Five Features of Living in Accra

Over the past month I have observed so many things about living in Accra. In this post I have collated those thoughts to try and give a picture of life in this most interesting of cities.

1. Food – it’s fair to say that there is not a great deal of variety when it comes to food in Ghana. Meat wise, pretty much the only option is chicken, probably the very same chicken you will have seen clucking away on the street a few hours earlier. Everything else is limited to rice, spicy sauces, fish, and various Ghanaian dishes. One of the most popular meals here in Accra is fufu, basically a soup served with mashed plantains. The key thing to remember is not to chew the mash. I made this mistake the first time I eat fufu, much to the amusement of my African colleagues.

2. Transport – the main form of public transport in this city is the tro tro. Essentially clapped out mini buses, tro tros are a remarkably efficient and cheap way of getting around. Disadvantages include a degree of discomfort – most do not have air conditioning and are packed to the rafters by over-enthusiastic tro tro mates (like bus conductors) – and the unbelievably high risk of fatal accidents. If you wish to take your own taxi, you will have no difficulty finding one. Taxi drivers in Accra have this annoying habit of honking at you whenever you are walking in the street in the hope of collecting a nice fare from an obruni (white person).

3. Entertainment – Ghanaians love television (when the power is on), bargain hunting, and football. Coming from England I thought I would find it difficult to encounter a society more passionate about the beautiful game. So far my experience of football in Ghana has consisted of watching the national team in the 2012 African Cup of Nations. The highlight was certainly the 2-1 victory over Tunisia after extra time. When the ‘Black Stars’ scored the winning goal, the whole bar erupted with celebration and the TV commentary was promptly replaced by loud gospel music. Sadly Ghana were narrowly defeated in the semi-finals by Zambia.

4. Religion – this is a subject that people in Ghana are very keen on. Accra is definitely a city for believers. Christian to the core, Ghanaians name everything after Jesus, from their car registration plates to their shops. Walking around Accra one cannot help but notice the proliferation of stalls brandishing titles such as ‘Christ is My Redeemer’ or ‘Jesus Loves You Barbershop’. This personal devotion is supplemented by extreme collective worship. Church on a Sunday is an absolute must and many services are large, pre-planned events featuring thousands of people.

5. Weather – the temperature all year round here is hot. It’s crazy to think that as I write this people back in the UK are buried in snow because the temperature has not dropped below 25 since I have been here. As much as I am enjoying this winter sun, I could not imagine living in a climate where the weather does not change. The only seasonal variations are rain (which occurs from March to September) and dust (Saharan winds blown south, occurring this time of year). Of course, one of the consequences I have suffered is crippling sun burn!