Sunday May 18th 2014 - Accra, Ghana

Sunday May 18th 2014 - Accra, Ghana

Statue at Mausoleum of Nkrumah

African stringed instrument maker

Early start for a full day tour to Accra. We docked at Tema, another container port. Started the tour and began the trip through Tema which was built more recently as the main port. still full of the roadside stalls and typical of the west African environment. We arrived through the financial centre of Accra passing the stock exchange, the presidential offices and some government offices. This caused us to wonder if this would have been the area where Derek would have been working and we would have lived, except for that coup-d'etat that changed our lives back in 1972.

Artisan stall

Large disparity of wealth here

First stop was the memorial and mausoleum of Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Revered leader of the first sub-saharan  nation to achieve independence. A fitting memorial with much historic and informative material. We were then dropped off at the Novotel, this was the Accra on your own tour to allow us free time to explore. But....it was Sunday so only a fraction of the local market was open, and that was a 2km walk in 32 degree, humid weather!!! Novatel was in a nondescript area with nothing interesting close by to explore. Not good planning by Princess cruises and many passengers were fuming. One poor guy spent 3 1/2 hours in the lobby of the hotel leaning on his cane. We did have some fun negotiating in the market and bought a couple of bits, before tromping back to Novotel to try a couple of local beer. they tasted like nectar after our foray into the humidity. 

Yes folks... a coffin

The coach returned and picked us up, drove passed a couple of sites..soccer stadium etc then off to a highly touted coffin maker specializing in distinctive coffin designs...submarines, movie camera, boat-shapes  etc. We expected deep quality not banged together driftwood!! not a desirable stop. Mitigating all this was the tour guide Yaw who was very knowledgeable and informative and a really nice guy. All in all not a great tour.  We did reflect much about what life would have been for us 42 years ago living here. We would probably have returned to UK after the contract and never made it to Canada. Methinks it all worked out for the best! Go Canada!!! Much of the bus was disgruntled on the trip home. We decided that we would cancel future bus tours except going to Rabat in Morocco and we will venture out on our own at all future ports... bound to have adventures!!! We met up with a couple and their daughter in the bar after dinner and had a great conversation and many laughs. This is one of the great things about cruising... meeting such great folks along the way.

Coffin

Movie camera coffin

Weird upright coffin

The dreaded tour bus

 

Leaving Tema, Ghana

Sunset as we leave