The first day in Accra

We woke up to a hotel that seemed far too lavish for Africa but was hugely appreciated nonetheless, and went for breakfast and a chat about what we anated to do that day - luckily we all agreed that the best plan was to have a stroll right down through the city to the beach. After a few wrong turns we headed to a market which turned out to be a real shock. There were people asleep everywhere, taking a siesta in the tropical rain, and the stalls that were open we're selling a baffling array of goods, from fake Premiership tops to pig trotters, aswell as a number of things that we simply couldn't identify, and some tasty looking chillis. Thankfully they also sold umbrellas.

Suitably armed, we made our way past people getting pedicures by the roadside, men weeing in the open sewers next to them and kids playing football everywhere. We were all struck by how unusual it was to walk through areas as poor as these and yet to not only not get hassled, but to get smiles and waves off everyone as you go along. It was unique in my experience and a great indicator of what a fantastic bunch the Ghanaians are.

The beach wasn't as clean or organised as the guide book promised, and in fact there was nowhere to get so much as a bottle of water. Richard had a bit of a kickabout with some kids but we soon decided to head off for lunch to a place where we could have goat stew and grilled chicken, along with mounds of mouth-melting chilli sauce. After we lunch we stocked up on bottled water and snacks for the mammoth drive tomorrow, and headed back to the hotel for a gym and a swim before dinner and bed.
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Location:Accra, Ghana