Yesterday my roommate, Amy and I went up to the Burkina Faso border because she had to leave the country for visa issues. We rode up with some people that were leaving Ghana to return to Ouagadougou. However, for the return trip we took public transportation. I wish I could put into words the experience of riding a public transport vehicle in Africa. The sights, smells, and sounds are beyond words. As we sat there, being smacked in the head every few minutes by someone's smelly bag or body, staring at a windshield sticker that announced "Never Say Die, Until the Bones are Rotting," the passenger between us squeezed into the pull down aisle seat leaning against us...even though there were empty seats behind us she could have taken, Amy and I came to the conclusion that no picture or video will do it justice. At one point on the trip, it was so loud from the vehicle's engine and open windows that I decided to try singing and see if anyone noticed. So while singing "I'll Fly Away" at quite a loud volume, only the girl sitting next to me seemed to notice. Or else they chose to ignore the crazy white girl. It was interesting watching the driver's helper pull out the cement brick every time we stopped to keep us from rolling away, and then proceeding to climb on top to get down people's luggage. The smells are just too much for me to describe. I guess you just need to come and experience them for yourself.