June 6, 2009 (Day 3)

Today we have our quest to Accra. We woke up early and went straight to breakfest. After breakfest we broke up into groups of 5 ( Elyse – Montana, Jacob -Maryland, Dorothy-?, and Jeff – NC). To get to Accra from the college we had to take a trotro. A trotro is like a taxi but is a large van that can hold around 12 people in it. It took us around 20 mins to wave down a trotro but we finally got one. The trotro system is very hectic but they make it work somehow. There is the driver and the mate. You do not speak to the driver and the mate does the collects the money. The mate asks you where you are going and then you pay him. Money is being exchanged all the time and I don’t know how he keeps track of everyone who has payed. They stuff the vehicle to the max so it is very hot in there especially if you are on the side the sun is shining down on. It also is very ditry inside.
If you thought americans in large cities were very aggressive drivers then you haven’t seen Ghanians drive, especially trotro drivers. I will try my best to desribe the roads and all that is happening around you. First, on the side of the streets there are canals that are for drainage. Second, just off the road there are tents with people selling all kinds of stuff which you can find pretty much anything and everything. Third, not only are people selling stuff on the side of the roads but there are people walking up and down selling stuff in between lanes and vehicles. Then when the vehicle is stopped Ghanians are trying to sell you stuff while you are in the vehicle. Fourth, a majority of the roads aren’t paved so they are dirt which are full of bumps and holes. Some of the holes seem like larg craters when you go over them. Fifth, there are speed limits but I am pretty sure the signs are just there for looks. Drivers are going as fast as they can weaving in and out and passing at every opportunity. If no one is coming from the opposite direction on dirt roads then I think you can move over to the lane and stay there as long as you want. I still can’t figure out how an intersection works when it doesn’t have a light. Drivers are yelling at other drivers and you don’t go a couple seconds without hearing multiple car horns. Also the mate all of sudden when stopped jumps out of the van sometimes and doesn’t return. Then 5 minutes later he pops out of thin air into the trotro, so you can only imagine the time I was having while sitting in the van.
It takes us about an hour to get to our destination in Accra. We arrive at central station but a station here is not even close to what a bus/train statioin is in america. Imagine a large square/rectangle around the size of a football stadium. Next, imagine Time Square in New York City on New Years Eve. Now replace ¾ of the people with taxis, buses, and trotros. Then take the remaining ¼ and place them around the perimeter in tents selling anything and everything. Finally, add another few hundred people walking around and about 50 vehicles trying to move in and out of the station. From here we are suppose to go CTS Station which is the government run bus system.
We step out of the trotro and immediately ask a Ghanian where the station is. Ghanians are very nice people so he tells us he will show us how to get there. We arrive at the CTS Station and start explore. It is very nice since it is owned by the government and they have tvs outside while you are waiting for your bus. One tv had the disney channel playing. We finish exploring this site so we decide that we will go see the neoplan station that a current pc volunteer tells us about.
This station is even crazier than central station so just double what I described earlier. Once we arrive we meet a Ghanian and he shows us where to get lunch. It was our first time eating outside from our housing so I was a little suspicious but my hunger out weighed my suspicion. I also had my first semi-cold drink (coke) which was refreshing. After lunch we decide to head back to campus so the Ghanian shows us where to get a tro. We end up taking side streets that are full of people and vendors. The streets are very dirty so I am covered in dirt and feel nasty. I cannot say all of Accra is like this but the part I saw was. It took 4 tros to get back to the college. Overall it was a great experience and I feel I can walk about anywhere in Accra during the day and feel safe