Thursday 29th - not Zebilla, but a bike instead
on Charlotte in Ghana (Ghana), 04/Nov/2009 23:07, 34 days ago
Thursday 29th Oct.Leaving the Teacher Training College just before 7 am, it proves a little tricky to find a taxi or a lift into Navrongo (about 3 miles). For amusement I just have the HIV warnings to read and a stream of 3rd year teacher training college students, in uniform, heading out for teaching practice - all provide very respectful greetings.Eventually I approach a man dropping off his kids to school and he agrees to take me in on his way back after dropping his children off.I was supposed to go to Zebilla today to see Pat and Stephen, but I’ve picked up an email from Pat saying she has to postpone. I noticed some decent – new! - mountain bikes in Navrongo when I arrived, and after a lengthy process (negotiation, a higher seat tube, mechanical prep etc) I’m riding off a little after 11 am on one purchased for 110 cedis (£45).I could get a taxi all the way to Walewale, with the bike in the boot, for a not outrageous price, but decide to ride to begin with to check there are no problems, and sure enough there are one or two– the bell has disappeared, a pedal needs tightening, etc. But with these resolved I’m doing very nicely and am half-way to Bolga on a good road when the rear tyre deflates.Now normally I’d have a repair kit but I hadn’t planned to buy a bike today. I settle down to hail a taxi or a bus or a tro-tro – the bike could go on the roof.Nothing.Eventually a lad stops to help, and reinflates the tyre– maybe I can get to Bolga before it goes down again.No– only another mile or two.But before too much longer another group of helpers arrive.A small boy is despatched to fetch equipment and a bowl of water, and under a tree the most professional puncture repair I’ve ever seen is completed.Needless to say the tyre lasts for the rest of the journey - including some good views of the White Volta - and indeed the tyre is still doing fine.By the way I'm compressing most of these photos by about 90%, which does occasionally give some colour distortions like the pic above, but should mean the pages load faster.