We got up and had breakfast and left for Cape Coast this morning. We were supposed to leave at 8:30 but it was close to 9:30 before we left the hotel. Chuks said it would be a 1 1/2 trip if there was not traffic, closer to 2 1/2 with traffic. It took all of 2 1/2 hours. First we drove in a taxi to another part of Accra to get a van to Cape Coast. There does not appear to be bus service between cities, but at a very chaotic market there were lines of 15 passenger buses lined up. Chuks found one headed for Cape Coast and bought the tickets. I was able to down size to by backpack and computer case, but Sue and Jeff had one of their large suitcases plus two good size carry-ons. It ended up that they had to pay an extra fare for the suitcase. We then waited until the van was filled which took another 15 minutes or so then headed out. It was a little after 10:00 am. Our van was a Ford with air conditioning, actually I was a bit cold most of the way. Most of the vans did not have air conditioning. We passed a large number of vans on the road with 15 people aboard and the back in tied down because of all of the luggage. Fortunately we were not in that condition.
I thought for a long time that the trip would be just passing by continuous rows of "shops" and minimal housing, like much of Accra, but after a while we were in open countryside. Occasionally we went by villages of thatched huts, then we would go through cities much like Accra, lots of people on the streets, every traffic light, selling things and continuous rows of stands, minimal buildings or just people selling things off the street.
We arrive in Cape Coast a little after 12:30 pm and took a taxi to the university. The university is a huge campus, I am not sure of the student population, but it is acres and acres, perhaps a couple of miles or more long. Our rooms are very nice. They have several guest houses for the School of Education and a separate set for the School of Business and perhaps others. There may be 10 buildings (I am in letter H and Chuks is in letter J so that is why I am thinking a total of 10) and each building has 4 apartments. I have a large living room, large bedroom with a queen size bed and full bath. The cost is $37.50 a night.
After unpacking we went to lunch at a restaurant across the street from our apartments then headed for St. Georges Castle. It is a castle started by the Portuguese in the 1400s then captured by the Dutch in the mid 1500s and finally sold to the British in the 1800s. It was used as a fort during colonial times and also as a holding place for slaves waiting for the ships to come to the port. We explored the dungeons where the slaves were kept, naturally many died waiting for the ship. There were held for up to 3 months waiting for a ship to come in. I took lots of photographs, but given the sketchy nature of my Internet connection I will have to add them later.
On the way back we stopped at a place on side of the road and had a drink. As its name implies, Cape Coast is on the Atlantic and it is really quite beautiful here with the palm and coconut trees and ocean. The castle is in a very nice setting, just used for very inhuman purposes.
We got back to the campus tonight and had another drink. I didn't want anything to eat and the restaurant only had rice, fish and french fries left. It is quite warm and humid here so I don't feel very hungry, plus I had a large serving of rice and chicken for lunch.
Tomorrow promises to be a full day. We are supposed to take a taxi to the coast, about a 5 minute ride to watch the fishermen. They take their nets out in the ocean early in the morning then pull them in by hand while chanting to capture the fish. Then at 10:00 we have a meeting with some members of the Geography department. After that we go to a second castle also used in the slave trade and then we go to a rain forest for a visit. We stay here at the university tomorrow night. Friday morning we head for Mole National Park, an 8 hour drive.
I think I will go back inside where it is cooler and call it a night.
Happy Birthday, Melanie. Sorry, I am not in Minnesota for your birthday. Should we celebrate your birthday at the Twins game on the 4th??
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