I was almost done with Ghana and ready to move into Ivory Coast so traveled west to Sunyani, near the border. It involved a quick foray into the hectic chaos of Ghana’s second largest city, Kumasi. If you look up “crowded, chaotic, crazy African city” in the encyclopedia you’ll see a picture of Kumasi. There are parts that are calm(ish) and almost attractive with leafy green streets, but much of it – particularly around the bus stations – is madness. I was in an out of the city a few times to change bus and get money from the bank, and though it was always interesting I was happy to leave each time.

Kumasi is the de facto capital of the Ashanti region, so I was back in that neck of the woods for a few days, bobbing in and out of some of the little towns. Ejisu in particular is a pleasant place, calm and quiet with excellent walking and some atmospheric little bars for an evening tipple while watching British football (soccer) on the TV.

One day changing buses in Kumasi I met a young guy named Kofi. He was selling pirated DVDs and CDs on the street for a Nigerian businessman who apparently was a crook. Kofi wanted to go to Canada, or the U.S. or the U.K. and grilled me in excellent English about how to go about getting a visa. I told him what I knew but also that it would be hard for him. “Why?” he wanted to know. “I can work hard at any job, I’m healthy and want to make a new life.” It’s an excellent question. I can’t count how many people like Kofi I met on my trip, people who would probably be excellent new citizens of our countries, hard working and honest and able to contribute.

As I continued to move west the towns became a little more interesting, I thought, a little more compact with distinct centers and more evening street life. Street food isn’t a big thing in Ghana the way it is in the French speaking African countries, or in Asia, but towns and cities like Sunyani seemed to have a lot more, mainly grilled meats but also eggs and instant noodles, BBQ corn and soups. I was recovering from a temporary dose of “bad gut” in Sunyani and had decided to steer clear of dodgy street food, but I enjoyed strolling the streets at night watching the action.

Crossing the border into Ivory Coast involved first getting to Sampa, so I had one final bus station to navigate before abandoning all I’d learned about transportation in Ghana and learning new systems and words in Ivory Coast.

Next week it’s into Ivory Coast.

Stay tuned!