Accra: Year of Return
- Jace Wyatt
- Sep 14, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 20, 2019
On a whim, my friend and I decided to visit Accra at the end of August. As we settled on dates and started some light research I was thrilled to learn we would be visiting during what’s being dubbed Year of Return. This year, 2019, marks 400 years since the first slaves arrived in Jamestown, VA from James Town, GH. Ghana has embarked on a year long campaign encouraging the diaspora to return and rediscover their ancestral lands.
James Town, Accra, Ghana
There’s a lot to unpack and write. I’ve started this entry so many times and it has gone in many directions. So over the next couple weeks I’m going to deconstruct my trip across a few posts. This particular post will be general and I’ll just share pictures and a few places we visited, like the slave dungeons. These dungeons deserve a post of their own. So be on the lookout in the coming weeks.
A visa and yellow fever are required to visit Ghana. A single entry visa is $60 for standard and $100 for rush. My friend mailed hers in as rush about 3 weeks prior to travel and got it back about a week later. I mailed mine standard about two weeks prior and I ended up having to fly to DC to get my visa in person because the USPS delivered my package a week later instead of next day priority. If you live in DC, I highly recommend going in person. I got mine in 24 hours. In short, make sure you give yourself plenty of time, but not too much time. The visa starts from the day it is issued. If purchasing standard visa, then dropping package in mail 21-30 days before departure should suffice.
Because of my job I’ve had my yellow fever vaccination for a few years and it was covered by my employer so I didn’t need to get one prior to this trip. From my understanding it cost my friend almost $200, but check with your insurance provider and physician.
I’d visited Accra about 15 years ago and I’m so proud of the country’s investment in the airport. Fifteen years ago the aircraft would have been met by airstairs and buses and it was dangerous to step outside the arrivals hall without an escort. Upon arrival we made our way through a clean terminal and breezed through customs and immigration as it was fully staffed.
As soon as we linked up with our friends, we headed to our Airbnb in East Legon. It’s about 15 mins from the airport and close to the University of Ghana. We stayed in a complex called The Gallery. There’s excellent security plus the units are modern and comfortable. There were quite a few foreigners on the property because of its proximity to the university. So if it’s your first time in the city, it’s an excellent choice. We are returning in January for my birthday and plan to rent a home in the neighborhood.
After a long nap, my friend came to pick us up for a night on the town. It was one of the best nights I’d had in a while. We went to a place called Gold Coast Restaurant and Bar. Highly recommend it! The drinks and finger foods were delicious, customer service was extraordinary, and the bad was top notch. We all danced the night away.
My friend and I woke up with hangovers, but pushed through and visited some of the major tourist spots: Independence Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, and the Center for National Culture shopping center. Independence Square is a landmark, but unless you’re set on taking a picture of it there isn’t much to see. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is worth the visit. It’s a major tourist spot so be prepared to be swarmed by individuals selling their goods.
Afterwards our friend picked us up and took us to Madina where we watched him negotiate the sale of goats and lambs and prepare them for slaughter. I took photos and videos of the process but due to their graphic nature I won’t post them. Watching that goat go from the stable to my plate was humbling gave me more respect for the animals and farmers.
Madina Market
The next day we went down to James Town area to check out Ussher Fort and Brazil House. We were unable to get to Brazil House, but it’s the location of Accra’s major art festival Chale Wote (look it up!) . We missed it by a few days, but won’t make that mistake next year. Ussher Fort was used to hold a handful of prisoners and transport a few slaves. I’ll write more about our visit in a separate post, but note that it’s technically not open for formal tours. The door was unlocked so my friend and I walked in. There were a couple of squatters on the property and one gentleman offered to give us a walk around. We figured why not and went for it. Ended up being well worth it. At the end we paid him what would have been the entry fee if it were formally open.
Ussher Fort
Afterwards we made our way to Labadi Beach. This is the place to be seen. It was a Sunday afternoon, so it was quite lively. There are many restaurants along the beach and they all seemed to be filled with locals and tourists alike. I don’t recall the name of the one on which we settled, but felt it was a great choice. We were seated right along the waterfront (so close that at one point our shoes were nearly washed away!). We ordered red-red beans and fried chicken, enjoyed hookah (or as we were corrected: shisha), and danced to afro-beats and 90s hip hop and R&B.
The next morning we made our way to Cape Coast. We originally planned to do Elmina and Cape Coast slave dungeons, but due to time constraints decided to do focus on Cape Coast and include Kakum National Park. The words we choose matter. This is why I seldom refer to Cape Coast and Elmina as castles. Castles invoke a sort of fairytale-ness and nothing close to that occurred in those places. I’ll refer to them as dungeons or forts.
On our final day we kept it chill. Our friend brought over someone to take our measurements to get some custom made clothes, we enjoyed some homemade soup with fufu, a bit more Jollof and each other’s company before our departure flight that night.
I fell in love with Accra and the people. Everyone I met was friendly and helpful. Yes, there’s a bit of a hustle, but no different than anywhere else in the world and never did I feel unsafe. A simple no thanks and most people move on. Hell, I’ve felt more threatened on the streets of NYC or Rome. I do recommend going with someone who knows Accra or hiring someone for your first visit. Though, after having been, I feel confident moving through the city on my own and I have several friends who go by themselves a couple times a year, but let someone help you out on that first visit.
Stay tuned for additional posts as I write about my visit to the Madina Market, Cape Coast Slave Dungeon, the spirit of the people, and why I’ll be returning to Ghana soon.
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