Day 10: Virgins No More!

Today we took a tro tro for the fist time.  I was so scared to take it, but we are tro tro virgins no more! It was 1 Ghana Cedi per person, roughly 30 cents a person!!!  We usually get charged between 8 and 25 Cedi for the cabs.  This however, is an inflated obroni (foreigner) price.  It does take some walking to the bus stop (about .5 mile) and a few blocks to the final destination (The Marina Mall) but such a relief not to get that feeling you are getting ripped off on a daily basis.

On the way we spotted an airplane restaurant as well as a rare road sign.  There is very little signage in Accra and consequently people use monuments to orient themselves instead of street names.  

Airplane Restaurant for 30 Ghana Cedis/person

Rare signage

For a change of pace we decided to forgo Ghanaian food and try some other options.  I had a fatoush salad with lettuce, tomatoes, fried crispy bits of pita, a freshly made vinaigrette, and a side of hummus.  Tim opted for the hamburger and fries. You pay a premium for fast food here.  It's like a special treat.
We ate dessert at a French type coffee shop.  We had Cafe Americano with some mini Bavarian creme donuts and a chocolate ganache.  Somehow, I never quite feel myself until I have had the opportunity to have some Western style coffee once or twice a week.

The lines at KFC were ridiculous!

Fatousch salad with hummus

Marina's Lebanese fast food restaurant in Marina Mall

Grocery shopping was last on the list.  On Saturday and Sunday the cook is off duty.  Also, when there are not enough guests, we have to find our own food.  We purchased some staples like pasta and canned vegetables.  Tim even got some milk and cereal.  I purchased some carob molasses to bring home with me.  It says you are supposed to mix it with tahini for a pb&j-like treat.  Most of the processed foods originate in Lebanon.  This Max Mart store was the third grocery store we visited and was the most well stocked store we encountered to date.  They even had a European style deli and bakery.  I managed to take a picture or two before the security man stopped me.

Max Mart had the biggest produce section of any supermarket at 3x the price of roadside markets

Coffee and sandwich shop

Prince, a worker at d cafe

Day 9: The Cook Was From Togo

Today various heads of state met here in Accra for the ECOWAS (The Economic Community Of West African States) conference.  We got a late start due to the torrential downpour and by the time we left the gate traffic was locked up in every direction as far as the eye could see.  Our plan was to walk up to the presidential palace, Flagstaff House, to get a tour.  Good thing we were walking.  Ghanaians bore the blocking up of their streets with stoic patience.  As the various heads of state rushed with their motorcades from one meeting to another, entire highways were blocked off, creating the most horrific gridlock.  

We stopped at the Afrikiko complex of restaurants on the corner down the street from Flagstaff house and ate the best Ghanaian food since our arrival.  The Tam Tam restaurant offered up a buffet from which we could actually get fresh produce (a rarity in this tropical country) and sample a variety of regional Ghanaian foods.  We hammed it up with the vocalist from the two man band.  Afterwards we interviewed the owner of the complex, Mrs. Dorothy Opare, a successful restaurateur, caterer, and resort owner.  

Afterwards we tried to get a tour of Flagstaff House.  On our way we met the most "ginourmous" Military Policeman. No joy getting in for a tour, but on our way back from the attempt we met Dr. Abdulai and his colleague.  We had an amazing interview with him where we talked about food and how it relates to the Ghanaian economy.  

Flagstaff House

Complimentary pineapple juice with a curly straw

Brandi was to embarrassed to sing when given her big chance

This was the biggest policeman we have ever seen.

Recently published work of Dr. David N. Abdulai

Day 8: I Am An O'Broni

Today Brandi and I were up at 6:30 am (2:30 am in the U.S./edt) for our eighth day in Ghana.  As we have interviewed Ghanans about their food opinions, we always ask for their favorite Ghanaian restaurant.  In this way we have compiled a list which we plan to visit.  On the top of the list today, because of its location near the national archives, we headed to the Asanka restaurant in Adabraka.  On the way from where the taxi dropped us off we passed by the Coco Board.  Here we met two coco farmers from the eastern region of Ghana who were very gracious to meet with us for almost an hour to discuss how coco is grown, exported, and how the government hinders the farmer's success with their attempts to be helpful.  These men invited us to visit their farm so we invited them to lunch.  They accepted our invitation and offered us a ride to Asanka.  As we arrived they received a phone call from someone at the Coco Board office attempting to meet with them.  They had to drop us off at Asanka and hurry back.

