Accra, Ghana

Hi Everybody,

I've been chillin in Accra, Ghana for the past 4 days now, of course by way of a 24 hour bus ride from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. I will say though, that VanefSTC provided the best bus service I've had so far in this journey. They left on time, had air conditioning, spacious seats, no dripping fish liquids from the ceiling, and no dust infiltrating every orifice of my body. Another thing I'll say about this bus ride as opposed to any others I've had previously is that they actually had customer service... We would make periodic and required fuel, service, and provision stops every couple of hours along the trip, and as the bus was getting serviced in the bay, if there were any extra delays (15/20 minutes), an announcer came over the loudspeakers and APOLOGIZED for any inconvenience the delay may cause. As an aspiring businessman, that went a long way with me, as every bus ride, taxi ride, or restaurant stop in Senegal, Mali, and to a lesser extent Burkina Faso, was UNAPOLOGETICALLY difficult... Meaning if it sucked, no one said a thing to the customers; if the customers said anything, it was met with blank stares... It appeared as though the customers existed only to put money in the business owner's pocket. That was not, and is not the case for anything I've seen here in Ghana. And as a result I've been impressed at the apparent progress, and better potential, of Ghana than I've seen anywhere else in the region.

That being said Ghana is still a developing nation, but for it's merits there appears to actually be somewhat of a middle-class here in Accra that can afford to dine at the same restaurants and stay at the same hotels that the tourists stay at. You do not feel on the verge of being hassled or mugged every time you walk through the city streets. In the evening you hear the bars, chop house restaurants, and eateries blasting away anything from African dance music to Bob Marley and Sean Paul, and there appears to be great cross-cultural exchange between the Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American music and cultural scene, from the clothing the people wear to the braids, dreadlocks, or Jamaican shirts people are sporting around.

All this and I am still spending $7 USD a night in a budget hotel, taking bucket showers, experiencing the intermittent water and power outage, and having to share bathroom facilities with the 'residents' of the hotel, as I've concluded today that the hotel is also a brothel!!! I have a double bed, a fan, and one electrical outlet to keep my electronic gear all charged up. And (if I want) I can have about 5 dates in one night without having to leave the building :) Just kidding!

Tomorrow I am off to venture along the old Slave Coast, starting with the town of Winneba, about an hour west of Accra... Stand by for pics and more narrative in the next week or so :)

Until then... Have Fun!

Chris