Car accident on our way to the beach

In Ghana, one of the cheapest forms of transportation is the 'tro-tro'. They are vans that cram full of people (literally full - with the person operating the door hanging out of the moving vehicle, or holding the sliding door shut). When the pull up they yell things like "krakrakrakra" which is actually 'accra accra accra' meaning they are going into the city, or 'circ circ circ' which means 'circle circle circle', a roundabout that is their endpoint.

Traffic in Accra is not like Canada at all. There are few police on the roads, and it is common practice for vehicles to get where they are going by any means necessary. So, if there is a vehcile trying to turn left in front of you, just drive around them. If there is backed up traffic on your side, but the oncoming traffic lane is empty, well...let's hope it stays empty.

The best taxi ride I have had yet, the driver literally only stopped moving the vehicle once and this was during rush hour. He drove on the wrong side of the road, he took shortcuts, he drove on the sidewalk, he drove through parking lots, he created lanes to get around people. It was insane. I asked him if there were a lot of accidents in Accra; he said yes. Considering the chaos on the roads here though, that number is so low. Driving in Canada is boring by comparison.

So today, we (we being 30 exchange students crammed on a bust meant for 20) were on our way to the beach when we were hit by a tro-tro. It just clipped our front light, but the incident resulted in a three hour detour. We stopped on the side of the road with the trotro driver and there was a big screaming match between the drivers. Almost everyone around the vehicles started joining in the debate, and it became a big community gathering, with people who had nothing to do with the event getting heated. It was so entertaining to watch.

After the debate, we were finally ready to leave (after about 45 minutes). As we started to pull back out into traffic, we realized we were missing one student. Ian had gone to the bathroom. A bunch of Ghanaian men who had seen him go came running up to us to tell us we had forgotten someone. We waited for what seemed like a long time, and then he came running toward the bus. We clapped and cheered and it was good fun...for us at least.

After another 2 hours of driving and waiting at the police station, we left for the beach. The beach was incredible. Like the ones you see in photos. Perfectly soft white sand, large rolling waves, blue skies, palm trees. I have never been in water that was so warm, so salty, and so powerful. One wave actually flipped me around under the water.

Not long after we arrived, it became obvious that a storm was coming toward us. It came so quickly, blowing the sand all over. A bunch of us jumped back in the water and were just in awe of the enormous black clouds and extra-giant waves that were coming in. It was one of those moments that make you feel so small, and yet so powerful to be next to something so large.

Then it rained. While we were under the shelter, a dance party with the locals erupted and we danced, ate, and listened to music. I dance all the time. I can't stop it. The music here is made to make you move.

The storm cleared, we rode the little boat back to our bus, and we went home. It was a great day of adventure. Not what I expected my day to be like, but that was what made it so enjoyable. I am constantly being reminded to go with the flow and love whatever comes my way.