jaclynr

Monday Jams

I have been in traffic jams before, but no amount of traffic in Los Angeles or New York could have prepared me for the chaos that is in Accra. It’s so normal too, so you’d expect the Ghanaians to be used to it. I’m sure they are, but they get just as frustrated. Especially when you wait for a car for so long and STILL don’t get anything.

Mondays are the worst here. You could leave for work at 6:30 a.m. and not get on a car until 7:30 a.m., meaning you wouldn’t get to work until 9:00 a.m., if not later. Today Andie, Emma, Rachel and I left for work at 6:30 a.m. hoping to make it to work by 8:00 a.m. (it IS possible). However, to our dismay we waited, and waited, and waited, and a car still didn’t come. After so long, we waved our flags and caught a taxi-cab whose driver proceeded to attempt to rip us off by twice the price we knew it should have been. He finally surrendered and we hopped in. The car ride was infinitely better than squeezing into a tro-tro with 20 other locals. Yet, we were still stuck in traffic for two hours, clearly bored out of our minds.

The views from the front seat. This was taken half an hour after getting in the taxi cab, but less than half a mile from our house.
The views from the front seat. This was taken half an hour after getting in the taxi cab, but less than half a mile from our house.
Emma, Andie and Rachel having the time of their lives.
Emma, Andie and Rachel having the time of their lives.
Behind the car. It goes on and on and on like this until about 9:00 a.m.
Behind the car. It goes on and on and on like this until about 9:00 a.m.

Also, later that day, Andie and I almost got into a car wreck in our tro-tro on the way home because it almost did not stop fast enough and would have crushed the taxi in front of us. Like I said, the traffic here is crazy. I could not be more ecstatic to go back to the U.S. where I feel safer inside vehicles.