January 16,17,18 - Breanu and The Forts
See pictures at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8
We left Accra around 9:30 a.m. after a somewhat weak shower, and a somewhat weak breakfast. But what did we expect. Not a hotel any of us would recommend. And certainly not good value for money. But, it was in a great location, the people were very pleasant, and the atmosphere provided some interesting observation, i.e. the Liberians and the water pipes. Our drive was similar to the drive out of Accra when we went up to Amedzofe.
Ghana electrifies the senses. As you wander through the streets and drive through the city, you notice the gentle scent of bad eggs permeating the atmosphere. This alternates with the scent of rotten fish, exhaust fumes that you would expect from an unserviced engine, and the "green bin". Our eyes are mesmirized with the business of the cities and towns. It is an array of disorder. None of the buildings are symmetrical, none of them are located in a particular pattern, and none of them are similar in any way. They are big new modern building, mixed with block, stucco or tin houses, mixed with one room booths made out of wood or metal or anything else you can think of. Colour abounds, reds, yellows, greens, blues, oranges; the large umbrellas that cover the barrows, or tables from which people sell their goods; the awnings that cover the larger one room shops, and the goods that range from umbrellas, to brooms and brushes, to cell phones. All of this is held together by the people in their typical cloths, jazzy pants, and robes. I just can't explain it all to you in any meaningful way. I will have to work on it. There is so much to take in, you just can't take your eyes of it I think though that people are part of what make Ghana. They are the warmest people in the world. As we drive by in our truck, the children, the adults, and the older folks, will look and stare and you can feel their surprise in what they see. Then they look up, and see a bus full of white people, and the smile quickly spreads over their faces, or they turn to their friend and point us out and then the friends smiles, and then you get the waves, and the gestures, and the hellos. When you walk amongst them, they naturally smile and say hello. The tiny children run up and hug your legs. The slightly older children come up to you and say hello; and the older girls, although more reserved, are delighted when you smile at them, and maybe wave. The teenage boys are probably the most reserved. Everyone waves. It is the most natural action in the world. I remember once talking to John Aird, a former Lt. Governor of Ontario, about the adaptation from Lt Governor back to lawyer. He said the hardest thing was not to automatically wave at people. I think I may feel like this when I come home. And finally, there are the sounds. As you pass by either on foot or in the truck, you hear laughter, you hear animated conversations, and you hear the chatter of the horns. It's not the loud consistent sound of the horns in India, but the gentle chatter of people saying "I'm here"; "do you need a taxi ride", "I'm right behind you", "I'm passing you". The politeness of the people is inherent. Even on the roads. People stop to let you pass, drivers stop to allow vehicles to turn left, and drivers stop or slow down to let other drivers move around the roads. They even stop for pedestrians, similar to Vancouver, certainly not Toronto where you become a human target when you cross a road. Everyone says "hello", and "good bye"; and "please" and "thank you". It truly is an amazing environment. The sad part is we are missing out by not experiencing it, but if it becomes a popular tourist site, it will be spoiled. The balance is critical, but I think the country, with the right rulers, has a bright future.
Anyway, so that was the scene for most of the journey. We stopped in a town for lunch, and experienced all of this on foot as we wandered slowly down one side of the market main street chatting with the sellers, examining goods, and avoiding the cars! Goods are in excessive supply. The stands and booths and shops are jammed with everything under the sun. But it's not cheap. I would say things are not a ton cheaper than Canada. Probably fresh produce is cheaper, but generally there are not huge differences. Not as huge say as in Asia.
We arrived at the Breanu Resort between Winneba and Cape Coast around 3 and set up our tents ....on the beach! It is beautful. We are camped in amongst the coconut palms, carefully placed, we hope, so that any falling coconuts won't hit us. The ocean is about 25 feet from my feet....that is from high tide. We can hear the pounding of the rollers dumping into the sand, and smell the salt in the air. It is idyllic, romantic, exhiliarating. We cooked dinner and ate around the truck then wandered over to the thatched open air bar for a night cap and then a perfect sleep by the side of the sea.
Today, we were up early, showered, and off to Cape Coast Fort by 9:00 a.m. The fort was amazing but it's story is one of cruelty and sadness. It was of course, a slave fort, as were most of the numerous forts that are built along the West African coast. Many of the slaves resulted from the tribal wars. The losers would be sold by the winners to the slave merchants and then housed in the forts often up to 3 months to await shipment to their destination. A quarter of all slaves sold went to Brazil and the rest to America, the Caribbean and I guess ultimately Europe. We saw the slave dungeons, male and female, we saw the passages they took to the boats, and the door of no return. The conditions were cruel. No facilities, no light, no room. Food they had to fight for and some water. Many escaped. Many died. The women were raped by the whites; made pregnant and punished for it, and put in solitary imprisonment if they fought it. Awful, awful, times. The ironical part is that much of this is still being played out today in Ghana with the enslavement of woment for prostitution. Someone suggested that we shouldn't condemn the Africans because much of what they do they learned from the whites. This certainly seems true in some respects.
