Saturday, May 06, 2006

The Fine Art of Tro-Troing

During first semester, I wrote a large piece on tro-tros, the most popular form of transportation in Ghana. When the computer blew up on me, I never got around to re-writing it.

I have a love-hate relationship with them and apparently Coleen Ross of CBC does as well. This article really sums up everything I think about them and comes with pictures, too! There are also a number of features on funerals, police corruption, violence against women and other topics available that any Ghanaphile should totally read.

Some other interesting takes on tro-tro culture include a Ghanaian editorial on tro-tros and a hilarious video of anthropology student moonlighting as a tro-tro mate.

On the darker side of public transit, I was told that an American student was killed when her tro-tro flipped on the Accra-Kumasi highway. She sounded and looked like any of my Ghana travel buddies and the tragedy made me consider my own mortality, like with the close calls I had on the same road. Tro-tro safely, kids. Sometimes it's worth taking the trip the morning after.

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