Taxi Drivers

Can be very interesting people. I'm sure you won't often find a cab driver without some kind of story to tell or experience to share--with all those people he or she sees in a day, there are bound to be some great conversations.

Ghanaian taxi drivers are no different. Over these past couple years I've been regaled with drivers' stories and opinions on many issues: Ghanaian politics, Barack Obama, whether it is just to hit a street hawker with your car (and the economic implications), China in Africa, taxation, whether Chelsea is better than Manchester United, what qualities--loosely interpreted--one should look for in a wife. And so forth. Some conversations can be difficult as their English might not be up to snuff, but listening is nonetheless entertaining.

Conversations always start the same way:

Driver: So where are you from?

Me: The US.

Driver: [after a few moments' silence] But you look ... so ... what is it ... uhh ... like a Korean?

Me: Oh, my family is from Asia. But I am from the US.

Driver: [more silence, eyeing me carefully] Are you quite sure?

Me: More or less.

Today's cab drivers happened to be entrepreneurs. That's another thing about taxis in Ghana: drivers often drive as a second, even third, job. My driver in the morning was saving money to start his own business. He wants to sell neckties. Something that often comes up in conversations with drivers is how safe, peaceful, stable Ghana is. For him, this meant opportunity--an opportunity to have his own business and send his kids to a good school. Driving a cab was how he would save for this enterprise. Enterprise. A very good word because that's what most 'businesses' are called here: enterprises. Indicative of a can-do, creative spirit. For this driver, this enterprise was being saved for day-by-day, one pesewa at a time towards a goal of three thousand cedis. He hopes to have enough saved within a year, at which point he'll sell his car and start selling his neckties.

My second driver today after our typical "you're-from-the-US-but-you-look-so-uhhh-Korean" (are you quite sure?) icebreaker informed me that when he was not driving he worked for the World Bank and drove Americans around all the time. He told me he loved working for the Bank--unlike working for a typical large Ghanaian firm, he felt that he was treated with more respect. For those who have not been here, a lot of firms operate very hierarchically--lots of bringing coffee, "yes, sir; no, sir", etc. with little respect. But he loved meeting people from various Bank countries, learning more about foreigners. He even knew a lot about the institution's substantive work, and we talked for a while about that and what it meant for Ghana. For him, driving a cab provided a nice second income, but I think he truly cherished the opportunity to meet new people.

I've often said that tro-tros provide a great way to learn about Ghanaian society and meet interesting people, but the same is true for Ghanaian taxis. You never really know what will come out in conversation, whether the driver will be passive or aggressive, whether his opinions will strongly conflict with your own. Once in a while, you will have a gem of a conversation that's worth remembering. It's all a learning experience. And, yes, I am quite sure.

Wli Falls and Mt Afadjato, Volta Region, Ghana

Top of Wli Falls, Agumatsa National Park, Volta. Note the bats hanging out on the rocks. All photos in this post taken with a Nikon D60 with 55-200mm lens.

Last weekend, my colleague and I finally made our way out of the stifling heat of bustling Accra to the stifling heat of admittedly greener and more beautiful Volta Region, specifically the Northern part surrounding Hohoe. Now the pronunciation of Hohoe, the second largest settlement in Volta, has always given me trouble, but I think in our travels there, we have settled on a bimodal outcome: ho-HOY and ho-HO-way. You be the judge.

Sign in Hohoe pointing us to the falls, which at around 80m are the tallest in West Africa.

From Accra, we took a tro-tro from Madina Old Road, just north of the city, direct to Hohoe. As often is the case, we got there as the last Hohoe tro-tro was looking for one more person before it could go--and we were two. I feel that this eternal conundrum could be modelled with a clever probability distribution. WAWA = West African Wins Again. Alas, we waited only half an hour and the second tro-tro arrived. The ride to Hohoe was surprisingly quick, only about 3.5 hours, though much of that can be attributed to our driver's lead foot, though he was surprisingly adept at slalom maneuvers to avoid potholes that I think he left Lindsey Vonn and half our breakfasts in the tro-tros gathering wake of red dust. Skirting safety aside, our tro-tro also included a rather boisterous young man who insisted that the fare (GHC 6.5) was too high. This young man then got a lesson in social capital as he was almost pulled out of the tro-tro from the back window by fellow (unionized) drivers who rushed over, seeing the commotion. Apparently, they prevailed upon him to pay up.

The 'road' to Wli Falls.

Hohoe was rather underwhelming, despite the fervent recommendations of the Bradt Guide. For one thing, we arrived during the middle of what must have been six funerals, and there wasn't an available hotel room in any of the places we checked. Even the mangers were occupied. We eventually found one questionably-ventilated closet of a room for about GHC10 that had running (away from you) water and two TV channels that played screaming Nigerian movies and silent Mexican soap operas. Best of both worlds. In future, I would recommend staying at Ho, the regional capital, as it is a bigger, more exciting city with a wider range of accommodations.

One of the nine bridges on the way to Wli Falls.