We had lunch in a local restaurant on the beach. Beans and toast.......like a sandwich. I have to mention the fruit. It is wonderful. Mango, banana, guava, oranges to die for, advocados. Bliss.
After Cape Coast, we drove a little further down the coast to Elmina Fort. it was built by the Portuguese who lived there for 185 years, then taken over by the Dutch who lived there for 200+ years, and finally the British who lived there for 85 years. A very interesting, but terribly sad, history, identical to that of the Cape Coast Fort. While we waited for the others to finish at Elmina, Ray and I walked over the bridge, through the market, and up the steep road to another castle which was not restored. Walked around that. I think we disturbed a few people's quiet biffy. The goats were amazing. They are tiny and pretty.....oh, oh.....Cathy thinks I have a "goat addiction".....maybe I do!!! They are cute Cath, you would love them!! Tiny compared to the PEI goats though!! Then it was back in the truck and home to our beach front tent!!
We had a buffet tongiht in the resort open air dining tent - it was good, a lot of seafood which I didn't eat, a mild chicken curry, rice, chips, and salad! It seems hard to find a "healthy" lunch or dinner unless you do it yourself by buying fruit in the market. The veg are mainly root veg - cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots. The lettuce isn't too plentiful, and is always loaded with onions. Ugh. Also, although I am eating the lettuce, you always have to be careful because it is probably washed in unpurified water. Conditions are certainly not sanitary. Rivers are jammed with garbage; poo is evident in the hidden areas in the towns, and washing hands is not second nature, despite the TV warnings we have heard from the president's wife who was on TV the other night demonstrating how to wash hands properly. Also, adovcating houses with toilets and running water. Imagine if our prime minister's wife was to get on TV and advertize that!
We are now in our tent. Ray is asleep and I am writing this on my little netbook, in the dark, listening to the sound of the waves thrashing the beach. Tomorrow we head off for Kumasi around 8:00 in the morning. I think there is Internet there so I should be able to upload this, and hopefully some pictures. I hope you can see them on FB. If Alanna sends me instructions "how to"....I'll load them directly on my blog. Blogger has a new look, and the picture insert key didn't seem to include the option to upload from your computer. Can't believe it. Maybe I just couldn't find it amidst my frustration with the Internet.
Hope you are all well!! Thinking of you, and wishing you could experience this exciting place. Gretel: If you read this I could see you and Manfred here!! Next holiday maybe??
See pictures at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8
We left Accra around 9:30 a.m. after a somewhat weak shower, and a somewhat weak breakfast. But what did we expect. Not a hotel any of us would recommend. And certainly not good value for money. But, it was in a great location, the people were very pleasant, and the atmosphere provided some interesting observation, i.e. the Liberians and the water pipes. Our drive was similar to the drive out of Accra when we went up to Amedzofe.
Ghana electrifies the senses. As you wander through the streets and drive through the city, you notice the gentle scent of bad eggs permeating the atmosphere. This alternates with the scent of rotten fish, exhaust fumes that you would expect from an unserviced engine, and the "green bin". Our eyes are mesmirized with the business of the cities and towns. It is an array of disorder. None of the buildings are symmetrical, none of them are located in a particular pattern, and none of them are similar in any way. They are big new modern building, mixed with block, stucco or tin houses, mixed with one room booths made out of wood or metal or anything else you can think of. Colour abounds, reds, yellows, greens, blues, oranges; the large umbrellas that cover the barrows, or tables from which people sell their goods; the awnings that cover the larger one room shops, and the goods that range from umbrellas, to brooms and brushes, to cell phones. All of this is held together by the people in their typical cloths, jazzy pants, and robes. I just can't explain it all to you in any meaningful way. I will have to work on it. There is so much to take in, you just can't take your eyes of it I think though that people are part of what make Ghana. They are the warmest people in the world. As we drive by in our truck, the children, the adults, and the older folks, will look and stare and you can feel their surprise in what they see. Then they look up, and see a bus full of white people, and the smile quickly spreads over their faces, or they turn to their friend and point us out and then the friends smiles, and then you get the waves, and the gestures, and the hellos. When you walk amongst them, they naturally smile and say hello. The tiny children run up and hug your legs. The slightly older children come up to you and say hello; and the older girls, although more reserved, are delighted when you smile at them, and maybe wave. The teenage boys are probably the most reserved. Everyone waves. It is the most natural action in the world. I remember once talking to John Aird, a former Lt. Governor of Ontario, about the adaptation from Lt Governor back to lawyer. He said the hardest thing was not to automatically wave at people. I think I may feel like this when I come home. And finally, there are the sounds. As you pass by either on foot or in the truck, you hear laughter, you hear animated conversations, and you hear the chatter of the horns. It's not the loud consistent sound of the horns in India, but the gentle chatter of people saying "I'm here"; "do you need a taxi ride", "I'm right behind you", "I'm passing you". The politeness of the people is inherent. Even on the roads. People stop to let you pass, drivers stop to allow vehicles to turn left, and drivers stop or slow down to let other drivers move around the roads. They even stop for pedestrians, similar to Vancouver, certainly not Toronto where you become a human target when you cross a road. Everyone says "hello", and "good bye"; and "please" and "thank you". It truly is an amazing environment. The sad part is we are missing out by not experiencing it, but if it becomes a popular tourist site, it will be spoiled. The balance is critical, but I think the country, with the right rulers, has a bright future.
