The main unit of currency in Ghana is the cedi (pronounced “seedy”). One US dollar is equivalent to about 1.5 cedis, and while I’m a math nerd and like to convert down to the cent, it’s also very tempting to think everything is a good deal because the price in dollars is always less than the listed amount in cedis. Likewise, it’s tempting to think that because this is a developing country everything is cheap. Lately however, I have begun to realize that is just not the case. I’m shocked that shampoo costs about $7 or a frozen popcicle is $2.
The trick is to go to markets to get materials, but then again it is a very difficult endeavor to bargain when you are white. Yesterday, I went with a classmate, Hannah, to Central Accra market; several times she would talk to the vendor to get the price of something she needed then turn around and walk away. Apparently they “see me with a white lady and raise the price.” Whoops, sorry about that. I wasn’t even the one asking or buying. I have no problem bargaining, but you need a general idea of how much something should cost before you can do that.
Central Accra Market was a world of its own. This huge outdoor market has everything you would ever need (or not need). Even though it was a Monday, the place was packed. Think of driving in Dehli or the traffic jam around l’Arc de Triumph. It was like that… but with people. Hannah was walking very fast in front of me, and I was struggling to follow. Not only do you need to look down because the ground is made of stochastically-placed stone in concrete and there are deep cement gutters lining all the roadsides; you also need to watch your head for the platters full of fruit or soap or fabrics that women carry on their heads. Not to mention I also needed to keep an eye on Hannah so I wouldn’t lose her. It is necessary to thrust your body in front of people or basically cut them off to get anywhere. And you learn not to feel bad about it.
When leaving the market, we thought it would be easiest to get a taxi. I stood a bit distant so as not to be seen. Hannah finally found one that would take 6 cedis, for two people she specified. Once we got in, they started talking in Twi and after a few minutes she turned to me and said, “Get out. This man wants to cheat us.” Apparently he raised the price to 8 cedis, (which was only a little over a dollar more) but the fact that he changed the price after it was negotiated solely on the basis that I was white was unacceptable.
My roommate Lesego and I were discussing the observation that things here all seem so expensive. We agreed that public transportation was the one relatively cheap commodity. There are loads of “tro-tro’s” that travel back and forth along the roads of Accra. These are small bus/large van type vehicles manned by the driver and the “mate.” They pull over to the side of the road wherever there is a crowd of people waiting, the mate shouts out the direction or destination, and then people hop in or out of the vehicle. Trust me, these hot crowded vans are not the most comfortable mode of transportation, but they only cost about 40 pesewas (cents).
Lesego and I took a tro-tro to Madina Market today so we could get cooking materials. Though our hostel has a kitchen, it provides nothing beyond a sink. For 20 cedis we got a rice cooker; for 35 cedis we got a hot-plate; and for 21 cedis we got a pot and a frying pan. I sort of feel that we got ripped off, but we did have a Ghanain with us. Lesego is from Botswana, so once she talks, she gives herself away. When we were walking to the tro-tro, I told her to put on her mean face so that she could be in charge of bargaining. She turned to me and said, “That is not a good price!” then starts dying of laughter. At 5’5” and maybe 115 lbs, her stature does not provide the most intimidating confrontation.
The picture above is the outside of Madina Market. It gets much more packed inside.
On the way back from the market, we bought a grilled plantain for 40 pesewas. Usually everything is fried here, so we jumped on the opportunity. We got this one from a market on campus where apparently they use old test papers to distribute their plantain. It gave us a laugh. Hopefully now we can start cooking for ourselves because we have been buying almost all of our meals at cafeterias around campus. Though meals are only a few dollars each, that will start to add up.
It’s nice that Lesego and I are able to share a lot of things. We are comfortable enough that sometimes she will buy a meal and share it or vice versa, and sometimes we’ll pay for the other’s transportation. It’s great because neither one of us ever “keeps score.”
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