Typical scenes while driving from Accra to the Gold Coast (Videos)

While there are plenty of bustling markets and busy roads in Ghana, thankfully I did not experience as many "white-knuckle" taxi rides or chaotic markets with relentless touts compared to other parts of Africa and India.  Don't get me wrong, there were still plenty of close calls on the roads of Ghana.  People tend to drive very fast, but they are forced to slow down due to the many speed bumps on the roads.  To make it interesting at night, some vehicles had lights that were very dim and some vehicles didn't appear to have any lights at all.  There weren't many animals on the roads...and there were no motorcycles on the road since they are banned.  Just lots of honking cars and trucks, diesel fumes, dust, and smoke from the fires in the villages.  By the time I got back to my room, I was pretty ripe from sweat, smoke, diesel, and dust.

Rest assured, the streets and markets are a feast for your senses if you are visiting from the United States.  These short videos of typical street and market scenes will give you a taste.  

Typical market scene on the drive from Accra to Cape Coast

Another market scene on the way to Cape Coast

Mark Aspelin is a travel writer and author of two books who has enjoyed a wide variety of adventures in his travels to over 100 countries and all 50 U.S. States.  Mark lives in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, which serves as a great home base for his blog, New Mexico & Beyond (www.nmbeyond.com or www.markstravelblog.com).