June 23- Day for the books. Off to cape coast. The two hour drive quickly became three+. We stopped and peed in a plantain patch!! An experience to say the least. Kakum National Park was breathtaking. Was definitely a HIKE but the view was gorgeous and to be in the canopy of the forest and to just see all the trees expand into the horizon. And no human destruction. The bridges were fun too and just such an experience. But it didn’t stop there, the resort we are staying at is beautiful and so is the coast. It’s fun to be tourist for a day. (SO MANY WHITE PEOPLE) Marissa and I danced the night away and it was so needed. And then showering, outside under palm trees and the stars. Today was a once in lifetime experience.
Walking through the Cape Coast Castle museum was an emotional roller coaster. The story seemed to be told from a Ghanaian perspective, but there wasn’t any anger which surprise me. The history also seemed sugar coated and catered to tourists, it was very white centered. People were portrayed as “exotic”, it looked very barbaric, devilish faces and crazy hair and were naked. The artwork portrayed way of life but in a menacing way and some pieces had monkeys. I am beyond lucky but speechless at this history that I try so hard to ignore but also didn’t know. The trauma a person experienced is indescribable LIKE THESE ARE PEOPLE. They were stripped from their homes, families and LIVES, to do your dirty work. They couldn’t even communicate with each other. The amount of mental issues this probably caused.
A few notes from the tour...
- Ghana is called the Gold Coast because Europeans found gold
- White gold = sugar
- New world - realized can grow sugar there and use red Indians. Realized Africans are strong so birthed slave trade
- Elmina Castle is the largest and oldest built by Portuguese, Cape Coast castle built by British
- Male dungeon and female dungeon
- Europeans scared so sent Africans to capture people and in exchange gave them cloth and other things- called middle men
- 2 week’s- 3 months waited in castle for boat
- Slaves branded with owners initials on chest
- 200 slaves per chamber, tiny window, malaria- died and some went partly blind from the dark
- Spy hole, British could hear
- Built ‘Anglican’ church on top of dungeon. “They didn’t come here to exploit but instead to spread religion”. This was a way to tell Africans that they’re gods were less and that’s why they were enslaved
- The floor: mixture of harden feces and urine
- Pass through tunnel to door of no return and not through palace because dangerous to let 1000 men through
- Weak slaves taken to room to die and then thrown into sea
- Female punishment cell, if you didn’t let them rape you they would shove you in here, food given in moderation. Didn’t bring wives because of malaria
- Female and children together in the same dungen, age started at 13
- If women were pregnant, no longer slaves, and freed to raise kid and kid not a slave, women wanted to be raped
- “Door of return” even if you don’t know your roots you are welcome back
- Condemn cell, males who tried to fight for their rights, brought here no food or water, brought to die slowly and painfully as an example, 3 doors, no air no light no water
- Palaver Hall, where middlemen brought slaves to sell. 25 guns for strong, 8 for weaker
I could hear the cries and screams, I could feel the fear and misery but only a fraction. These were people. And their lives, humans disgust me. And just hearing the roar of the ocean the agony. These people who were so strong. It breaks my heart and now their descendants. This was by far one of the most powerful experiences of my trip and I hope if people ever have the opportunity, that they take advantage and visit. There are no words for the feeling of being able to re-enter the Door of No Return. Just 400 years ago, Africans were being manhandled while passing through this door to begin their enslaved lives. Just 400 years ago, Africans didn’t have the option to return. Walking through the same tunnels that people cried, sweat, bled and died on, there are no words. For the feeling of standing on hardened human excrement, or walking through dark, dungeon tunnels echoing the fear, misery and screams of countless African people, there are no words. For those who don’t know their roots, the Door of Return does exist, and welcomes you back home. The problem is slavery still exists today. Using someone else for your own advantage is slavery. Today we have psychological imprisonment.
