Apparently you go to East Africa for the animals and West Africa for the people. After a month in Ghana I would have to agree. I have become accustomed to the rhythm of life out here, adopting the steady step of a Ghanaian walk and above all a smile.

Accra is a sprawling city, but probably best seen through casual exploration by foot. A visit to the Makola market is a frenzied introduction to everyday Ghanaian life. Formidable women sit under huge straw hats, with babies strapped to their backs, behind piles of tomatoes, yams and beans. I battled through the packed streets, the heavy air humming with reggae rhythms and the stench of discarded rubbish and fish drying in the sun. You can be offered anything. Whilst picking up the groceries you can get a tummy trimmer and a catapult from one stall or a cute puppy dog and a marriage proposal next door.

A short taxi ride down the coast from Independence Square is James Town. Here, there’s hustle and bustle at every street corner and smiling football-mad kids welcome you with “Hi Obruni!”

For entertainment it has to be Oxford Street. You can meet friends for a drink and sushi at the Monsoon bar, Accra’s swankiest night-spot, or plump for meatballs in Coca-Cola sauce at more local establishments. Ghanaians are proud people whose friendliness is infectious, and they are the future of West Africa.

Edition 35: Summer 2006