Things One Can Buy Out Of A Trotro Window

Okay, now many of you have already read about trotros, or troskis, or just 'buses' as they are sometimes slightly euphemistically called. They are large vans with lots of seats, including ones on the edge that fold up so you can pack the entire thing full from the back (and make everyone else get out at your stop to let you off).

There are key points along the roads which are sites of congestion, e.g. major intersections, slow traffic signals, markets, construction zones, bridges, etc. And entrepreneurial people make excellent use of this congestion to sell their wares. One almost doesn't actually need to arrive when going to the shop, because you could just about get everything you need just on your journey there.

But there's something to be said for timing, and I think buying from a trotro window takes a certain amount of confidence. One must know if the object being offered is actually what one needs, and there isn't any time to haggle, because the driver may start to drive off at any second. One must be certain, speedy, and have the correct amount of money ready at hand!

Here are a few of the many and diverse things I've seen on offer that I could have bought from out of the trotro window.

The list:
toothpaste
a dead bush rat
a parrot in a cage
doughnuts
handkerchiefs
water in 0.5L sachets
phone credit
a kebab of oysters
ikadza (fruit of dialium spp., see previous posts)
plantain chips
a watch
hydrogen peroxide
takeaway food boxes
multi-colored 'sponge' (for bathing, see upcoming post)
fan yogo (frozen yogurt)
a pack of Jesus stickers
'tea' bread
a catfish
meat pie
Life Guide booklet (for answers to all life's questions!)
Jesus calendar
a pair of wool trousers
flashlights
biscuits
a kebab of snails, onions, and chilies
towels

Is this a complete list? Certainly not. But it gives you a rough idea of the diversity of wares on offer if you're quick enough to make a purchase. When stuck in a station waiting for your vehicle to fill up before it will leave you usually have a bit more time to think about what you want (and to think, in general).

I have a huge amount of respect for the people selling to passengers through the trotro windows. It's dangerous, it's risky, and it certainly takes a lot more speed on their part to be able to give exact change and quickly make a sale under pressure than it does for the one making the purchase. The profit margin is low, the weather is hot, and they're carrying heavy loads on their heads for a long time. And they are definitely providing a service which benefits the many passengers! Who knows when you might need some Jesus stickers with your sachet of water, but if you do, some industrious person might just be there ready to provide you with them.

Next post will be about taking a bucket bath....

Spring in England (an earlier post, almost forgotten!)

Dear friends,

I am on a short break from my fieldwork at the moment in the UK. My plan is to rest, reassess things from a different perspective, and of course prepare for the next bit of fieldwork.

It's really nice to be here and see many of my close friends and loved ones. I'm also enjoying feeling cold, strangely. There's something comforting about wearing a jumper, I find, and the first night I snuggled up under a warm duvet I realized that I actually like pulling blankets around myself at night. So I am celebrating the many little buds and blossoms of spring, spending nice time with people I love, and eating my favorite non-Ghanaian foods. The sun is shining gently, the nettles are ready for harvesting, and this morning there were two deer grazing in the field outside the little cabin in Devon I'm tucked away in at the moment.

And, for those who may have been worrying, I have a clean bill of health from the doctors at the hospital for tropical diseases! No parasites, no hemorrhagic fever - just a bit of a cold which is disappearing quickly and is comfortingly familiar.

Next post will be the long-awaited things you can buy from a trotro window...

Spot the Devon deer