We get you there safely
“We get you there safely”, was the motto of STC, Ghana’s state-run coach service.
Although obviously I did want to travel safely, I had chosen STC because it seemed to be the quickest way of getting to Takoradi (220km) away. Although they had just one bus on a Sunday, leaving from the “main” terminal at noon, it was expected to be there in around four hours, long before it would be dark.
I made sure I was at the bus station almost two hours beforehand. Booking my ticket to Takoradi was a bit of a long drawn out process, they needed quite a lot of information including all the contact details of my next of kin. Nevertheless, it was cheap at just under £5 for the whole journey.
We were called forward to have our luggage weighed. On STC you normally need to pay extra for luggage. Luckily, I got away with no charge: my rucksack came in at around 8kg, and it was judged small enough to take on board.
Most of the other passengers had a lot of luggage and it seemed the bus took unaccompanied freight too. As I looked out at all the parcels to be conveyed as well as all the luggage I was doubtful if it would all fit in the bus.
On our way to Central Paradise
They started loading the freight and luggage about ten minutes before the scheduled departure time, and we were allowed to board soon after. It was obvious looking down from the window, they were not going to get everything loaded. We eventually left forty minutes late.
I had been looking forward to looking at the scenery on the way down to Takoradi, so I was slightly dismayed to find that the windows were actually covered in advertisements on the outside, it was possible to see through the little dots that made up the advert from the inside, but it was far from ideal.
Furthermore, the driver suggested we draw all the curtains and shortly after we left he put on a video we were supposed to watch. We were to be treated to 4 episodes of Ewaise Tumi, a Ghanaian drama series. I actually tried to watch it, but I could not work out if the inaudible soundtrack was in Twi or English, the story seemed to be based on everyone shouting at each other.
The road condition was much worse than I had expected, and progress was slow. For one long stretch it seemed the route was being rebuilt completely, and we spent more than half an hour on a wide section of unmade road, with traffic passing in the opposite direction looking like something out of Mad Max.
It was not until almost 3:30pm that we stopped at a service station. The sign outside welcomed us to “Central paradise”. It was pleasant enough and it was certainly nice to get off the bus and have a walk around. Most of my fellow passengers headed to the toilets, I was the only one who ventured into the little shop, although I only bought a small bottle of water.
The scenery improved as we went west, which was probably just as well as the driver made a mistake and put the same two episodes of Ewaise Tumi on again.
It was getting late though, and it was almost 6pm before we arrived on the outskirts of Takoradi. It seemed that the bus operated a kind of request put down service. We made several more stops on the way in, each time with the driver getting out and getting the luggage. So, it was well past 6:30 when we pulled into the STC bus station. It was totally dark outside.
Takoradi in the Dark
Thankfully, I did not have far to go. I made my way quickly out of the STC terminal, crossed a busy road and followed it for a while and then turned into the street where my Airbnb was. As I did so I managed to trip over a missing drain cover and, weighed down by my rucksack, tumbled to the ground. I narrowly missed falling down the drain itself
The instructions on finding my Airbnb were clear enough, but it was a bit difficult in the dark. I cursed STC for taking so long to get me to Takoradi as I fumbled trying to find the right coloured gate. In the end, a lady in a shop helped me and I soon found the key to the apartment in a little key safe next to the door.
The little one bedroom flat, close to the centre, was perfect. It was excellent value too: I was paying less than £25 a night for it. I set up my mosquito net and decided I would go out to celebrate my (eventual) safe arrival in Takoradi.
I found a little pub nearby and settled in for a couple of beers. The locals did not seem surprised to see me at all. It was a friendly little place and I had been hoping they would have food, but in the end I had to make do with peanuts which came served in plastic bottles. I watched a couple of lads playing pool and I shouted words of encouragement when either of them did well.
Takoradi in the Light
Takoradi itself, as I found next morning, was an interesting place to be. Sekondi-Takoradi is the third or fourth largest city in the country. The population was about 250,000 and it certainly felt a lot more laid back than Accra. It was not a tourist place in any sense, but it was all the better for that.
I met my landlord by chance as I was leaving for the day, he lived in the flat next door. I asked him about the best places to visit and where to go.
In the three days I spent there I never saw another white person but in all the time walking around, eating, drinking and chatting to people, I felt very welcome. I got the strong feeling that people were just taking me in their stride.
As I began to explore, I quickly worked out my bearings and became good at navigating back to the Airbnb. I also soon realised how lucky I had been with the drain cover the night before.
Market
There were two main parts to Takoradi, there was a concentration of hotels down near the beach about 3km to the south and then there was the main town centre where I was. It was laid out in a circular pattern with the main market theoretically at its centre.
Although at the moment the market itself was being renovated and was fenced off. The market stalls had moved into the surrounding streets and they fanned out in all directions from the main circle.
Fufu
On my first morning in Takoradi I decided to take the plunge and try fufu for the first time. I had asked my land lord for a recommendation, and he suggested a place just around the corner, “Davi Amas”
At just after twelve the place was still relatively quiet, but there were still plenty of people in the queue. I did not really know what I was doing but the other customers worked in tandem with the serving staff to help me.
The word “fufu” literally means white in Twi and is likely derived from the whitish colour of the pieces of boiled cassava that are the main component. Here at Davinis it was being served in two lumps placed in a bowl.
I was then given the choice of light soup, palm nut soup or peanut butter soup to be poured over the fufu. After I had chosen the last one, a piece of fish was placed on the top.
I chose to sit outside, and my fellow diners then explained I needed to wash my hands with the water and soap on the table before tucking in. I would need to eat with my right hand.
The fufu itself was gelatinous and did not really taste of anything, but that was the point. It was perfectly tolerable, and as a whole, the dish was very tasty. I finished it all anyway.
Before leaving I was introduced to the owner of the shop. He told me it was named for his late sister who founded it. If you are ever in Takoradi and in need of a tasty lunch look no further. Five stars!
After lunch I went for a longer walk that took me from the centre of town towards the coast and the railway station.
Trains To Beyond 