I love travel in Ghana

While working my way up North with Travis, travel was uncomfortable and long as expected. We made it from Koforidua to Techiman (7 hours) without any uncharacteristic problems. My right leg was asleep from being crammed between the wheel well and the seat in front of me. I got countless strange looks as I repeatedly stood up to adjust my position and allow a new part of my body to go numb. I've recently downloaded 60 Minutes podcasts onto my ipod which makes time go by quite well.

Travis and I met up with Jon, Mandy, Mandy's brother Griffith and Terri at Terri's house in the early evening. After a mellow night, we parted ways with Jon and took a 2 hour tro ride to Fuller Falls near in Kintampo. The sound and feel of rushing water is incredibly therapeutic and the few hours we spent there worked the travel funk out of my body just in time for a trip up to Tamale.

Jeremy, an eco-tourism volunteer based in Kintampo took our group back to the main Kintampo station where he assured us that we'd be able to get a car to Tamale without much wait. Within 10 minutes of arriving, Jeremy ran up to Travis and me and told us to rush to fill the last few seats on an inexpensive, spacious bus to Tamale. We gathered our bags and ran through the crowded tro lot only to see the driver watch us run while driving away with empty seats in his bus and two full fares unpaid.

I wasn't particularly worried about missing this bus since it seemed as though a constant stream would continue to come through. Travis, Jeremy and I sat down with some fried yams and beers and waited. Bus after bus came through but either had no seats available or accepted more aggressive Ghanaian passengers ahead of us.

After 3 hours and 3 beers, a northbound bus pulled into the station. Losing my patience, I was at the driver's window before he'd even stopped the bus. He assured me that there was only one seat and we would have to talk to his boss. Rather than following his advice, I took the one empty seat and texted Travis (from maybe 50 feet away) and told him to hurry with the bags. The 50+ passengers alighted for their 15 minute break and I strapped my bags to the outside of the overhead luggage compartments. I was going to get a ride on this bus!!! Rather than going the polite route, I thought that the driver would have a much more difficult time kicking me off the bus than telling me that I couldn't get on. Travis sat in the last remaining seat with his legs sticking into the aisle while I sat on a small plastic stool in his leg space. When the driver returned, he sat no more than 5 feet away from me and my makeshift seat offered a great view of the side of his head.

Not only were we allowed to stay on the bus, there were 2 passengers who sat on the stairs, one who sat on the 100+ degree metal console immediately next to the driver. My favorite passenger was the driver with whom I'd initially haggled. He was taking his break and trading legs of the trip with another driver. With no seats available, he simply laid pillows across the dashboard and slept while laying against the windshield.

There I was expecting to cause problems with my presence and all I had to do was hold 30 mangoes in my duffel bag (I traded luggage space with a fellow passenger) on my lap and sit on a small plastic stool for nearly three hours. Despite the less than ideal setting, I had a nice nap with mangoes on my lap and a small boys head against my knee and upon waking up, I felt that I had reached a new level of acclamation.

I'm in Tamale now and will leave shortly for Kpendua for my second visit to Cheri's village.

Love to all!