Indoor shopping malls are a fairly new concept in Ghana. There are two in Accra -- one opened in 2008 and the other in 2012. A much larger mall recently opened 11 miles outside of Accra. But this type of shopping is not affordable for most Ghanaians.
Makola Market and Kaneshie Market are colorful open-air "department stores" in Accra. Each spreads over many street blocks. Hot, noisy and full of pungent smells, they are a bewildering sprawl of kitchenware, jewelery, textiles, notions, clothing, shoes, food (dead and alive) and much, much more. If we can't find what we want in the stores where we shop, the answer to our question "Where can I find it?" is always the same: "In the market."
On weekends we are often exposed to smaller outdoor markets that are found in the suburbs of Accra, lining both sides of the roads with local merchants and shoppers who spill into the streets and often make it difficult to drive anywhere quickly. Markets are kept local because of lack of transportation for most residents. When we are in the car, I usually carry the camera on my lap, ready for a good picture. But it's difficult to capture the amazing array of merchandise and activity we pass through in these markets.
Last Sunday, as we drove through Ashaiman's "choked" market on the way to church, I couldn't get my camera up and in focus fast enough to catch a man juggling an armful of furry animal legs with hoofs, cut just below the knee. I want to know who buys them, how they are cooked and eaten. No, maybe I don't want to know.
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| Buckets, brooms, waste baskets, rugs, ironing boards | Men's shirts, probably last year's styles from the U.S. |
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| Shoes and slippers (flip flops) | Handmade baskets and wicker furniture |
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| Tropical fruit | Pots |
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| Hard-boiled eggs w/ salt; groundnuts (African peanuts) | Backpacks |
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| "Football" socks and shin guards | Some shopping stops are more organized than others |
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| Heavy felt to cover floors | Bottled drinks |
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| Grasscutters (large rodent) skinned, cleaned, grilled | Local frozen fish (if you don't like the dried variety) |
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| Staples include rice, maize, oil, casava, yams, plantain | Tomatoes, garden eggs, and HOT peppers |
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| And my favorite place -- the produce market |
