I have not read of
Osu being referred to as "
Obruni Town" but this has become the family nickname for the area whenever we pass through as it becomes visually apparent that we are not in Manet Ville (our neighbourhood) any more.
Osu proper centres around Cantonments Road that is known--outside of our family and inside of the
Bradt guide to Ghana--as Oxford Street. It is probably best-known to tourists and travellers as it is centrally located, near a number of embassies and has an impressive concentration of international restaurants that would provide the nervous diner with more than a few (relatively) safe comforts of home. There are also a lot of upscale shops, grocery stores (Koala) and one or two bookstores in the immediate area. All things considered, it would probably be a pretty good "home base" for a traveller set on exploring Accra, though less appealing as a holiday oasis.
Of course with a large concentration of
Obruni and other internationals, comes a large concentration of opportunists. The sellers in this area are a little more aggressive than in some other areas and I think this is because they feel they have one shot at making a sale. It has served us very well to return to markets and get to know sellers as the prices drop considerably once you've established loyalty. We had heard that Global Mamas, an
NGO-type shop that sells local goods, is fairly priced and reputable, but it was closed when we tried to go. I'm sure we'll try again.
What brings us back to
Osu is Frankie's, a Lebanese sports bar/restaurant that has excellent pizza and burgers. There is a huge
Papaye as well and while we are dedicated fans of the grilled fish, fried rice, french fries and cheeseburgers, there is one between work and home that has become the local equivalent of the golden arches every time we pass. One of Finn's first "African" words was
Papaye and our location even has two pet monkeys in a rather sad cage in the parking lot. We have also frequented the
Osu Food Court, which has an indoor playground for the kids (that carries a per child "spot charge" of 1-2
cedis...ugh!). It also has a sushi bar that one of my students recommended and
Carmilla and I have vowed to check out, preferably without the wee ones (sorry kids)!
This last picture doesn't so much tell the tale of
Osu (though it was taken there) as it does the the story of "Mama Africa." Women do so much of the work here, and as is pictured, they give a whole new meaning to the idea of multi-tasking! Rearing children--literally and figuratively--while hauling the day's wares and selling fruit to feed the family...all in a day's impressive work!
I have not read of Osu being referred to as "Obruni Town" but this has become the family nickname for the area whenever we pass through as it becomes visually apparent that we are not in Manet Ville (our neighbourhood) any more. Osu proper centres around Cantonments Road that is known--outside of our family and inside of the Bradt guide to Ghana--as Oxford Street. It is probably best-known to tourists and travellers as it is centrally located, near a number of embassies and has an impressive concentration of international restaurants that would provide the nervous diner with more than a few (relatively) safe comforts of home. There are also a lot of upscale shops, grocery stores (Koala) and one or two bookstores in the immediate area. All things considered, it would probably be a pretty good "home base" for a traveller set on exploring Accra, though less appealing as a holiday oasis. 
No comments:
Post a Comment