Category Archives: around accra

Black Star Square

Yesterday dawned sunny and pretty. After breakfast, I suggested we do the tourist thing since it was Sunday and there shouldn’t be a lot of traffic. Black Star Square, also known as Independence Square, is outside so we didn’t need to worry about whether was open or not.

Photo 26-03-18, 7 28 01 AMAs always, when we got there, the biggest question was, “where do we park?”. There wasn’t an actual parking lot so we parked on the side of the roundabout where there was room.

To our right, was the Independence Arch with the sea behind it. The square itself has stands with seating for 30,000. Independence Day celebrations, which take place on May 6, are held here as well as other large public gatherings and festivals.

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On this side of the street, you can also see a monument of a soldier that depicts fallen soldiers who lost their lives fighting for Ghanaian independence. I wasn’t able to get a good photo of that monument as access to the parade grounds was closed.

In the middle of the roundabout, you find the Black Star Gate.

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I didn’t know that you could actually climb a bunch of stairs and go to the top of it. There are some guys there, non-uniformed, probably non-sanctioned guys, who will show you the way up for a little something. My guess is you could go up by yourself but those guys will probably always be there. Just a guess!

The ceiling inside the gate is beautiful!

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As is the detail on the fencing around the monument.

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Anyway, when you get to the top, you can walk around and get an awesome 360 degree view of Accra. Worth the climb!

There are pretty flowers planted and I saw the most amazing blue bird there that I’ve indentified as a Greater Blue Eared Starling. It is possibly the prettiest bird I’ve ever seen. It shimmers a turquoise color in the sun! I tried to get some video. It’s not perfect but I think you can see the shimmer!

All in all, Black Star Square was well worth the trip. View a little of Ghana’s history, see some beautiful nature, and get a great view of the city!

Around Accra: Coco Lounge

My birthday was October 4 and David’s was November 4. Since we weren’t together for either one of them, we decided we’d celebrate both birthdays together on December 4. As I cruised around the internet and Trip Advisor, I decided that Coco Lounge looked like a good place to go.

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We arrived right on time even though I’m pretty sure the last kilometer of the drive took us 25 minutes. The traffic in Accra is unlike any I’ve ever seen before and 6:00 p.m. is a pretty busy time of day.

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We decided to order a cocktail and some chips while we decided on what to eat. David decided on a Heineken, the only beer they have on draft. I looked at the wine selection and was going to go with a glass of red wine until David discovered they have Beefeater Gin. Well! Since that’s my favorite, I ordered a dry Beefeater Martini up with olives.

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This part of our visit, the martini part, was the only part of our visit that was less than perfect. We saw they had drawn his beer but it appeared that they were stumped on how to make the martini. David said that I shouldn’t get my hopes up too high since they seemed to be having trouble. Our server finally delivered David’s beer and a perfect Beefeater martini for me. It was really good!

We ordered a second round of drinks while placing our dinner order. The second martini was not good. I’m not sure what was wrong with it but my guess is that they didn’t use the right gin. I took it back and she came back with a second martini. It wasn’t quite as good as the first but it was Beefeater and it was good. 

For dinner, David ordered spicy beef and rice stir fry which came in a bowl. It looked good and he confirmed that it was very good. I decided on the Coco Burger with additional cheese. If you know me, you’ll know that I’m on the endless search for the best burger in the world and a burger will be my first choice at any restaurant that serves one. This burger was delish! The cheese that was added was a nice thick chunk of cheddar. The fries were also good and I’m pretty picky about my fries. 

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We decided we’d split a piece of cake and the cake on the dessert menu was one of the big factors in my selection of this restaurant since we were celebrating birthdays. The three choices of cake (banana, sticky toffee, and raspberry vanilla) didn’t compare to the idea of a brownie with ice cream on top which is what we ended up with along with coffee. It was a very satisfying end to our meal!

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We got really good service and I love the decor and the vibe at Coco Lounge. I was also able to make my reservation via Facebook messenger before I ever even left Oklahoma! We will for sure return to try more of the menu items and help them to perfect their dry Beefeater martini. 😉

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It was a great place to celebrate our birthdays!