The Best Tex-Mex in Ghana...No Lie!

Accra is developing very quickly. There is construction everywhere! New roads are being built in virtually every corner of the city expanding dimly lit 2 lane roads to become bright four lane dual-carriageways! New buildings are going up all over the place. Many of them are several stories tall. Yesterday when we were soliciting for funds to support our community education project I got to go up one of Accra's tallest buildings. It may be only 15 stories tall, but it definitely stands out in the horizon! All this new development includes a 9-story Holiday Inn and a several story tall luxury condominium unit called "The Villagio" which boasts 84 luxury apartments and 16 penthouse suites ranging in price from $200,000 - $1 million. Believe it or not...there is a lot of money in Ghana! And soon there will be much more...Ghana has discovered lots of oil off its shoreline. I read in the paper today that production is set to begin in 2010 starting at 120,000 barrels per day and will rise to 250,000 barrels per day by 2012.

Prices in Accra are really inflated compared to the rest of the country. Many things cost about what they cost in the US. One exception was my haircut yesterday - $1.50!

You're probably wondering about the Tex-Mex?? The first time I saw Champ's Sports Bar advertisement saying "The Best Tex-Mex in Ghana!" I laughed! Tex-Mex in Ghana???? Well, last night I went there with some friends and had some great chicken and beef enchiladas!!! The atmosphere was just like a sports bar in the US. The place was packed with white people...which was a bit of an odd scene in Ghana...there were large flat screen TVs all over...pool tables...pitchers of draught beer...flags, jerseys, and other memorabilia all over the walls and ceiling...etc. Most of the people were there to support the Netherlands against Italy in the EuroCup 2008 match...the Netherlands won 3-0. It was fun and was like taking a little break back to the US for an evening.

Today I will get a better look at the Income Generating Activities as many of the people involved with them should be arriving very soon for a meeting and to pay something on their micro-finance loans. Later I will go again with Fifi to solicit for funds for our project. Thats it for now....next time...Black Rasta and Barack Obama - the song!