Travel Day 2: Accra, Ghana (January 9, 2011)

Mostly I slept today, in part because of the jet lag but probably mostly because today was the first day I wasn't stressed out about something. I felt a little boring not going out right away to explore, but I'll cut myself some slack -- even I won't want to sleep the next 110 days away. My ride from the airport to my hotel picked me up around 2pm. Accra, the capital of Ghana, is smaller and less crowded than I expected, but still a city. Most of the buildings look like they date from no earlier than the 1950s (at least the ones I saw) but then again what do I know? The city's a little shabby by U.S. standards, but I've seen worse. I was pleased to see occassional barnyard animals wandering on the sidewalks; it made me believe I was someplace more exotic than Dayton. There were also, sad to say, a large number of beggars rolling themselves along on little carts near the ground. Maybe this was uncharitable, but I wondered if they were faking. But their legs were so skinny compared to their arms, I don't think they were.

So far I've only seen my hotel up close and it's... interesting. The Rising Phoenix Hotel is right on the beach, which is pretty and has a moderately loud but lulling sound akin to traffic. Minus the horns, sirens and cursing.

Good for sleeping. And it fits my stereotype of a run-down third world country hotel just fine haha. We had to drive though what appeared to be a tent city on our way to the door. My driver assured me that was good; it means the area is safe because women and children live there. O... K... Then when we first entered the compound I was a little alarmed by the fact that there was a rave going on in 2pm in the main courtyard/stage area. Turns out this is also a local hangout and entertainment venue. My room is far from the fun though (you know how much I hate fun!). It's a single cabin, with a shared bathroom down the walk.

The construction is interesting; in some places I can see through the bamboo walls to the outside and every bit of the walls is lined with mosquito net. This is hardly the Ritz, but seems built well for the climate. Off to bed...