Thursday 29th - not Zebilla, but a bike instead

Thursday 29th Oct.

Leaving the Teacher Training College just before 7 am, it proves a little tricky to find a taxi or a lift into Navrongo (about 3 miles). For amusement I just have the HIV warnings to read and a stream of 3rd year teacher training college students, in uniform, heading out for teaching practice - all provide very respectful greetings.

Eventually I approach a man dropping off his kids to school and he agrees to take me in on his way back after dropping his children off.

I was supposed to go to Zebilla today to talk Organisational development (OD) with volunteers Pat and Stephen, but I’ve picked up an email from Pat saying she has to postpone. I noticed some decent – new! - mountain bikes in Navrongo when I arrived, and after a lengthy process (negotiation, a higher seat tube, mechanical prep etc) I’m riding off a little after 11 am on one purchased for 110 cedis (£45).

I could get a taxi all the way to Walewale, with the bike in the boot, for a not outrageous price, but decide to ride to begin with to check there are no problems, and sure enough there are one or two – the bell has disappeared, a pedal needs tightening, etc. But with these resolved I’m doing very nicely and am half-way to Bolga on a good road when the rear tyre deflates.Now normally I’d have a repair kit but I hadn’t planned to buy a bike today. I settle down to hail a taxi or a bus or a tro-tro – the bike could go on the roof.

Nothing.

Eventually a lad stops to help, and reinflates the tyre – maybe I can get to Bolga before it goes down again.

No – only another mile or two.

But before too much longer another group of helpers arrive.

A small boy is despatched to fetch equipment and a bowl of water, and under a tree the most professional puncture repair I’ve ever seen is completed.
Needless to say the tyre lasts for the rest of the journey - including some good views of the White Volta - and indeed the tyre is still doing fine.By the way I'm compressing most of these photos by about 90%, which does occasionally give some colour distortions like the pic above, but should mean the pages load faster.