Once inside Asanka we found a small, covered but open air restaurant with about ten tables for four.  We were able to choose our seat and then we were attended by a young waitress who gave us the menu orally and who took our order without writing anything.  Together, Brandi and I chose banku with talapia along with fufu.  This was our first time to try the fufu.  In Ghana you are supposed to dip it out of the soup with your fingers and eat with your hands.  If you use a spoon then you are an O'Broni which means foreigner.  The coco farmer had said, "If you haven't eaten fufu then you haven't eaten."  He said he eats it every day, morning, noon, and night. The portions were large so Brandi and I were unable to eat it all.  And we decided we like the banku better than the fufu.  Brandi doesn't like eating with her hands.  We paid 31 ceti (about $10) for our meal and then walked to the archives.  Along the way, we saw many children coming from school.  Some of them called me an O'Broni.  Brandi thought this was funny since she was thinking, surely, they would not think of her as an O'Broni.  Then, sure as Asante Kotoko, further down the street, the children started calling Brandi O'Broni.  Bam!  I have not laughed as much since yesterday.

Day 7: The Officials Weigh In

Today we ran the spectrum of consumers from the Tourism Authority to Lizzie's Eatery near the presidential palace, Flagstaff House.  We began by meeting with Barbara Baeta of Flair Catering.  She invited us to church and lunch in two weeks time.  Then we lunched at Dez Amis near Flagstaff House.  This restaurant caters to British, French, and American expats. Lizzie's Eatery was up next.  Located across the street from Dez Amis and frequented by locals, we saw young men doing some of the cooking for Lizzie outside in front of the restaurant.  Afterwards we walked to the Tourism Authority and learned some opinions about the responsibility of the government for promoting a national food of Ghana.  We finished up with visits to Parliament House, the Convention Center, and the Football Stadium where Tim scored free tickets for an upcoming soccer game!

Brandi with famous Barbara Baeta of Flair Catering. She has catered for numerous heads of state, including Obama

Monkeys outside of Dez Amis

English Tea

Ghana Tourism Authority

Parliment House

Day 6: University of Ghana

Today we spent the day at the U of Ghana in East Legon.  A supportive collegiate environment.  Mediterranean style architecture with clay tile roofs and central courtyards.  Students were quiet, purposeful, and studious, albeit poorer than US students judging by their food choices.   Many beautiful water fountains strategically placed.  

Lots of interesting and helpful professors and students. We have earned an opportunity to visit surrounding cocoa and pineapple farms this week with Mr. William from the Crop Sciences Department. We didn't really eat anything special. We both ate red red again (black eyed peas with fried plantain fried in palm oil). Getting the feeling that there really is not much variety in Ghanaian food.  

The manager of the dining hall (open daily from 12 to 4 pm), a subsidiary of Odurise, boasted that they provided some food from each region except for the far north as that food was more difficult and costly to obtain. He gave us a tour of this kitchen.  

We even saw some American students. Dr. Ajayisa, Church historian and cultural studies historian, welcomed us to the History Department and invited us to church this Sunday. What a delightful day!

Tim at U of Ghana's Balme Library

Dr. Christiana Nti Department Head of Consumer Sciences and Brandi

Beautiful fountain at University of Ghana

Processing cassava at U of Ghana Cafeteria

Cleaning scallions at U of Ghana Cafeteria

Day 4 and 5 Monuments and Malls

Yesterday the 25th we took the day off from interviewing.  We walked all the way down Kojo Thompson Avenue to the sea from the Calvary Baptist Church in the Adabraka neighborhood.  The service was eerily much like at home. We did eat at Mr. Biggs, a "fast food" chain located right across from the church.  

Diners tend to respect meal time by keeping conversation to a minimum.  Food is always served by a worker on a tray. The worker opens your beverage for you at the table.  (This is even true of coffee shops like the Canadian chain Second Cup.) Oftentimes in nicer restaurants, a sink is available or a bowl with soap brought to table, for the purpose of washing your hands before and after eating fufu, which is eaten without the aid of utensils. They always strive to give you excellent service and don't expect a tip. Ten percent is considered extravagant.

We walked to the Kwame Nkruma National Park and the Christianborg Castle. I held the phone Kwame Nkruma used. We saw the beach and parade ground that day. We walked for three hours through what I would call "questionable" markets in a part of town that was once a thriving business district. We were not assaulted. Awesome!