In Hohoe, we met our gallant cab driver, X.zibit, who ferried us around on Saturday (to the falls) and Sunday (to the mountain). I know what you're thinking: wait, did Joe just say the cab driver was named 'X.zibit'? Yes. And, no, he did not come out of a T-Pain music video. His cab is very easy to spot in Hohoe, as it says his name right across the back window. In any case, he was a great cab driver, having driven many obrunis to these attractions, and he regaled us with stories of his girlfriend who lives in the US. And he blasted Ghanaian rap most of the time, featuring Sarkodie and 4x4. Good stuff.

Wli Falls. Note the people at the bottom.

The falls were incredible. They are about a 30-minute drive from Hohoe and a 45-minute walk through the forest, a walk that takes you over nine river crossings (the bridges were still there when we did it). There are two hikes: one to the top of the falls, and one to the wading pool at the bottom, and we did the latter, which was very easy and enjoyable. As you can see from the photo above, you can even wade in the pool, but I chose not to due to risk of bilharzia (not sure if it's there, but why risk it). Another cool feature of the falls were the bats that clung to the rocks surrounding the falls. As it got turns late afternoon, the bats started to rouse and swirl overhead. Very cool sight. Overall, a refreshing afternoon (the mist feels so amazing in the heat), and a place I would highly recommend for a picnic and some lazy reading.

Sunrise in Hohoe.

After a cozy night of sleep in our charmingly sweaty hotel room with its two TV channels, we set off the following morning for Afadjato, which is billed as the tallest mountain in West Africa. Now, there are a couple of things that require clarification. First, it's not really a 'mountain', and objectively speaking it's not that high or impressive. Second, it actually feels much much much higher when the trail goes straight up the mountain rather than being a switchback trail, and you bring a heavy backpack, inside of which is a large bottle of water and a fairly heavy camera, not to mention things like a first-aid kit. Not that I'm talking from experience. (You should still take that stuff, especially a first-aid kit, though maybe opt for lighter equipment ...).

Mt Afadjato.

The views from the mountain are quite incredible, and on a clear day one can see all the way to the Volta Lake. Apparently there are also a lot of bird-watching opportunities on this mountain, but we did not see too many birds--or, at least, I was too busy keeping the sweat out of my eyes to notice. If you can, it might be a good idea to climb Afadjato in the morning (about an hour up and an hour down), then hike to Wli in the afternoon for a refreshing dip. That might be a more fun afternoon than climbing into a cramped tro-tro for the four-hour ride back to Accra when you might be the worst smelling people on there. Again, not that we're talking from experience.

View from Afadjato towards Volta Lake.

This coming weekend I'm off to Kumasi to visit friends, and then the following weekend I'll be off to Mole National Park. Expect plenty of safari-style photos of wild animals. The following weekend I may venture to the Nzulezo stilt village in Western Region. Should be amazing.

"In Ghana, you must know somewhere to get somewhere."

This past Saturday I attended a benefit concert in Accra to help the earthquake victims in Haiti. A lot of major Ghanaian artists performed: Bertha, Sandra, Kwabena Kwabena and some older artists who did lots of old-school highlife music. It was fun, and there were definitely some Ghanaian takes on American contemporary and jazz standards.

However, the best part of the show, in my opinion, was the Ghanaian comedian, Kwaku Sintim-Misa, affectionately called, "KSM". Not being fluent in Twi, I was rather skeptical of how this routine was going to go, but it turned out to be basically spot on with what I encounter on a daily basis.

I. ONLY IN GHANA: ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS

KSM enlightened us with a story of a hapless British woman, stranded at the Labadi Beach Resort, one of Accra's premier resorts, attempting to get to the National Theatre, which is in the centre of town.

British woman, to Labadi street hawker: "Excuse me, but how do I get to the National Theatre."

Hawker: "Where do you want to go?"

Brit: "To the National Theatre."

As KSM points out, only in Ghana does the questioned turn the question on you.

Hawker: "Oh, National Theatre. Do you know the British Council Hall?"

Brit: "No, I want to go to the National Theatre."

Hawker: "Yes, it is by the British Council Hall."

Brit: "Okay, how do I get there?"

Hawker: "Do you know the Cedi House?"

You can see the pattern. But we're not through yet.

Brit: "NO I WANT THE NATIONAL THEATRE."

Hawker: [seeing his friend] "Oh, okay, hold on. Kwesi! Kwesi!"

Kwesi: [running over] "Yes, chalay chalay. [friend]"

Hawker: "[in Twi] This obruni wants the National Theatre."

Kwesi [turning to obruni, in English]: "Okay, do you know the British Council hall?"

[curtain]

This basically happens to me on a daily basis--as in three hours ago.

Me [in the sweltering 95 degree, midday heat]: [to passerby] "How do I get to the Ministry of Information?"

Passerby: "Do you know the Tigo office? [major mobile carrier]"

Me: "No."

Passerby: "Okay, just go up this road, and ask someone else. They will know."

