A fine mess of contradictions

"I need to get out of here," gasped the Dutch girl. "I am going to freak out." This is the only way I can describe the market in downtown Accra. Yes, I am posting again, because the power AND water is out at the house, so enjoying the internet at a cafe with a generator is pretty much my only option besides sleeping with the mosquitoes right now.

Things have been WILD here, to say the least. Today we had our first "real" market experience. The last time we walked past I was terrified. Let's just say that I almost had a nervous breakdown. The smells, the amount of people, the different things to look at- it was so overwhelming. There are many dark alleys filled with random things to buy, people sleeping, children playing, bathroom areas, and anything and everything. It is also extremely hot. Everyone is carrying their possessions on their heads and you have to duck to avoid getting hit in the head with a giant bowl.

We walked past food I didn't even know you could eat. My supervisor Kersten warned us about the "food section" of the market and I think she vastly underestimated. Can I just say that I owe Dallas a huge hug for her shoe advice! These Keen sandals have kept out dirt, sewage, glass and would probably protect me from real toe damage in the open sewers I am so afraid of falling in. I am a huge germaphobe, and this experience has made me realize that even moreso, haha. Back to the food section- I saw pigs feet melting in the sun, tons of dehydrated or "fresh" fish all over the place, giant slugs, cured bats, and bush rat. You heard me, BUSH RAT. I was like, "um Slyvia, I think I just saw some beavers for sale over there." Hahaha, that is what they looked like, until someone told me what they actually were. It was quite the experience to say the least. I would need a lot more time to get accustomed to that. I can deal with the rusty tro tros and eating with my hands, but I just can't eat cow skin that is rolled up in a bucket at the market. I just cannot. I'm sure everyone at home is getting a kick out of this. But I did learn to pound fu fu today and everyone laughed at me, but it tasted good- especially with meat-free ground nut soup.

Oh, quick sidenote. The language most people speak in Accra besides Twi is Ga. Did you hear that Patrick? You could be "Gaaaa! ing" all over the place. Sorry random Ga joke. Twi lessons are improving.

There is no way to describe reggae night besides amazing. We got together with a bunch of Kersten's Ghanaian friends who took us there and we danced until 4am! I know, potentially sounds unsafe, but we had a whole entourage or I would never have attempted that. We listened to Bob Marley, Regga (sp?), high-life and lots of grooving tunes while dancing away on the beach. I got a few bug bites, but the cool breeze and warm sand were hard to resist. It was such a good night. If we hadn't had a lot of the local guys with us though- it might have been trouble. As an obruni (white person), Ghanaian men will want to marry you because they think you are rich- said one guy I met that night (but of course he just wanted to give me his email... riiighht). Whether or not this is true, we got attacked by dancing reggae lovers about every 3 seconds. The guys we went with were part of an amazing dance team though so they did their best to protect us from potential booty-grabbing guys. It would have been hell had we not had some "protectors" who took taxis with us there and back home. I am definitely learning how to shake it- and I am practicing like mad at the local places. Reggae night was like a huge hotbox outside. I inhaled more ganja (sp?) than in a cafe in Amsterdam and it was not at all by choice. Besides some 7 foot tall guy who took a liking to me and tried to "take me to the other side of the beach to write down his phone number" we were safe and had tons of fun. Our cabbie almost killed a dog on his way home, and didn't even slow down, but I think my screams made him realize it was not a good idea.

Last night I realized that all the carbohydrates were sitting like rocks in my stomach. I wasn't able to have much fun because of this at a local place, but everyone was so concerned. One of the guys wouldn't let me and the other Canadian girl go home early on our own so he took a cab home with us to make sure we were okay. We also realized we had no way of making sure we were going the right way in the dark. But so far I am safe and well and will post some pics now if I can get them to work. Some are of the local kids, who absolutely love having their pictures taken. Sooo cuteee!

I miss everyone and am scared for Kumasi because it is most definitely different than Accra, and because there is one bathroom break on a six hour bus ride, and it might be at the side of the road. Ah, public toilets/no toilets. The bane of my existence. Enjoy the pics that I can't figure out how to rotate or format!