Today we went to the Accra Mall to interview managers at Shoprite and at the restaurant that boasts the best African food in Accra: Maquis Tante Marie. We got in three interviews.

Calvary Baptist Adabraka, Accra

Kwame Nkruma Tomb/Memorial Park

Tim @ Calvary Baptist

Banku (Masa dumplings) with Fish at Mr. Biggs, across from Calvary Baptist

At Maquis Tante Marie Restaurant, Accra Mall

Kenkey - seasoned, spicy fried plantain at Maquis Tante Marie's

Using Kwame Nkruma's telephone with Yaw

At Mr. Biggs there is two for one pizza on Wednesdays!

Day 3 Market Day

Today Tim and I accompanied Adelaide the Cook from the Guesthouse to the Adomo market.  We did not take pictures as we were having trouble keeping up with her while we negotiated the rubble, puddle, and debris strewn dirt paths. Very narrow, winding dirt paths that wound their way through hundreds of stalls of smoked fish, ginormous yams, garden eggs (small yellow eggplant), and various items of produce in the process of rapid decomposition.  We picked up all we could and headed to the Koala Supermarket in Osu where uniformed clerks held open doors, dispensed free samples of Nestle coffee, and where "minced meat" was obtainable for 15 cedis/per kilo (+2.2 lbs), all in air conditioned comfort.  Both places had porters available for a small fee.  Porters at the Adomo market helped carry your purchases to the waiting gypsy cab stand for 3 cedi where you share the cab with three other people for 2 cedi more.  For the same price a porter at the Koala would push your cart for you and carry your purchases outside to your private vehicle or waiting taxi.    

Afterwards, we accompanied Christy to the brand spanking new Palace Supermarket.  This place had that new building smell, with a French Bakery and the first in West Africa, Canadian owned, Second Cup Coffee shop.  We had the opportunity to interview the West African Regional Manager of Second Cup.  Five more are being planned in Ghana, but this coffee shop is the first in the region! The shelves, full of highly processed food, was a Westerners dream.  It was every bit as large as a Walmart, but a one of a kind place in Ghana. I enjoyed a super strong medium roast cup of coffee and purchased canned hummus (yuck) and Lav-ash bread (so so).

Goin' to the Palace! Mecca for Westerners...

Summer is high season in Ghana for Academics from the USA. We were trying to get our coffee fix on.

Most rice comes from Thailand, but here is some from the USA and I found some from India as well.

Day 2 and "Real" Ghanaian Food

Today we slept in and missed the homemade biscuits and gravy the cook made us.  :(  But we did walk back to the part of town called Osu where there are lots of vendors, hotels, consulates, and restaurants.  The one restaurant we were looking for was called Country Kitchen.  It came highly recommended.  We set out on foot and asked several people along the way where this place was (folks in Accra don't recognize street names), and each person told us it was just a little further.  On the way, Tim enjoyed some fresh coconut water.  After about 45 minutes of walking, we finally found it!  It was like an oasis.  An open air dining room with a thatched roof and colorfully decorated tables, we were seated even though it was only 10:30 in the morning. We enjoyed fresh juices (I had pineapple-ginger and Tim a mango-passion fruit), cold water, and well prepared, hearty Ghanaian food. Our meal cost 55.50 cedis.

Tim and his coconut

Red Beans (black eyed peas with palm nut oil), Palaver Sauce (spinach and fish), Fish, and plantain

Club sandwich with whole chicken breast, egg, thousand island dressing, lettuce, onion, tomato

Arrival

Ironically enough, our first foray into the world of food in Accra was at a Mexican Restaurant named El Paso, the only Mexican restaurant in Accra (or so we were told).  The food was beyond fresh, the presentation superb, and the service impeccable.  For this pleasure we parted with 55 cedis, which was roughly $18.62 USD.  We even broke the ice by interviewing the Philippine manager and her husband who was a chef at another restaurant in Accra.

I feel a little ashamed that we went right for regional American food, but I suppose when you are in a strange place familiar foods are comforting.  Tomorrow we pick up something from the pharmacy called cipro to help us deal with upset stomach that may be caused by any street food we will ingest.  I am going to be looking for fried bread called "puff puff".  We were told to carry powdered sugar with us to sprinkle on top for an improvised funnel cade.

Beans and Rice

Danqua Circle Osu, Accra

Chicken Burrito with Guacamole and Pico de Gallo

Brandi at the El Paso in Accra, Ghana