A Tour of Tamale

Hello, all.

Unfortunately, I am in the middle of being evacuated due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. This not only affects Ghana, but every country where Peace Corps volunteers are deployed -- a first in Peace Corps history. The last few days have been crazy with trying to wrap up loose ends/unfinished projects, getting rid of everything, packing, and saying goodbye to everyone I have come to know as my friends in the past few months.

Before I left Wa, I was able to take a yellow yellow and take one last ride around town to show you what my beautiful city looked like. Sadly, I haven't had the time to do that with Tamale, but I wanted to give you all a glimpse of the beautiful landscape I have been walking and biking. As a result, I am choosing to upload some videos that I think accurately depict what I would have chosen to film. Some notes on what you are seeing are included below the videos.

Please enjoy a little bit of Tamale, just as I did for the ten months I called it home.



This video comes from a British Youtuber (hence the plane flying from London to Tamale, although technically a direct flight between the two cities is impossible). I like how it shows you the houses, schools, and container stores you would see as you drive along the main road to the center of town (Tamale airport is about a 30 minute drive from central Tamale). These folks are thorough, showing you the main market and local foods as well. Tamale is one of the "fastest growing cities in West Africa" and it shows; this video was made in 2012 and, in just eight years, the city looks so much denser than what is shown here!

I also appreciate that it shows what villages outside of Tamale look like. Notice the farms, mosques, mud huts, and people sitting under the mango tree to avoid the hot afternoon sun. 

And of course the music is great!



I like this video (from a travel blog) because it gives you a feel for what walking through Tamale market would be like, as, unlike the previous video, it does not cover the audio with music. Notice all of the yellow yellows (tuk tuks) and motos, the shouts of "one one cedi," the rainbow of clothing and vegetables, and the distant sound of the Muslim call to prayer -- all familiar sights and sounds to someone who frequents Tamale market.

Watch to the end of the video to see the city at night-- a breathtaking view that I was able to see in person only a handful of times.

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