Going to the Art Market and the Police Station

 I have decided never to go to the Art Market on the beach again without Dumevi. The minute your car drives on to the lot a crowd of eager hawkers swarm all around demanding you come and look. But with Dumevi I kept my eye on him and would tell the hawkers in an aside that I was with him. We had given all our money to Dumevi at the beginning of the trip so he could safeguard and negotiate with it. What a success! The hawkers melted away. Well there was one who said he remembered me from before (little over a year ago) and then proved it by bringing me more of the pictures and things I had bought from him last year! I didn't buy anything from him this time as I would like a portrait style picture rather than the long arty people that is very popular. 

I was the one driving as the only one in the car with a Ghanaian license. My anxiety level was high and I could feel the impatience of those who were more courageous and aggressive drivers.  Too bad they couldn't drive as Accra thrives on aggressive drivers. But we made it to the Art market without any hiccups and went to get the things Susie was looking for. Things for her grandchildren.

Dumevi negotiating for a hippopotamus, drums, and elephants

The art work is actually very wonderful and marvelous and there was so much of it! All those hours and hours of work sitting in a shop waiting for customers.

Rebekah was mostly an observer and never got sucked in by any deal

Juliet was along for the ride and enjoyed being with all of us

Susie was the shopper! She came back with a few bags of wonderful things

We had fun at the market with its high, high walls filled with merchandise. Everywhere you looked was things to buy. I did get sucked into buying dresses for my granddaughters. I sure hope they still fit when I get home in June. The lady threw in some key rings we had admired. Though competition is very fierce, they are very helpful to each other to make sure we got what we wanted even if it wasn't at their particular shop.

Adventure of a different kind - 

We then took off for the museum......but we never made it. I tried going by the directions I was being given but when I followed a taxi around a U-turn a police lady pulled me over up on the sidewalk and told me to follow her to the station. (Pictures are not allowed around Police personnell)

Following the policewoman, we ironically arrived at the lot next to the museum we were intending to visit. Luckily Dumevi did all the negotiating (telling them we were good people who had just given donations to the OSU Children's Home and market and didn't have lots of money left) The "fine" went from 350 down to something else, but really we did not have enough money even with all our money pooled together. 

While Dumevi was off negotiating a man with a wheel lock came up to lock our wheel. Juliet immediately opened the door and told him we were there voluntarily and not running away, and he stopped putting the lock on. Thanks Juliet!

Rebekah - or maybe Susan had an American 20 dollars that saved the day. The station took the twenty and Dumevi paid the man with the lock 10 cedis and we were off.

By then my anxiety was a little to high for any enjoyment, so it was decided to go home and do the museum another day. On the way home we stopped at a fruit stand and got some fruit. By then I had come down a bit and realized we could "do it all" because I could go home with Juliet and she could make the Jollof Rice she wanted to make for the girls and Susan and Rebekah could go with Dumevi in a taxi for the rest of the day's planned adventures.  Win-win. Life is good