Saturday morning walk to the Koala

(note: this post is just by me, Ross)

April 3, 2021

It is Saturday.  Easter Saturday.   I usually exercise a bit in the morning.  Today I decided to take a short morning walk to Koala Market to get some rolls for a Sunday dinner with friends tomorrow.  Not sure why it is called Koala except for the cute name.  They don't use the little bear as a marketing symbol.  I guess they just like the name.  This particular Koala Market is not far from our apartment.  We need some rolls, so I decided to get them this morning and take a walk for some different kind of morning exercise.

The streets are much quieter on Saturday mornings.  Fewer cars, people not in a hurry.  The biggest safety issue isn't keeping an eye out for cars or insane motorcycles, but keeping clear of the gutters.  Remember?  The animal and small vehicle devouring gutters.  I don't want to ever know what it is like getting out of one of those things.  

As I walk along, people will respond when you say, "good morning".  They smile back and use, in some cases, the best English and one of the few phrases they know;  "Good morning, sir."  Now, I just have to train my kids and grandkids to respond that way when I get home.  Good luck.

Only ten minutes to get there, saying "good mornings" along the way to the few people I meet.  It is sure humid!  It is 7:30 and the cool of the day has gone away.  It feels like I am in an oven, on low, slow heat. 

As I get inside the Koala and head for the bakery department, I can see the clerk taking some products off the shelves and replacing them with the same products, but only fresher ones.  They do that every morning.  My timing is perfect!  I grab a bag of rolls he put on the shelf just a short moment ago.  On my way out, I have to see what else there is in this place.  The morning is still quiet and this is only my second visit to the store.  It seems to cater to foreigners who want to keep eating what they are used to and avoid the local cuisine.  Things look expensive here. In the frozen section, there is smoked salmon from Ireland, along with fish cakes.  I see other "freshly frozen" seafood options with processed seafoods as well.  The produce looks clean.  I spot some bananas and have to buy them.  These are clean and packaged in a plastic bag, not like the smooth bags at home, but a "crinkly" plastic that tears easily.  Everyone uses it.

Rolls and bananas, then on my way back home.  There aren't many turns on this route.  The traffic is only pedestrian on this part of the walk.  As I head down one lane, I can see a mother and her child walking my way.  As they get closer, the mother says something in a language I don't understand.  She has her head covered which means she is likely Muslim.  Her English is nonexistent but I understand what she wants.  She wants something for her and the little boy (maybe three or four) to eat.  I am glad I had those bananas.  The bananas are easier to grab and something good in the morning. I reached in the bag and took a small bunch (three bananas) and gave them to her.  As I do it I ask the boy's name.  She doesn't understand the question.  She is smiling all the time; not pushy or overly needy.  I am happy to help.  She smiles some more and turns to keep walking the other way.

I was told that some of the newer, poor people who have shown up in recent time are people from Chad.  Some unrest there has caused a small migration.  They are mostly Muslim.  You can tell because all the women and girls (regardless of age) where a head covering so their face only shows.

I wanted to get a better picture.  People sometimes, however, don't like their picture taken.  It is polite to ask first.  Here they are walking away.  It is funny that I didn't remember she was carrying a bundle on her head until I see this picture.  Happens all the time now.  You can tell this is a very good part of town with less garbage strewn about and buildings people actually occupy.  Not many empty concrete shells.  

Not too far of a walk and I am home.  The whole trip there and back was a mile and a half.

Here is a picture of our street, Alema Avenue, and the front of our apartment complex, Alema Court.  It is the prettiest road I have seen so far in all of Accra.  The road is paved, most of the buildings along both sides are occupied and not cement shells.  The trees lining this part are picturesque. A safe, pretty place to live.  We are doing just fine.  Our apartment is on the second floor of these three story buildings, the far side of this first building.

It is the start of a great day.  Conference starts late this afternoon.  Four p.m. our time.  It will be good.