The beach - Jamestown, Accra

Kwasiada (Sunday), was another day that brought on new sights and lessons from Ghana.
Clara took us for a tour of Accra, concentrating specifically on Jamestown, a humble neighborhood by the sea. From what I had read on travel guides, Jamestown was a lively, yet somewhat poor area. Having seen real poverty in Agbogbloshie, just a kilometer away, I looked forward to seeing a comparable reality within the same city.

After walking out of the trotro (always the means of transportation around here) park, we approached a compound of houses where men were sitting and chatting. After a few minutes of conversation, one of the locals, Mike, agreed to take us around what he called "my hood".
Mike was a very warm guy, excited to talk about Jamestown, its issues and development. He told me he had worked in cruise ships before, and had therefore been to Brazil twice! I'm happy to say, he had a positive image of the country. He also pointed out the "Brazilian House", a museum just next to his house, where President Lula was received when he visited Ghana. I plan to go back there and see the cultural ties between Brazil and Africa, one of the reasons I came to this beautiful country.

We took a stroll around the beach, filled with wooden canoes from the local fishermen. Sharing the space were small cabins meant to store fishing nets and equipment, as well as a few houses and small stores. Considering it was Sunday, many people swam in the ocean, and, to my delight, played football on the sand (the kind you actually use your feet for kicking). Mike said during the European off-season, Ghanaian soccer stars such as Muntari and Asamoah Gyan came and played scrimmages on that very same sand. Unfortunately, I missed them by a few months...

Walking around, it was a bit less comfortable than on the usual streets. Because we were accompanied by a local though, taking pictures and "venturing into their territory" was considered ok.
Mike took us to where the fishermen sewed their nets, a pier that used to be the path for transporting fish from the boats to the beach. Now, the port was no longer officially active, although the quantity of local fishermen would have you think otherwise.
Not many fishermen were actually out at sea fishing, since it was their day of rest after a 6-day long week of work. If one did not know Accra was at the back though, this could well have been called a fishing village. I have seen a few fishermen (and actually accompanied one, Noa, in a midnight trip to retrieve his net) in the Northeast of Brazil, my father's homeland. It felt very connecting, to see that an ocean apart, in very different cultures, people still went through similar means to survive. The canoes might be more colorful, the oars might be shorter, but people are sweating to get through a day's work in either place. The best part of it though: both in Brazil and in Ghana, the fishermen I saw were never reluctant to smile.

Noa then took us to a lighthouse, where he currently works as a painter. From the top, it was possible to see most of Accra, including Agbogbloshie. There was a clear difference in the patterns of green trees, where the wealthier neighborhoods were, and the jam-packed, gray landscapes of the less-privileged areas, such as Jamestown.
In the picture below, it's possible to see a dirt football pitch to the left (aren't these a beauty?), and a blue house next to it. It actually is the official palace of the Jamestown king. Kings and chiefs in Ghana are still existent, and have a very cultural influence where they are present. These men are very respected, and are also powerful community leaders.

Mike and us then parted our ways, after exchanging numbers, of course. When I go back to the area, I hope to see him again, not only for the comfort of walking around with somebody who lives there, but also for the experienced conversation he brings along.

Love from beautiful Ghana,

Kwame

Oh by the way, I'm now leaving for a drumming lesson with Anthony, Clara's friend who played at the engagement ceremony! I'll be sure to get a few pictures and post them next time.