[By Porter Levenson]
One of, if not the most, exciting getaway for this Ghana trip is our adventure to Cape Coast. Located two hours outside of Accra, the smog that envelops the city dissipates and is replaced by the cool mist of the sea. As we drive, nature begins to displace the gray concrete buildings around us. The chunky pavement gives way to a red dirt road, and the smell of salt fills the air.
Our first stop was Elmina Castle, located on a hill above the city.
This castle is one of many in Cape Coast. Even though its previous owners, Dutch, Portuguese, and British, no longer inhabit it, it still dominates the skyline over the city.
After our extensive tour of the castle, we traveled to where we would be staying for the weekend. A beautiful resort greeted us. Tall coconut trees spread out in every direction. The red terracotta roofs blended with the white concrete walls gave the impression of an Italian countryside. Many famous figures had spent time at the resort– Will Smith, Serena and Venus Williams, and even the previous UN Secretary General, Kofi A. Annan had enjoyed the grove.
This was where Kofi A. Annan stayed while he was at the resort. We weren’t allowed inside, but it was bigger and made of different material then all the other housing.
Many birds filled the trees of the resort. The ever-present white bodied crows and large ospreys watched us from their high coconut-filled vantage points. On the ground, mini white storks poked at the grass.
The following day, we headed off to Cape Coast Castle, but I was more interested in the city of Elmina surrounding it.
This was the view from the bus on the side of the road. These children were playing and walking around on what appeared to be a dumping site for the town’s trash. On the hill in the background a church watches silently.
Near the castle was very busy with many tourists coming and going. Salesmen waited around to try and lure someone close enough to sell them maps or sunglasses or bracelets.
Close to the walls, a space had been cleared and two goals were set up on either side. The local children were playing a game of soccer, which I captured.
We had, unfortunately, arrived right after a festival had occurred in the city. The festival took place around July 2nd, the first Tuesday of the month, and three days before I left the US for Ghana.
These flags and umbrellas were leftovers from the festival. The celebration is called “Bakatue” and represents the “process of discharge” where Benya Lagoon merges with the sea. This represents the beginning of the fishing season for the city.
After driving through the city we entered Cape Coast Castle. This one was bigger then Elmina and there were many other schools touring there. I took this picture of one of the other schools lined up on the ramparts overlooking the sea.
Part way through the tour, I happened to glance out of a window and saw this man in a full suit gazing at the ocean.
Luckily, we were situated perfectly for me to get the shot. Later, when we were leaving, I saw three of them in suits outside of the castle. I still don’t know what they were dressed up for.
The rest of the trip passed in tranquility. We relaxed in the coconut grove and I tried my best to swim in the ocean. The trip to the castles will stick with me, however. It’s important that we remember these past mistakes so that we never commit atrocities like the ones committed at the castle again. Humans should never be exposed to the crammed conditions of tiny holding cells. With no food water or even air. From now on, I’ll look at humanity in a different light. No one is lesser than anyone else. Everyone is important and matters. Thus treating others as subhuman is one of the greatest crimes against humanity one can commit. We are all the heroes in our own stories and must be heroes for each other as well.