Makola Market & Aburi Botanical Gardens, Weekend #3

Our last weekend in Ghana as a group was going to be hectic. We’d forgone the tour to see the monkeys, instead choosing to spend the time in and around Accra. We hadn’t really had the opportunity to check off all the touristy things to see in Accra.

Starting at 9:00, we headed straight to Makola Market. Makola is the largest market in Ghana, and to say that it’s not enormous would be an understatement. It’s a sprawling labyrinth of street level stalls mixed with three or four story buildings containing even more stalls. We had been allocated an hour to walk around, but some of the group found it a little overwhelming. I loved it. Unlike some of the other destinations in Accra, we weren’t being harassed to buy, so we were free to walk around. The fresh food was particularly interesting, with pigs feet and snails the size of a man’s fist.

Walking around at street level was hectic, with women carrying baskets on their heads, vying for the same roadway as large delivery trucks and other pedestrians. It was busy, crazy, safe fun. Definitely worth a look.

We’ll contrast this to the Arts Centre, which is where they sell souvenirs to tourists. Vendors already start heckling you before the bus has even pulled to a stop. There is some great stuff to buy inside, and some people in the group love the bargaining process, but I just feel rushed and annoyed that I can’t just browse around in peace. Brother, would you like to see my paintings?

Due to the time constraints, we’ve been skipping either lunch or dinner everyday. Today, lunch was being skipped, so we headed off to the Aburi Botanical Gardens within the Eastern Region of Ghana. I’m not particularly fond of gardens at the best of times, but this one I actually enjoyed. Why’s that? Because after exploring some of the different areas, Dwight, Amy and myself trundled down one of the paths carved out by the locals, and we ended up half lost through this thick forest part of the garden.

Before it started to rain, we bundled into the bus and then headed back into Accra for dinner. We ended up at a place called Buka, which has a range of Ghanaian and Nigerian dishes. I had mixed feelings about my goat kontonmire stew. More on that later.