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Getting Home by Any Means Necessary!
You name the transport... and we probably took it! Now, roughly speaking we only had approximately one thousand kilometers to cross to make it back to the capital of Ghana…give or take a hundred K… and we had a little over three and half days to do it. So in theory, we would make it back with time to spare…even if you factor in long waiting times…which happened…Tro Tro and bus breakdowns…also happened…Loads of traffic…yup, that happened…Bad, bumpy roadways…of course that happened…Issues crossing the border…wouldn’t be legit if that didn’t happen… and our inability to speak the local language and our growing lack of cash on hand… which happened over and over again! Man, I’m gonna miss traveling in West Africa…America just won’t be nearly as much fun!
So we departed Bankass, Mali by tro tro on Tuesday evening, en route to Koro. We stayed the night in Koro, at the local encampment/hotel/thing. We bought our tickets to Ouahigouya, Burkina, the next morning around six thirty…and of course, played the waiting game for the next four hours, eventually leaving Koro around eleven o’clock. When we made it to the Burkina/Mali border we had to wait another couple of hours because…yeah, I don’t even know why… eventually, I think it
was around three or four in the afternoon, we made it to Ouahigouya.
Thankfully as soon as we jumped out of the Tro, another mostly filled Tro pulled up beside us going to Ouagadougou…I love it when this happens…so, we jumped on and where on our way to the Capital of Burkina in less than twenty minutes! Thank you Jesus! What happened next can only be described in Team Mali’s collective thoughts and attempted conversations with the driver of the Tro…
Wait…you’re not going all the way to Ouaga…where are we going? Yako? Where the heck is Yako?!?!! GRRRRRRRRR…wait…jump on this random bus that just pulled up? It’s going to Ouaga? How much do we pay? We don’t pay? Okaaaaaaaaay…. ummm… sweet!
Africa is so funny sometimes. So, by eight o’clock Wednesday evening we had pulled into Ouagadougou and by eight thirty we had checked back into the Hotel Delwende. Not too shabby, we covered a little less than three hundred kilometers in ...fourteen hours……well, I guess it took two hours more to reach Timbuktu…whatever.
Thursday we woke up early, checked out of the hotel and made our way to the bus station we hoped would
lead us home…unfortunately the first station we chose was the wrong choice…but we were truly blessed, because some random guy led us to the right station. True African hospitality. Upon arrival at our station we bought bus tickets to the semi-border town, Po. The ride was uneventful and short, yay! Made it to the village, and snagged a shared taxi to the border.
We went through immigration stress free, thankful to once again understand the local language and work in a currency that we’re familiar with! Once across the border we found ourselves in the sleepy village of Paga. Unlike the other two border towns I had visited this hamlet was quite and uneventful…a welcome change, but one that had its drawbacks; it lacked transportation heading back to Accra…nice. Eventually we decided our best bet was to somehow get transport to the upper east regional capital, Bolgatanga. We procured a taxi and departed.
I love Ghana. Absence truly, makes the heart grow fonder. From the readily available cheap cold water, to food that I can afford and know the price of, to the simple classic Ghanaian mannerisms, and the widespread spoken English language, there really is no place
like home!
We arrived at the Bolgatanga bus station, bought our tickets straight to Accra, kick backed and waited. But in Ghana, we waited in style. Water and food vendors are every where…sorry I keep talking about food, I didn’t eat a lot in the desert so I got really excited to be back in Ghana!
When we did eventually board…four hours later…we had a relatively uneventful ride back… Aside from our bus breaking down and having to switch buses…and then hitting Friday morning traffic when we finally did reach Accra… yeah…uneventful. It was around ten o’clock Friday morning when we eventually pulled into our Hostel…and ISH has never looked better!
Whew!! Yeah…I’m done. If I never see another bus, taxi, or tro tro again it will be too soon…okay that might just be the traveler’s fatigue talking… But I think I’ll take these last sixteen days easy…whoa…sixteen!?! Holy cow! Wow…it’s almost over…
Well, I’ll think and write about that little thought later. If you’ve read this entire Mali Finale, then you’re awesome. In fact, I’m really impressed, I’m not sure I would have even done it! Well, if you’re ever unsure as to whether or
Stuck in Kumasi...
There seems to be a running theme... not your prayers are helping me, let me put your uncertainty to rest. They are. So many times, I didn’t have a clue as to what was going to happen, and I just had to trust God. Yet here I am. Thank you all so much for your thoughts, your comments, your prayers, your mail, and all of your support. I miss you all so very much, and I can’t wait to get home! Which, is coming up, really really soon!
But, until that time…
Stay Frosty,
Jonathan
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Nancy Davis
non-member comment
Welcome Home!
Jon, I'm glad you made it back safely from that adventure. I think you'll definately appreciate the US when you get home. Do the tro-tro's ALWAYS break down or have a flat tire?? Love ya'. See you soon.