Tro Tro

The Tro Tro (pronounced Tchro tchro when said by Ghanians) is the bus system in Accra.  My group has found it to be an endless source of fascination for us since we learned how to use them last week. Most importantly, tro tros are extremely cheap.  A ride ranges from 30 to 50 pesewas depending on your destination in Accra (less than 50 cents in the U.S.).  Each tro tro is an old van with 4 rows of seats and a sliding door.  When the tro tro approaches the bus stop (which, to the tourist would not appear to be a stop at all because there are no signs) a Ghanian man leans out of the window and indicates the direction of the car by motioning with his fingers.  If the finger is pointing straight ahead, the tro tro is going to Accra, if its pointing to the right, the destination is La Paz, and a circular motion is to the circle (i think you get the picture).  Because the tro tros are not the size of normal buses they are often packed completely full with over 20 people! The best part, however, is watching people trying to get on the tro tro.  When the van gets closer to the side of the street, dozens of people rush forward (they are literally running) to try to get on the tro tro first.  If you aren't prepared to push and shove your way on, you will be standing at the stop for hours.  It was a little scary at first, but I eventually managed to push my way onto a tro tro and get a ride into Accra1