Aquired two Fake Children!

Another long breakfast for me.  This time I met a fella named Jesse.  He is a professor of Anthropology in Philadelphia and has spent a huge amount of time in Ghana both for pleasure and research.  I came to find out later while hanging out with him that he speaks Twi (hope I got that right) and quite well from what I could hear.  He is in Accra for two weeks during his Sabbatical to promote his new book about the Hip Life (I will try to find the actual title of the book).  It is about the rise of a type of music called Hip Life.  He has been coming to Ghana for 15 plus years and lived in Accra for a couple years.  I think this is his third book but first to be published.

The people you meet traveling are quite fascinating there is no doubt about that!

After breakfast I headed out to wander the city.  I had no plan but felt quite safe to wander aimlessly.  I did get to an ATM quite quickly, which is good, as I had no money. 

I ended up wandering into one of the two main markets; Makola, which like most third world cities includes a bus station.  I was never harassed to buy and rarely to chat either.  I seem to go about somewhat unnoticed.  A couple women selling crabs did want me to eat crab and marry their brother as they thought my husband at home wouldn’t mind if there was another (no I am not married but I do wear a wedding ring and have a fake husband and two fake kids at home).

A few hours later I found myself walking up one of the main drags; Barns Road up towards Asylum Downs (a major area of the city).  I was half looking for cheaper accommodation and half just checking things out.  I did find one but it had no space and the smaller streets are not marked so difficult to find addresses.  Granted everyone is extremely nice and would gladly show you the way. 

On my walk up Barnes I talked to a student/street vendor who of course was trying to marry me.  The fact that I have a (fake) husband did nothing to slow him down; even when I told him my husband would be joining me in a couple weeks.  I had heard that Western Africa is very tough on a single woman traveling simply for the constant proposals of marriage and chat about give me a try as you will prefer me over your husband.  After leaving this latest proposal (he ended up walking with me a couple miles) I decided to acquire two (fake) children.  They are 9 and 10 and strangely enough hold a striking resemblance to my little sisters.  It has made all the difference in the world to have a fake husband two fake kids.  (I have always worn a fake wedding ring on my journeys).  I can even show pictures on my phone of my fake kids.  Works like a charm. 

Came back to Afia for a quite dinner, beer and to enjoy the view.