Today was the best day by far. Never expected Cape Coast to be so amazing...
The van left Holi Flats at 8 am and we all set out to the beach town called Cape Coast. I was really looking forward to this trip primarily coz of the Cape Coast castle - used during slave trade.
After a 3 hour drive, we reached our first destination - The Kakum National Park. It was a rainforest that was turned into a National Park for various reasons like tourism, for environmentalists/biologists to experiment, preserve the natural habitat etc. It's famous for the 'canopy' walk across 7 thin bridges really high up giving you an aerial view of the rain forest. 10 minutes after we reached, a major thunderstorm hit the park and there was no way we coul for the canopy today. The plan was pushed to tomorrow and we all filed back into the van.
Hans Cottage Botel:
Our next destination was the Hans Cottage Botel for lunch. This hotel is fasinating as it rests on a lake which is known to have about 40 crocodiles. The restaurant is built on pillars over the lake and occasionally you can see a crocodile passing under the plank you're standing on! We were allowed to touch a few of them which came onto the islandish extension to the hotel. They were evidently fed before we came anywhere next to it but touching the croc was my 'national geographic' moment and I flipped! :)
El Mina Castle:
Until yesterday, if you asked what I enjoyed the most in Ghana, I would've said feeding the mona monkeys, or the women entrepreneur trainings or the croc experience. But today, El Mina Castle beat them all hands down.
History:
The Portugese first landed here in the 1400s to trade. Since they found a lot of gold here, they called the place El Mina, which means Gold Mine and built the El Mina castle in 1482 which soon became a very important trading post. Initially the castle was built to ship out spices, gold, Ivory etc in return for gun powder to the local chiefs but soon it began to be used for slave trade. There would be about a 1000 slaves kept in the castle at any given time, waiting for them to be shipped out. They were primarily males as they needed strong people to work in the plantations.However, by the time they get to the castle, they're weak, worn out and skinny as they're brought by foot from all over West Africa. Many of them die due to starvation, diseases while at the castle. After the Dutch conquered the area and took over power from Portugese, slave trade continued. However, the British invaded in the late 1900s, abolished slave trade and converted the castle into a training ground. They took physically strong men, trained them to join the British army and sent them to India & other colonies to fight the war.
While walking through the castle you'll see doors named 'Male/Female Slave Dungeons'. The guide took us on a tour of the castle showing us the space where slaces were stored for several days without food, water or lighting. Everything they did or could do had to be done in the small room they're packed into. The slaves were kept at the lowest level of the castle, while officials stayed at the higher levels with the highest level of the castle being occupied by the governor. Next to the governors bedroom, there's a trap door that leads close to where the female dungeon is. The women he chose for pleasure were brought in through this trap door into this room. Once chosen by the governor, if the slave refused she'd be tied to a canon and made to stand in the scorchin heat without food/water until her spirit broke. The only canon left in the castle is the one that was used for this purpose.
When the ships arrived, those who survived the dungeons were then lead through passage to towards a room and then through a narrow gate called 'the Gate of no Return'.
Listening to the guide narrate the history of the castle was certainly moving. What strikes you is that the sight of the mind blowing beauty of the while El Mina castle standing tall against the blue sky, once meant horror and doom for thousands and thousands of people of this land. It's a shame.
The van left Holi Flats at 8 am and we all set out to the beach town called Cape Coast. I was really looking forward to this trip primarily coz of the Cape Coast castle - used during slave trade.
After a 3 hour drive, we reached our first destination - The Kakum National Park. It was a rainforest that was turned into a National Park for various reasons like tourism, for environmentalists/biologists to experiment, preserve the natural habitat etc. It's famous for the 'canopy' walk across 7 thin bridges really high up giving you an aerial view of the rain forest. 10 minutes after we reached, a major thunderstorm hit the park and there was no way we coul for the canopy today. The plan was pushed to tomorrow and we all filed back into the van.
Hans Cottage Botel:
Our next destination was the Hans Cottage Botel for lunch. This hotel is fasinating as it rests on a lake which is known to have about 40 crocodiles. The restaurant is built on pillars over the lake and occasionally you can see a crocodile passing under the plank you're standing on! We were allowed to touch a few of them which came onto the islandish extension to the hotel. They were evidently fed before we came anywhere next to it but touching the croc was my 'national geographic' moment and I flipped! :)
El Mina Castle:
Until yesterday, if you asked what I enjoyed the most in Ghana, I would've said feeding the mona monkeys, or the women entrepreneur trainings or the croc experience. But today, El Mina Castle beat them all hands down.
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| El Mina Castle, Cape Coast |
History:
The Portugese first landed here in the 1400s to trade. Since they found a lot of gold here, they called the place El Mina, which means Gold Mine and built the El Mina castle in 1482 which soon became a very important trading post. Initially the castle was built to ship out spices, gold, Ivory etc in return for gun powder to the local chiefs but soon it began to be used for slave trade. There would be about a 1000 slaves kept in the castle at any given time, waiting for them to be shipped out. They were primarily males as they needed strong people to work in the plantations.However, by the time they get to the castle, they're weak, worn out and skinny as they're brought by foot from all over West Africa. Many of them die due to starvation, diseases while at the castle. After the Dutch conquered the area and took over power from Portugese, slave trade continued. However, the British invaded in the late 1900s, abolished slave trade and converted the castle into a training ground. They took physically strong men, trained them to join the British army and sent them to India & other colonies to fight the war.
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| A Canon @ the Castle |
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| The gate of 'No Return'. 1 person at a time was moved through this gap to the ship waiting outside. |
The Castle:
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| the Male Slave Dungeon |
When the ships arrived, those who survived the dungeons were then lead through passage to towards a room and then through a narrow gate called 'the Gate of no Return'.
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| The only canon ball left in the Castle |
For a minute when I read the last line of the 1st para, I thought you were in serious mind to get Lovell his gift!
ReplyDeletewith the attire and all, you actually look like an NGC girl in the pic with the croc! Woohooooooooo :D
I did get Lovell his gift - ask him! :)
ReplyDeleteNGC girl? really now! How I wish!