Elmina Slave Castle

Sunday, July 20^th

We had a little later start today as Eric picked us up at 10:30 for the drive to Cape Coast. We were in a convoy of four pickup trucks with our luggage and GNAT's supplies and two vans, one with us and the other with the new set of co-tutors. We drove back on the same road we came on and we watched out the window at the wonders of Ghanian life.

We arrived at our beach resort about an hour later. It is a large resort complex on the ocean, but there is no beach. The shore is rock and the breakers are big and strong, so we will not be swimming here. However, do we have a great pool. Our rooms were not ready yet so we left all our luggage in a common room and had lunch at the buffet. When we were finished we all went for a walk to the Elmina Slave Castle. It was about two kilometres away and was along the coast, past real beaches until we got to the town of Elmina. The street was lined with little shops and people going through their daily lives. We were stared at and waved at by the children. Most of the adults smiled or talked to us if we smiled or talked to them.

As we approached the castle we were accosted by hawkers asking our names and where we were from. We had been warned about them, but some of us forgot. They would go away and come back with a shell or something with your name on it and want some money. They were pretty persistent but we had to say sorry and brush them off. When we went in and paid there was a 20 cedi (roughly three cedis to a dollar) charge per camera. The group decided that since I loved taking photos I would be the appointed photographer.

The castle itself is one of a series of defend-able forts built by the Portuguese in the 1500's. They used them to protect the lands they had claimed and as trading sites for trading with the local chiefs. There was a silent trade whereby the Portuguese would put out wares that they wanted to trade: trinkets, pots, weapons, alcohol, and then leave. The Africans would come and leave what they thought would be worth that and then left. If the Europeans accepted that the trade would be done. They traded for gold, ivory, cultural things and soon people. The slave trade had begun. The fort was changed into a prison and gathering place for slaves to be branded, broken down and shipped to the New World. They spent a long time here before they were taken through the 'door of no return' to the ships. Somewhere between 5 and 10 million slaves were processed and about two thirds died before they ever reached the New World. Families were torn apart, the women and men were raped by the soldiers and their spirits were broken by torture, humiliation and beatings. Many of the local tribal chiefs were complicit in the trade as they would raid rival tribes and sell the captured people to the Europeans. We had an excellent guide who spent an hour with us explaining the history.

When we left, Lyle and Cameron lead us out and along a different route right along the shore through a working fishing community. They use large wooden canoes to go out to sea to fish. It was an amazing place with lots to see and photograph. We continued along there to the road and back through the village.

Back at the hotel Cindy, Leah, Angela, Barb, Owen and I went to the pool. We had a great time with a plastic ball. At 7:00 we went for dinner in the dinning room. I had the buffet with a special treat: crème caramel.

Then four people retired and the usual four of us went for a walk along the road to the main road and back before we settled in at a road side bar run by Big Joe for another beer. It was pleasant to sit outside and take in some of the local life and be nibbled on by mosquitoes! Then off to bed ourselves.