Me: "Uhh, thanks."

Oh, Ghana.

II. ONLY IN GHANA: NEVER IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN HISTORY HAVE SO FEW, WITH SO LITTLE TO SAY, SAID SO MUCH, TO SO MANY [subtitle inspired by Sir Winston and this poster]

One of the best things about Ghana is that the country has an incredibly lively media. So many papers to keep the politicians on their toes, so many radio stations in English and all sorts of local language to spread the news, debate politics and so forth. And the Internet, particularly sites like Facebook, is becoming huge here. Just last week on the radio waves was a debate about a particularly fiery speech in Parliament, in which an MP accused Ministers on the Ghana Cup of African Nations to Angola of bringing 25-year old girlfriends (as she called them, "handbags") on state funds. Following the debate, several MPs called in to the stations lambasting her statements. Not to be outdone, the accusing MP herself called in to reassert her position! Entertainment at its finest.

Unfortunately, KSM points out that one problem with all this radio is that, "Only in Ghana, do people call in to the radio stations and contribute so much trash, with so much vigor."

Radio host: "Hello, you're on the air."

Caller: [much static] "Hello? Hello?"

Host: "Yes, you're on the air. Turn down your radio."

Caller: "Ah, ah, meda ase [thank you]. I would like to contribute."

Host: "Yes, go ahead."

Caller: "[...] What are you talking about?"

[curtain]

III. ONLY IN GHANA: WHICH ETHNIC GROUP WILL GIVE ST PETER THE HARDEST TIME AT THE PEARLY GATES

Ethnicity is one of those tricky issues here in Ghana. Back in the 70s and 80s, during the military dictatorships, ethnicity was a fiery issues, with violent clashes and government favors for certain groups (though, ironically, one government did try to ensure ethnic balance in its Cabinet...). It is still a salient issue in the North with the various chieftaincy disputes, but it sometimes flares up in the South when there is a chieftaincy dispute here.

But, having noticed this during my thesis research two years ago (really, it's been that long?), Ghanaians are surprisingly open about their ethnicity, unlike next-door Cote d'Ivoire, where people are fighting to prove they are Ivorian so that they can vote in the supposedly upcoming elections.

But Ghanaians can joke about these things, which is refreshing, and it appears each ethnic group has its endearing quirks. For the Fantes, located in Western Region by the coast near Takoradi and towards Elmina in Central Region, they are non-confrontational. As KSM claims, when St Peter tells a Fante man to go to hell, hewill reply, "Okay, okay, sure." Now the Akuapems, from Eastern Region, are hard bargainers, apparently. When St Peter tells an Akuapem that he will go to hell, the Akuapem replies, "Now hold on a second. Let's look closely at my record." However, it is the Ga man (from around Greater Accra) who will give St Peter the hardest time. Upon being told to go to hell, the Ga man will respond, "Let me have a word with your boss. Yes, Jesus."

Admittedly I was a bit concerned when KSM launched into the ethnic jokes, and he did noticeably leave out Northern groups. But the house loved it--all the Fantes cheered when he targeted the Fantes, all the Gas cheered when he made fun of the Gas, and so forth. The groups cheered together, stood and obviously showed their group pride, but I didn't detect any animosity (of course, this was also a much younger crowd, probably mostly in their 20s and 30s). It's ethnicity--everyone knows it's there. Of course there will be political and economic challenges that will test that equilibrium, namely the oil revenues, but currently I think the situation is moving in the right direction. And you can thank the radio and its crazy callers for helping it move in that direction.

Will Ghana get there? To be determined. Because sometimes you can get somewhere without knowing somewhere.

Me [happening uponTigo office, to passerby]: "Afternoon, do you know the Ministry of Information?"

Passerby: "Yes, turn left here, and look for the signboard."

[curtain]

quick update

Apologies for not blogging these past few weeks--I've been very busy with my new research project in Accra. I've been back in Ghana for about two weeks, but I'll definitely post about Cote d'Ivoire later this week, and then hopefully get back to more regular Ghana posting.

I don't currently have much time to write about recent Ghana news events, but the creation of a Constitutional Review Commission a couple weeks ago has generated a stir around Accra. Basically, the Commission will be re-evaluating the 1992 Constitution, a process that they promise will include the viewpoints of ordinary Ghanaians. Even the cab drivers have been giving me their two cents on Parliamentary oversight of the executive. More on this later.

Cote d'Ivoire

I am currently safe and sound in Accra, but will be travelling to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire early tomorrow morning. I may or may not have reliable Internet access, but I'll be sure to post updates and photos as soon as I can!

Also, the harmattan (desert winds from the Sahara) is blowing through Accra right now. Lots of haze in the sky and towards late afternoon the sun shines a pinkish red through the haze. Very dry and dusty.

Maximum warp. Punch it.

Leaving for the airport in 5.5 hours. See you in West Africa.

[In case you don't know the origin of this post's title, this video will explain. Note to readers receiving my posts by e-mail: sometimes the videos don't go through via email.]