Downtown Accra. That is where CIEE took all of us Americans this past weekend. We visited Oxford Street, Jamestown, Independence Arch, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial and just enjoyed the day driving around in the air-conditioned bus. It was a nice reprieve from UG-Legon. Although the campus is beautiful, the bus tour was well-needed break. I didn’t find the area overwhelming (aside from almost being hit by a truck :) ) but I did see most of the city from a bus. There were lots of people (of course), many street hawkers and women selling products (of course), and lots of people walking to and fro (of course). I want to talk a little bit about each place that we went to in order to summarize the essence of what I felt there. I, as usual, kind of slacked on taking photos BUT I’m working on that.
Jamestown:
This place was packed. Packed with bodies, objects, houses, and trash. When I think of Jamestown I think of how packed it was. One of the university students who’s from Jamestown talked to us about how it’s a major fishing hub and community and culture is really big there. We did not get out to stop and walk around this area but it was definitely lively.
Independence Arch:
Beautiful. The Arch is large and beautiful and there’s tons of space surrounding the arch and across the street. We took pictures, talked, walked around, and it was nice to be able to have some quiet time.
Oxford Street:
So many shops! Oxford street was interesting because there a lots of places to buy things or you can just find someone selling something like bracelets, necklaces, artwork, and etc. There are also many restaurants lined on the streets. If you ever wanted a day of shopping and eating then Oxford Street is a good place to start.
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial:
Our stop here provided us with the opportunity to learn about Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. The memorial holds his and his wife’s body. There is a small museum that holds some of Nkrumah’s personal items, photos, and other relics. We had a guided tour so there was a nice gentleman who talked to us about Nkrumah and explained some of the key events in his life.
Until next time (I just started Twi class this week! I’ll report back soon),
Su