Arrival in Cape Coast

Not a great start to the day when the taxi we had got in to take us to the Metro Mass bus station, got cut up by a speeding tro tro (Ghana minibus) that didn't look before it pulled out. The van clipped the front of the car and sped off, our driver giving chase. When he hailed it down he apologised to us all, before getting out and having a full blown argument with the guys in the tro tro. Drama, but he eventually got back in and took us to the station.

We decided to give Metro Mass another try - they are rude but at least its a proper coach and you're not squashed five to a three-seater! We got a ticket from a very fat man in fetching Metro Mass orange, who was shouting "CAPE CAPE CAPE", before effortlessly hopping onboard the bus. After a few Fan Milks and a read of an English-speaking newspaper (it's so nice to be speaking English after all those months of French!) we were off! Easy!

The journey took about four and a half hours, with a mandatory rest stop for half an hour in the middle - unusual, but a good idea I think, especially if you are penned into a tro tro! However, the stop was only for the big coaches. When we got into Cape Coast; the bus made its way through the markets and down to the main area of the town. As it stopped for traffic a few minutes from where we could get off, two taxi drivers jumped on the back, through the rear door; targeted us as Obruni's (white people - we used the opposite back to them; 'bebeni'!) and whistled, asking us where we were going. We replied we were on a bus and wouldn't be needing their help!

We got off in the market where fish, squid and crabs were being sold, and got rid of the annoying touts before asking a very nice female traffic warden where our guesthouse was, and if we could walk it there. She was very helpful and we set off into the town. After a little while we did get lost, and chose to get a taxi for nothing at all to Sammo's Guesthouse. Sammo's was a huge building overlooking the residential bit of town, with palm trees and the sea in the background. (NB the man who showed us to our rooms reminded me of the caretaker from The Shining). There was a rooftop restaurant that wasn't open, but I got some good shots of yet another great sunset.

We ate at a small white-and-blue fenced maquis just opposite Sammo's called Nice & Rich. No real idea what to expect, but town was a dark 20 minute walk away and we just wanted something quick. Although we could barely see inside the place, it had some weird red, blue, green, yellow pulsing light, making it only possible to see your food every fourth second on the yellow pulse; the food was excellent. Almost KFC chicken, spicy jollof rice, some chilli; mayo and coleslaw. Brilliant. And the whole thing only cost about a quid each. For one of the only times on the trip we tipped because it was so good.