![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.overlandrover-westafrica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Volta-Transfer.jpg\" "\\"Volta"){kind=spacer}
<\/a>Driving through the Volta Region of Ghana towards the Togo border<\/p><\/div>\n
Yesterday we drove from Ada in eastern Ghana up through the Volta Region to cross into Togo at a place called Shia.\u00c2\u00a0 Imagine the most isolated, backwater border crossing, down the roughest, most unused road, managed by a host of people who are so starved for human companionship they will not stamp your passport until you have engaged them in conversation for a good 10 minutes, and you will have gained some insight into our day today.<\/p>\n
The first (of several) policeman at the Togolese crossing was the most interesting.\u00c2\u00a0 He had been a participant in Canada World Youth twenty years ago and spent a couple of months in Trois Rivieres.\u00c2\u00a0 He was convinced that Quebecois were not as nice as people from other Canadian provinces, an impression I tried very hard to disabuse him of.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite the numerous stops required to traverse the border (two on the Ghanaian exit and four on the Togo entrance) the only unpleasant part was at Ghana Immigration.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Certainly the most overstaffed border post I have ever seen.\u00c2\u00a0 There were five people (women) behind the counter\u00c2\u00a0 and two men, not in uniform but clearly in charge, standing in front of the counter that gave the impression they were travellers.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 After having the women go through our passport\u00c2\u00a0 the two men\u00c2\u00a0 subjected us to what can only be called interrogation, \u00c2\u00a0grilling us about the last time we entered Ghana, how long we had been in Ghana, where we were going, \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0At the end the person in charge said it would not be possible for us to cross there, rather we would have to go to the next post, which was the main Aflao crossing now two hours drive away.\u00c2\u00a0 This was clearly an effort for a bribe but he did not know that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pay bribes.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0We just held our ground, we had made small talk with the other staff and I think they could\u00c2\u00a0 see he was being unreasonable and after a time he after a time he \u00c2\u00a0instructed one of the women to stamp our passports.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 I am sure this will not be the last time we have to play this game but so far I can still say I have never paid a bribe.<\/p>\n
As officious as this individual was, to his credit he at least cited a reason to prevent our crossing that was somewhat plausible – the condition of the road.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 He said the road was very bad and would need a “very strong car” to make it.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Because we had a 4×4\u00c2\u00a0 it was a bit easier to dismantle the immigration official arguments.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 There was no road at all, only a mud track that wound through streams and tall grass, clearly they were not encouraging people to cross there.<\/p>\n
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