger des cultures et styles de vie, aiguiser et enrichir mon expérience de développement de communautés et de vie sociale, avec des contacts et des adresses permises grâce a mon boulot des dernières années.

A l'heure ou ce message est publie, je suis assise dans l'aeroport d'Amsterdam attendant le prochain vol pour Accra... Quand vous lirez ce message, je serais surement dans une auberge de jeunesse sympa dans une banlieue d'Accra.

A tres vite avec plus d'impressions au vif, premier apercu, premieres emotions et des images...
En attendant, vous pouvez consulter la carte et situer le Ghana en Afrique de l'Ouest, sur le Golfe de Guinee, rare pays anglophone du coin, entre la Cote d'Ivoire et le Togo et le Burkina-Faso au Nord..

allez ciao...