Damn Cedis!

In June, Ghana changed its currency from thousands to single denominations. This means that what used to be 10,000 Cedis is now 1 Cedis, worth a little more than US$1. Confusingly, not every business, or every Ghanaian has adjusted to the new system.

Therefore, depending upon where you make a purchase, or pay for a service including taxis and tro-tros (minibuses carrying a bunch of people to different locations), the old or new currency system may be used. Taxi drivers and street vendors, for example, tend to speak in the old currency, while grocery stores tag their items using the new currency.

My fellow JHR trainers, Alison and Hannah, and I have had some difficulty adjusting to the currency ourselves. Here’s just one humorous example to share upon our third day in Accra.

Craving a beer after a long day of touring the city and receiving the rundown of our upcoming placements from our country director, Ato, we decided to venture out from our guesthouse, Dot’s Inn, in Labone, and find the closest bar. Whether we should turn right or left was the first decision to make. Left it was. Walking along the dark street, taxis and other speeding vehicles whizzing by our sides, locals peering from the roadside, we saw a sign to Captain Hook’s bar and restaurant pointing right. So, right it was.

We ventured, hopping over open sewers onto the grass and back onto the roadside again avoiding obstacles in the way, for about another kilometre. Since Captain Hook’s was nowhere in sight we decided to ask a guard at a very expensive hotel to our left with Mercedes and BMWs gracing the driveway for directions. The guard said it was much farther up the road and advised we take a taxi. Not wishing to wander so far, we decided to head back to another guesthouse we had passed just a few paces that advertised a restaurant and bar on its glowing blue and white sign.

Unsure of whether it was open for business, we wandered round the back where there was a dimly lit back patio and brightly lit full-on dining room with tables, graced with white tablecloths and napkin stuffed wine glasses. After some hesitation we decided to give it a shot and were directed to the back of the restaurant through a sliding glass door to the bar.

Three STAR beers were ordered, which were brought to us promptly once we seated ourselves at the most brightly lit table on the patio. A spotlight upon the obrunis I joked, unaware that to our left and right were tourists too – they just weren't white like us.

Ahhh how nice a cold beer went down that evening, as we munched on a complimentary bowl of peanuts and shared our first impressions of Ghana and our feelings of leaving home.

When it came time to pay the bill we pulled out our Cedis hesitantly. “45” the server said. $45 Cedis, almost US$45 for three beers, I questioned?! Perhaps those peanuts weren’t complimentary after all. As the server stood waiting patiently for his payment, we each begrudgingly gave him 20 Cedis each. Now came time (Ghanaian time) to await for change.

Fifteen minutes went by and not only did we all question the cost of the beer, since others had told us beer was so cheap (US$1 to be exact), but whether this server thought we were also giving him a 15 Cedis tip. Making eye contact with him, he advised he was coming, which apparently means he will bring the change, just in his own good time.

Another 10 minutes went by and finally he approached the table asking us to please come inside so he could show us something. We followed him the bar. The server took out the money we had given him, laying the bills out in front of us. With a gleeful, compassionate smile on his face he explained we had given him far too much money. That 45, meant 45,000 Cedis, which meant just over US$4.50 for three beers. Now that’s more like it!

As a thank you, Alison gave the man a 5 Cedis tip for his honesty and of course, he proceeded to ask for her number. Luckily, none of us had cell phones yet!

Now the kicker is yet to come.

Thinking the server had placed all six 10 Cedis bills on the bar and that we had already taken our change, I left another 10 Cedis bill with him by accident!

This means, we still ended up paying 20 Cedis, almost US$20 for three beers, and our server received more than a $15 tip!

Those damn Cedis! Three weeks later and I am still struggling!