Transportation

Let’s be honest, one of my favorite things about Africa is the transportation. It is always an adventure and a half when we want to travel anywhere. Whether we are taking taxi, tro tro, or bus we have a good time.

When taking a taxi here, it is a little different than the other places that I have travelled to. Here, they stuff the taxis as full as possible and don’t leave until they are full. This leads to lots of cramped rides. Taxis are fine for short distances, but they are no good for long distances. Usually they put four in the back seat and two in the passenger seat.

One of many taxi rides. 

Tro tros are my favorite form of transportation here. Basically you can get a tro tro to where ever you would like to go. They are kind of like fifteen passenger vans, that they just pack full. It is normal to have three or four people on each row, but it is not unusually to have five or six at times.

And this my friends, is the beloved tro tro! 

Buses are not my favorite, but are acceptable when travelling long distances. Buses are much slower than taxis and tro tros as they stop more frequently. However, they are also a lot cheaper than the other options.

Enjoying a bus ride. 

I almost forget about the best part of travelling here. There are various taxi, tro tro, and bus stations that are filled with vendors. So while you are waiting for whatever mode of transportation you have chosen to fill up, you are swamped with individuals trying to sell you all sorts of goodies. Mostly, I just wait for the food vendors to come around. We can purchase delicious popcorn or plantain chips to hold us over for the travel ahead.  Also these vendors will stand around at traffic lights or toll booths.

Ashley P!