The Market Experience...or 'Yes, we are in Africa'

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The only way I can really describe the rode system in the greater Accra area is to compare it to the digestive tract of a very large grumpy giant with indigestion. There is no real logic to how they work and although they stop up from time to time, are diverted to other paths, and are generally a tangle of people, blazing hot metal,and honking they seem to work well enough. Trotros are the primary mode of transportation serving as smaller faster more compact buses. Essentially they are modified vans, so that anywhere from 15 to 25 people can cram into them. Catching a tro is relatively easy especially near a stopping area. As you walk along the road or at the station you just listen to the driver's apprentice's as he calls out the final destination, like 'CECECECECIRCLE!!!" or you just yell out where you are headed to every inquiring tro. In our case Medina Market the closest large market from campus. Hearing where we were going a tro pulled up to us and the apprentice jumped out of the sliding door in one graceful movement. We hop inside and are off at once. Making sure to great those smashed up against us we rumble north, we say good morning and how are you and practice our rudimentary twi. Stop signs and lights are merely a suggestion and any merging or turning is accomplished with a large amount of honking and an almost super human knowledge of one's vehicle.
We know we have reached Medina when as far as the eye can see there are stalls and people lining every available side of the street and sidewalk. We pop out with the rest of the passengers to be almost assaulted by the smells of the market. Fish and body oder, cooking meats and chicken poo. Wandering along we feel ghostly hands touch our arms and legs accompanied with 'Eh Obruni!' 'Will you buy?' 'Obruni! Obruni!' Little children run up to shake our hands and hear our strange mouths form words like 'Hello! How are you!!' Market men and women will exclaim and laugh when you ask they ' Et te sen?' (how are you?) in Twi (phonetically spelled of course) they respond with ' Eh yeh!' (I'm fine) and then laugh some more. All of it is so good natured that it is impossible to take offense. The street opens suddenly and unexpectedly to large courtyards where there are women, children and men in neat groupings of tomato sellers, fish sellers and other food items. Music is blasting from large speakers and laughing, singing, and arguing fills the air over the constant stream of honking from the street. Through a huge archway we discovered a sea of bright cloth interspersed with seamstresses laboring over their work. Every color and design in the world could be found in these threads the women gladly pulling out bolts for you, holding it up to your hair and eyes and telly you how pretty you are. Buying a few yards for ·a skirt we headed back to the exit. As we were leaving I couldn't help but dance to the music playing so loudly to be greated by the approving laughter of everyone around us. One woman was so approving she made sure to pat each of our bottoms as we passed.
It was this first experience and the glimpse of an entirely different lifestyle and set of values that really hit home that yes, this is Africa.

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Photos

Akwaaba Dinner
Some of the girls

Akwaaba Dinner
Having a grand ol time

Housemates
Me, Kelsey, and Jesse

Comments

[Nancy]

Wonderful words !
Liz First - your descriptions are over the top- What a wonderful writer- All that reading paid off ! Your perceptions of what you are seeing and experiencing are right on I loved how you are noticing time. I think that the essence of travel is that learning SOOO much while doing 'nothing' second- In the picture of you I didn't recognize you- short curly hair you look a bit like Kath ! Have those curls always been there ? Thanks soooo much for doing this I can't wait for the next one Nancy