Africa is amazing. The
people are dirt poor, but appear happy and committed to family and tribe. As
our guide told us yesterday, the village raises a child. If they are out of
line anyone can correct them. It saddens me to see so much natural resource
wealth in these countries with little trickling down to the people.
Ghana lifted our spirits to
see a higher standard of living than we had seen since Namibia. The country has
just had an election and the sitting president was not re-elected. The people had
had enough. This is unlike Togo, where the president held office for forty
years and then his son took over.
We had a long, hot
seven-hour tour that centered on the slave trade. With temperatures in the low
90s and humidity in the mid-80s, we were wrung out at the end of the day. But it was worth it.
We
visited two Portuguese forts where the captured Africans were taken awaiting
transportation. The story is horrific. Individuals were sold by the village chiefs to the slavers. They were kept in dungeons for three months with no light,
water, and toilet facilities, awaiting the ships that would take them to the New
World.
On a brighter note, right below the forts we
were able to view the fishing trade and the people at work. The men catch the
fish and the women sell the fish. A great example of brawn and brain at work.
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| Cape Coast Castle |
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| These small dungeon cell housed 200 people. |
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| Shackle marks on the floor |
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| The Door of No Return. They were loaded into boats here. |
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Caroline, Jim took this for you
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