Time to get my safari on! Leaving Tamale this afternoon for the 3 ½ - 4 ½ hours bus
ride to Mole National Park via Mass Metro. Mass Metro is the cheaper bus that has no ac but are quite efficient
(but not this time to be sure).
We mistakenly got out of the taxi at the STC bus
station. I asked the STC
lady who was mean as a snake (bizarre in Ghana) where to get the Metro Mass
buses and she pointed us to a teenager running towards us. “He can help you,” she said with a
glare. I knew instantly this was
some sort of a scam but decided to see it play out a bit. This kid said the bus leaves at 2:30
but was already sold out but of course he knows the driver and can get us
on. Yeah, right. I knew the bus leaves at 1:30 but
looking at the clock realized we would end up missing it anyway. In my head I figured we get our
wonderful hotel room back, eat delicious food and take the 5 am bus the next morning
to Mole.
So the scam watch begins. We went to eat Banku at a bus station chop bar and wait for
this kid to return to take us to Metro Mass to get these ‘Golden Tickets’ to
Mole. After a bit I get bored and
decided to take off and go to Metro Mass to get a ticket for the morning bus
out. The kid of course sees us
leaving and wants to help up with a bus.
We blow him off and go to Mass Metro on our own.
As it turns out the bus was to leave at 1:30 but it is
running very late and we still get tickets and wait with the rest of the hordes
in the extra hot Tamale sun. In
the end waiting to see how this scam worked saved us two hours sitting at the
hot, cramped Metro Mass station.
My theory is that the kid (who by the way is the brother of the STC attendant
who said he would help us) would get us to the station after the bus left and
try to get us to pay a big sum to take a ‘friends’ taxi out to Mole. Just a guess but…if anyone knows the
Tamale-Mole Bus Scam please let me know as would love to know what the outcome would
have been.
Anywho, we go to a covered area with tons of people waiting
under a shaded concrete area for the bus to Mole and areas on the way. I little girl of about four named Ester
befriends us as she cares for her baby brother. She is a little spitfire and we have a grand time waiting
for our very late bus. To my
horror I see a vendor selling Kenny G and Celine Dion Cd's. Please make them stop! Seriously.
After playing with Ester and helping her care for her little
brother for close to two hours our bus finally arrives around 4:30 pm. This will for sure put us in after dark
and the road to Mole is known for armed bandits. For part of our journey, I assume the dodgy part; an armed
policeman rides with us.
Our spot on the bus were at the very back of the bus on
those crappy elevated back-breaking, ass-beating seats. The road to Mole is wicked crap and we
were bounced around with whiplash force for most of the ride. Good Fun and yes I do mean it.
The Road to Mole took about 5-6 hours a year or so ago but
major road works have slashed a good hour or two from that. Like most of Ghana the road
construction is at the hands of the Chinese.
At one point there was a buzz on the bus about the armed
bandits that strike buses coming down the road. Nothing ever came of these whispers and we arrived at the
gate to Mole National Park well after 8 pm. The next step was to get off the bus and pay your park
entrance fees (20 Cedi) then re-board the bus and drive another 10 minutes to
the Mole Motel in the heart of the park.
The last 30 minutes of the journey the bus is filled with
only travelers heading for the park and we met several people that we would
spend the next couple days with.
Didn’t make a reservation so we were amongst the last to get a room. Went all out on our room and got the
double with ac that overlooks the watering hole to the park. The moon was in hiding and we would not
see the spectacular view over the Savannah till morning.
Before bed we did have a simple dinner of fried rice and a
beer. What a great room. Two double beds, a big bathroom and ac
that we had to turn down. Running
water at Mole Motel is from 6-8am and 6-8pm but the leave a bucket for each
person, which is more than enough.
 |
| Dreams of wart hogs dancing in my head at Mole National Park, Ghana |
Tonight will be a restless sleep as I wonder what animals
are wandering outside my door.
Looking forward to my safari walk and jeep trip tomorrow. Sweet dream little warthogs.
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