STREET SHOPS

Apparently the "middle class" in Ghana are those with a somewhat dependable income. So many of the people are dependent on what they can sell on the street each day.  Shops are made out of old shipping containers or scraps of wood and tin, whatever is available.

In addition, women walk through the streets with baskets of produce, drinks, breads, most everything imaginable on their heads. They stand regally, clean and modest, approaching cars to offer their wares. They are not abrasive, but polite. The transactions are made through car windows which is easy to do since traffic moves so slowly. (A nation of "Drive Throughs" as Stephen Abu suggested)

I often wonder just how much they truly can sell in a day and what they can take home to their families. They get their goods from a supplier and sell from early morning until late at night.
I get such a kick out of these babies hanging on their mother's backs.  It is practical, however!

Since we are either on foot or in a taxi, we buy most all our food from these street shops.  Luckily they are everywhere.  We cross a small but busy road to our neighborhood stores right by our apartment.  We buy bread at one store, produce at another, then find some canned goods farther down the way.

One Saturday we walked a mile or two to a larger market, bought produce and took a taxi back.

This last week, Hans was taking us home and drove us to a larger store where we got some "fresh" meat (maybe too fresh) and cheese, etc.  Things that are not available in our own neighborhood.
The two times we have been in a regular store I've only had a few minutes, never time to investigate!

Water is sold in "sachets" which are pint sized plastic bags.  We just bite off the corner with our eye teeth, spit out the tiny piece and suck the water from the packet.  The water is purified but I can't vouch for the plastic we put our mouth on.  Not a good practice if you are germaphobic.

Obviously, if we are eating street food we are not that picky but with little access to larger stores, it beats being hungry!

When we need more phone or internet time, we can buy it close.  The phone companies advertise their representatives by umbrellas marked with their name.  Most phone card venders, both at the umbrellas and selling through car windows have most all the phone cards.

This car wash is in our neighborhood.  You drive into a dirt floor lot and men wash your car.

Isn't that what a car was it?

 There are piles of old tires and old cars everywhere .  It seems like some business that would use those items would be a winner here.

On our trip to cape coast a beach resort used painted tires like flower pots.  I'll put it on that post when I get to it. They even hung them on a block fence.

 This woman is carrying peanuts!  They are stacked in a crescent. I have no idea how she keeps them in place or why she never spills them. See the nice house in the background?  Nicer houses are often found out away from the road.  The road is almost always lined with these shops.

I love that the mothers always hold their small children by the hand and the child let's them!  I guess it's like car seats.  They just don't have a choice!  Cars are whizzing past all the time. It's definitely a safety issue.  I'm still surprised at how clean and neat people dress, especially when they basically live in the dirt.

Two cute gals making banku on the street.  Seems I wrote about that in a blog.  Maybe it was on instagram.  I tasted banku one time. It's just cooked cornmeal dough that they dip in a stew of sorts and eat.  I'd like a chance to try some more of the local dishes.

Look how nice she looks!  I definitely did not bring nice enough clothes, especially for where I live.  I didn't want to spoil my nicer clothes so I brought older ones that I don't care much about.

Big mistake!  I feel underdressed a lot!  Who would have guessed!!!