West African Days

« Packing up | Main | 419'ing not allowed »

March 7, 2005

I cannot get away from Ricky Martin

The fans are cranked up on high, Ricky Martin's "La Vida Loca" is booming from a huge cassette player and I'm lined up with Ghanaians at a row of computers in the Cybercity internet center.

Freeborn, the son of my Ghanaian host, chats on his cell phone nearby as I check email.

I was last in Accra about 10 years ago, and while many of the sights are unchanged -- hawkers at wooden tables selling Chinese-made plasticware, women in bright African dresses and flip-flops, beat-up Opel taxis careening down the streets -- the technology has taken a great leap and Accra is rocking.

Accra is also very hot, about 100-degrees and muggy. Freeborn's cousin, Prince, has advised me to just stand in front of the fan all day today and maybe tomorrow as I acclimate. (tempting)

Today is a national holiday, in observance of yesterday's Independence Day. I missed the parades and festivities yesterday (arrived late at night), but am hoping to get down to the beach where bands are playing and people are lounging. Maybe I'll just lounge with them.

I was surprised yesterday when I boarded my London-Accra flight to find that my seat-mate, Ishmael, is a former refugee from Buduburam, the camp in Ghana where I plan to shoot a story or two. Ishmael, a Liberian teenager, moved from the camp to Philadelphia three years ago. He was on his second plane trip ever, going back to Buduburam to visit his aunts and cousins. Hopefully I'll find him when I go to the camp later this week.

Posted by Cathryn Poff at March 7, 2005 12:22 PM

Comments

Posted by: LA at March 8, 2005 4:56 AM