Cape Coast, Ghana

Hello All,

I'm a little behind on photos as you can tell; as you may imagine, internet access is precious around here, and fast internet even more precious to download my 2MB photos. I won't belabor that point, but I have been getting some great photos and will post them as technology permits... Until then, you get the pleasure of reading my journal ;)

I posted earlier today that I was writing from Winneba; that post was actually drafted about a week ago, but I waited to see if I could post photos from Winneba before leaving and well... you get the point.

I am actually in Cape Coast, Ghana, after spending a lovely two weeks in Winneba. I arrived in 'Cape' Monday the 8th, by way of a two hour bus ride from Winneba. Cape Coast was formerly the British Colonial capital until they moved to Accra in 1877. The infamous Cape Coast castle, which I visited two days ago, was the home of that colonial administration, and up until 1807 was a major slaving fort along the Ghanaian coast.

I took many photographs of the exterior of the Castle prior to paying the fee to enter and get the guided tour. The tour guide explains in detail the history of the Castle and how it transformed from a goods-trading headquarters and storehouse to a human-trading slavehouse. I did the same thing yesterday when I visited the Elmina castle, which is about 30 minutes cab ride from Cape Coast. Elmina is the oldest European structure (built by the Portuguese in 1482) in Africa south of the Sahara desert. It's evolution as a trading post/warehouse turned slavehouse is almost identical to not only Cape Coast, but most of the 37 or so forts that dot the 500km long coastline of Ghana. In both castles I spent time wandering around the dungeons where African human cargo began one of the largest diasporas of humankind... in the pursuit of commercial gain to the African chiefs and in the new world colonies of the Americas and the Caribbean. Any human being, but especially anyone of Afro-Caribbean or Afro-American heritage, should visit places like these to understand more of the African diaspora. I will not write more until I can post photos because words do not do the experience justice...

Today I am laying low, finally checking some email and business on the computer, and tomorrow I plan on visiting the famous Kakum National Park on a day trip from Cape. Kakum features a canopy tour of the Ghanaian rainforest; one of four canopy tours in the world I might add.

So, that's all for now. I'll post Winneba, Cape Coast, and Elmina photos when I can. Until then, thanks to all who choose to read my posts, comment on them, and perhaps share a little bit of my experience on the road :)

-Chris