Our first weekend in Ghana and so we’ve planned a trip to Cape Coast to get tanning and visit some castles and explore more of Ghana.
After an extremely squished tro ride we arrived at Cape Coast castle with the small issue of finding somewhere to stay for the night. Luckily after one loop round a few streets we found a small hippy vegetarian café, and as well as a smoothie and a veggie pizza slice we managed to get a room for 5, easy. With our stuff left in the room, Elisabeth Sophie and I headed for the beach while clothesless Paul and sun fearing Simiao went shopping. The beach was packed with children playing in the sea, children hawking and strangely for us Obruni (white people). Since entering the coastal town we had seen more Obruni than ever before, clearly Cape Coast was a big tourist attraction.
The beach provided the three of us with a very interesting day. John, a local Ghanaian came and sat with us, talking for hours about anything and everything; the history behind Elmina castle, the economic problems in Ghana, the proper use of aid and the right tro to get to Kakum National Park. John was a knowledgeable man, and for anything he did not know he was happy to listen and learn. I believe John to be a typical Ghanaian; friendly, polite, helpful and just happy to be alive and kicking.
While John was chatting away I noticed two boys passing a rugby ball on the beach. Being a rugby fan myself I was intrigued by the boys who clearly had been taught how to play. I decided to join them, and after a few good spin passes and drop kicks, I asked them where they went to school. It was a local government school, which taught rugby as it’s main sport, rather than football like all the other schools I have visited so far. Noting my findings down I felt like the beach had not just been good for getting a tan, but for continuing my dissertation research as well. Success!
We had a jam packed Sunday starting off with a canopy walk in Kakum National Park, which involves walking across 7 thin rickety wooden bridges within the trees in the park. Although the bridges were a bit unsteady, the views were unreal, high in the tree tops you could see for miles.
After the amazing views we headed to the historical Elmina castle. Having a 45 minute guide around the castle we were told the rich history; first established as a trade settlement by the Portugese, bringing guns, gun powder and alcohol to trade for gold and spices. But later the castle became one of the stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade. Having studied the slave trade at school, actually seeing the slave holds firsthand was unbelievable, and an experience I think I will remember forever.
After the amazing views we headed to the historical Elmina castle. Having a 45 minute guide around the castle we were told the rich history; first established as a trade settlement by the Portugese, bringing guns, gun powder and alcohol to trade for gold and spices. But later the castle became one of the stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade. Having studied the slave trade at school, actually seeing the slave holds firsthand was unbelievable, and an experience I think I will remember forever.
After frolicking on Elmina beach, our very own paradise island, we found the bus station and headed back to Kasoa, which has started to feel like home after only a week here! However, at the station we were greeted by locals claiming ‘Cape Coast don’t have tro’s.’ After clearly explaining that we came by tro and that we’d like to return by tro we got no where. We didn’t want some fancy air conditioned mini bus, we wanted a rickety, broken doored, seasoned tro! Oh how we’ve changed! The weekend over and I am already looking forward to the adventures of next weekend.
Small Point: Everywhere we go, any spare land or field has been transformed into a football pitch! With 3 bits of bamboo to create the two sides and cross bar, it is clear in Ghana that football is the most popular sport around.
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