TUMU!!!, First day worse day

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If you have read my previous post, you already know i have announced i am going on a one week backpacking tour across the Upper East region of Ghana. On my list, my fist stop is Tumu. Tumu is the capital of the Sisala east districict of Ghana and since passing through Tumu is the way to get to the Upper east from Wa, i decided to stay a day in the town to have a feel of it before i continue my journey  I left the house around 5.55 for the bus terminal of the Metro mass transit ( MMT) (the only bus system that plies the Wa to Tumu road) but i was informed the bus for Tumu had just left. I then had to come to the main lorry park to board a mini bus. We boarded the mini urvan bus around 6.30. We set of for Tumu first driving on nice roads heading north eastern but what seemed like a smooth ride came to an end as we made way for a very bad road. The road was terrible and the mini bus wasn’t comfortable either.

First time backpacking selfie

My chariot awaits

Bad roads

 Villages worthy of note on the road are Kojopkeri, Tabiase, Goh etc at Funsi junction we saw a sign post that notified us we were entering Sisala east district. After a drive which took forever (upwards of 3 hours) We entered Tumu. The vehicle parked at the main bus terminal the time was about 10.30 there about. Gosh!!! The sun was shining briskly and to think June in Ghana is the rainy season. Considering how the sun had come up and my huge 'carry on' I decided to wait at the bus terminal till the heat of the sun subside a bit. But after sitting there till 2pm and seeing that the heat had no plans of coming down I braced myself and set out to explore with my bulging backpack at my back. I saw this towering building and decided to take a shot probably the most interesting piece of architecture in Tumu then the shutter bug in me came out.

Nice architecure

Tumu High street

                            

People enjoying the world cup

Lovely dam

Realise how close Burkina Faso is?

                                       

I then decided to find a place to lodge so i inquired about the nearest guest house and i was directed there. The guest house is 'Sildep' guest house a nice quite guest house nothing fancy. Upon arrival I met the security who attended to me. The cost of the rooms were 18 cedis and 50 cedis, being a backpacker who did not want to spend too much and having a long way to go, i decided to go for the 18 cedis. The room was very basic that is there was a desk, bed and a shelf of some sort. The bed was neatly laid, one pet peeve though there was a power cut thanks to the unstable nature of power supply in the country. The guest house is affiliated to the government and Sildep stands for 'Sisala Development Programme'

                             

                             

        

                               

My 'basic' room

     I took a short nap after which I was hungry so I decided to get some food. eat sadly no food was sold at the guest house therefor i had to go to town to get my own food. Whiles inquiring about food, it was cloudy and  really threatening to rain so i figured if it starts raining, considering the wind it will rain for a while. I might as well rush and get the food and make it safely back into the guest house before it starts raining. I left the guest house to get the food, as soon as I made my way to the town square it started raining. I asked someone where I could locate the nearest 'chop bar' ('chop bar' is a Ghanaian term for restaurants which sell local food) he really couldn’t suggest any so he suggested I buy fast food, am like there is no way am on a backpacking trip to eat something 'foreign'.

 In the end i decided to do some local food hunting myself after walking for a few minutes I came to this eatery that had a lot of people around it so I bought some of the food I got tz (a Ghanaian food that taste like dried porridge eaten with various kinds of soups). Tz as a delicacy has a lot of different soups which can be eaten with  but I didn’t like this particular soup that came with it may be I should have eaten the fast food? I don’t know. 

Though there was electricity in the town, it seemed rather dark none of the streetlights were functioning. i had to put on the flash light in my phone to help me see but none of the people had a torch light on whiles there is electricity and me trying so desperately to blend in put the phone off.. but my feet kept hitting stones so being the new comer that i am i just put on my flashlight and walked back to the guest house.