Accra, Day 3

Today we went to the city center (Accra's financial district), had our first non-group lunch and then presentations for class! One of our assignments was to assess the accessibility of places for people with disabilities. We practiced measuring and assessing during our first class but were told to also measure steps  and ramps to see if they would make code. So we were to that during our first stop at the business center!

This is the post office in the center of the business district. I bought some post cards and stamps!

While we started to measure, some people came out and ask us what we were doing. It got a little uncomfortable and I realized that I didn't want to measure anymore. I was a little concerned with coming off as a 'typical American'coming to a different country and trying to fix things. So we just kind of eyeballed things from there. But the business center was not wheelchair friendly and some places like the post office and banks had counters that were high and big steps.

While we went back to the bus, we were parked on a hill overlooking the ocean. It was really beautiful and we could see the fishing boats! 

So many boats! It was amazing.

After we got on the bus we went to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana. The park stands on the same sight that used to be a Polo field that Ghanians were not allowed access to. When Ghana won their independence, Kwame Nkrumah gave his fist speech there! It was very interesting to hear about his life and some of the politics in Ghana.

The final resting place of Kwame Nkrumah. The statue is of him doing his party's symbol which means, 'Always Forward, Never Back'

A statue of Kwame Nkrumah that was destroyed. They didn't find the head until 2009!

After the park we were to have lunch on our own. I wanted to go back to Makola Market to get some fabric. Darci also wanted to go and get fabric along with some other girls. So we had the bus drop us off at the market and all split up. Darci and I were able to find some fabric and the market was much less overwhelming the second time around. I think I knew a little more of what to expect and I did some great bargaining as well! I was able to bring my purchases down by half! Darci and I then successfully negotiated a taxi to take us back to the hotel for 5 Cedis (about 2.50 USD)! We ate lunch at the hotel, uploaded pictures and then got the bus back to class! At class we had presentations of what we have learned so far and showed each other our pictures! My group talked about how we weren't sure what our roles have been and how awkward it has been to measure things and try to change them. But we also talked about what we have learned so far and showed some pictures! Then we had dinner at Tante Marie and a seamstress was there to take our designs and measurements!

After dinner, a group of us (me, Darci, Mehir, Liz, Alyssa, Christina, Clarita and for a while, Ethan, Sheila and Olympia) went to a bar called The Republic. There was a live band and it was a lot of fun! I had a drink called 'weozar' and it was verry very sweet! I also tried ginger beer but after a while I switched to regular beer! There may or may not also be pictures somewhere on the internet of us using the measuring tape to measure shot glasses, my mouth and being used as a limbo poll. Good times! 

Darci, me and Alyssa enjoying a weozor!