Day 35: Nourmous Nima Market

Accra - Nima and Kaneshie markets are like a fire hydrant of people that you can’t shut off.  Today we drove through both in an air conditioned truck (thank God) and if you did not fill up the space ahead of you with a car, people will rush in filling the space so you can’t advance.  Food is oftentimes displayed on the ground in large baskets and metal bowls and the black eyed peas, brown rice, and gari are covered by exhaust from cars and trucks.  Live chickens are for sale. Butchered halal goat is a new item for me to see, but these are markets that cater to Muslim customers. A truck selling malta is followed by an army of their young workers wearing their brands promotional t shirts while dodging in and out of the crowd marketing their products.  You are constantly avoiding potholes.  The Nima Market extends as far as the eye can see, enormous, roughly one mile wide and two miles long. The number and sheer size of markets indicate a healthy economy but an undeveloped one, as sales are conducted one to one and the market women bring their offerings in themselves. Everyone is an entrepreneur.  

The center street (Nima Highway) of the Islamic Nima Market looked less crowded, cleaner, quieter than others I have seen.  People smiled more readily and there was less pressure to buy.  Lots more livestock here such as goats and cows visible. We even found an internet cafe where we could do some research for 1 Ghana cedi per hour. Tim came here to purchase a kaftan for his Uncle Carl, and I happened across a dress shop. Since I left the fabric I purchased in a taxi we took to church last Sunday, I needed a replacement. Tim convinced me to buy the most beautiful caftan made in India. It is the sort of thing I would never allow myself to buy on account of the fact that it is completely impractical, but he encouraged me and I purchased it.  

Since the markets were so large and we got a bit turned around, we never did find the Spoon Restaurant we planned on eating at. Instead, we ate street food. I had boiled peanuts (ground nuts), roasted corn, and a donut. Tim just had two donuts. They were all delicious and tided us over until dinner at the Guest House.

A new mosque under construction in Nima looks a lot like the Hagia Sofia

Tim with CT's kaftan

Street food! And she used recycled office paper for packaging. Very environmentally responsible!

Marwa and Toure helped me with my caftan purchase.  They are a brother and sister team from the North.

The amazing caftan :)