In Accra, the main city transportation consists of tro-tros.  These are small independently owned and operated 10-20 seat vans. A driver will have a certain route that he covers, and there are certain known stops where people wait.  So, you as a passenger go to the stop and wait for a tro-tro for your destination.  When they are full, the driver only stops when people need to get off.  During busy times, the tro-tros run quite frequently.
They are rarely more than 50 cents to get from one side of town to the other. Granted, they are very old and frequently uncomfortable.
But compare this to urban public transportation in America.  If there is no metro or tram, we use huge buses.  Instead of small vans that run often, we have huge buses that are plush and come infrequently.  Usually run(or heavily subsidized) by the local govt., we always hear about how it is too expensive to run.  In Palo Alto and Boston, the buses were often mostly empty.

Could more, small buses work in the US? Would this decrease waiting time and travel time (with less frequent stops)?  Could each one be privately owned and driven?  Would this make public transportation cheaper for the passenger and the taxpayer?  Or would insurance and liability issues make this impossible?

Any public transportation experts out there want to explain it all to me?

Yes, I’m married and it is wonderful.

Here are pictures of the ceremony, which was beautiful and so much fun.  I even told Eric again that I would love to do it again. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohkamala/sets/72157594566191784/ 

We had our honeymoon for 3 days in the Volta region.  We walked from through the mountains, going between villages and staying the nights at guesthouses with beautiful views.   We saw a waterfall, lots of butterflies, beautiful birds, and even a python that thought he was hiding from us.  (We only looked from a distance).  And Eric shook some avocados from a wild avocado tree.  It was a fantastic time.

Now we are back to regular life, which seems like kind of a let down after the wedding and the honeymoon!  Ahh… if all of life could be the honeymoon stage.

Reason number 8 I am happy to be having a small, uncomplicated wedding :

Getting anything done is so hard here!

(the first 7 reasons all have to do with personal style and budget)
Two weeks ago we went to register for our wedding license.  They told us to come back on Feb 1 with 50 cedis to pay and confirm the date (Feb. 5).  So yesterday I put 60 cedis in my pocket, and we walked to the register general - about one hour in the hot African sun. Upon arrival, we filled out forms about our fathers’ (not mothers’) professions and waited in line.  Finally, we were informed that the fee had changed “last week” to 100 cedis. They assured us that we weren’t the only people who were troubled by the change.
We can’t just nip out to the closest ATM; I don’t normally carry my card with me for safety reasons.  So we were obliged to go home to get more money, and then retrace our steps to actually confirm that we can come back on Friday.

My seamstress also promised me I could come in yesterday for a final fitting for the wedding dress.   When I called, the owner of the store said she was in the police station getting her national identity card.  She had been in line since 2:30am since the entire nation is trying to get these new cards, and they are only available for a few days.
In any case, the owner said the younger seamstress was at the workshop making my dress.  So I decided to walk to the workshop to see.  (After having walked to the register for the wedding license).  A girl that I don’t know was there, whose English was pitiable, and who assured me I could come back at 1pm.  I confirmed that she was sure, and explained I would rather wait another day than come back again if it wasn’t ready.  She said she was sure.

Why do I still believe them?  I went back at 1pm with a friend and the girl was still there, alone.  No, the seamstress wasn’t back.  No, she hadn’t called her to tell her I was coming.  No, she didn’t see why this would bother me.  No, I couldn’t see the dress anyway.

Sigh.

However, in general, all is going well.  One part of my family has safely arrived.  Another part arrives tonight, and Eric’s family will arrive en masse on Friday.

It’s only 16 days until my wedding, and my wedding dress only exists on paper and as a few pieces of cloth.

About 2 weeks ago, I went to the seamstress/designer with a picture of a wedding dress from a magazine and a sketch I had made.  We spent about an hour discussing the details and looking at other pictures.  Finally we decided that I wanted the bodice from this dress, the shape of that dress, the back of another, and the train and waistline according to my sketch.  Sound complicated?

Then there was the question of buying cloth.  I don’t know taffeta from chiffon, so I felt useless when the seamstress asked about it.  Finally, she insisted that  I go with her to the market to shop for the cloth. Last Saturday we went off and visited about 20 small shops.  At each one we examined, compared, and bargained.  Walking through the market streets, we weaved a path around vendors hawking materials, other shoppers, and broken sidewalks.  (Imagine the crowds of a mall the week before Christmas, in 100 degrees, with everyone yelling).

I had a piece of red cloth to match, and I swear I have never looked at so many types of deep red clothe.  By the time I went home, my eyes were trained to see only red.  Ever coca-cola sign popped out at me.

The seamstress has promised that I can come in next week for a fitting.  I hope they won’t run behind.  Right now, I can’t really imagine what the dress will look like, or what  I will look like in it.  I also hope I will actually look good in this shape and style of dress!

Eric befriends a deer

See more pics from our vacation on www.flickr.com/photos/ohkamala