Anyway, so that was the scene for most of the journey. We stopped in a town for lunch, and experienced all of this on foot as we wandered slowly down one side of the market main street chatting with the sellers, examining goods, and avoiding the cars! Goods are in excessive supply. The stands and booths and shops are jammed with everything under the sun. But it's not cheap. I would say things are not a ton cheaper than Canada. Probably fresh produce is cheaper, but generally there are not huge differences. Not as huge say as in Asia.
We arrived at the Breanu Resort between Winneba and Cape Coast around 3 and set up our tents ....on the beach! It is beautful. We are camped in amongst the coconut palms, carefully placed, we hope, so that any falling coconuts won't hit us. The ocean is about 25 feet from my feet....that is from high tide. We can hear the pounding of the rollers dumping into the sand, and smell the salt in the air. It is idyllic, romantic, exhiliarating. We cooked dinner and ate around the truck then wandered over to the thatched open air bar for a night cap and then a perfect sleep by the side of the sea.
Today, we were up early, showered, and off to Cape Coast Fort by 9:00 a.m. The fort was amazing but it's story is one of cruelty and sadness. It was of course, a slave fort, as were most of the numerous forts that are built along the West African coast. Many of the slaves resulted from the tribal wars. The losers would be sold by the winners to the slave merchants and then housed in the forts often up to 3 months to await shipment to their destination. A quarter of all slaves sold went to Brazil and the rest to America, the Caribbean and I guess ultimately Europe. We saw the slave dungeons, male and female, we saw the passages they took to the boats, and the door of no return. The conditions were cruel. No facilities, no light, no room. Food they had to fight for and some water. Many escaped. Many died. The women were raped by the whites; made pregnant and punished for it, and put in solitary imprisonment if they fought it. Awful, awful, times. The ironical part is that much of this is still being played out today in Ghana with the enslavement of woment for prostitution. Someone suggested that we shouldn't condemn the Africans because much of what they do they learned from the whites. This certainly seems true in some respects.
We had lunch in a local restaurant on the beach. Beans and toast.......like a sandwich. I have to mention the fruit. It is wonderful. Mango, banana, guava, oranges to die for, advocados. Bliss.
After Cape Coast, we drove a little further down the coast to Elmina Fort. it was built by the Portuguese who lived there for 185 years, then taken over by the Dutch who lived there for 200+ years, and finally the British who lived there for 85 years. A very interesting, but terribly sad, history, identical to that of the Cape Coast Fort. While we waited for the others to finish at Elmina, Ray and I walked over the bridge, through the market, and up the steep road to another castle which was not restored. Walked around that. I think we disturbed a few people's quiet biffy. The goats were amazing. They are tiny and pretty.....oh, oh.....Cathy thinks I have a "goat addiction".....maybe I do!!! They are cute Cath, you would love them!! Tiny compared to the PEI goats though!! Then it was back in the truck and home to our beach front tent!!
We had a buffet tongiht in the resort open air dining tent - it was good, a lot of seafood which I didn't eat, a mild chicken curry, rice, chips, and salad! It seems hard to find a "healthy" lunch or dinner unless you do it yourself by buying fruit in the market. The veg are mainly root veg - cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots. The lettuce isn't too plentiful, and is always loaded with onions. Ugh. Also, although I am eating the lettuce, you always have to be careful because it is probably washed in unpurified water. Conditions are certainly not sanitary. Rivers are jammed with garbage; poo is evident in the hidden areas in the towns, and washing hands is not second nature, despite the TV warnings we have heard from the president's wife who was on TV the other night demonstrating how to wash hands properly. Also, adovcating houses with toilets and running water. Imagine if our prime minister's wife was to get on TV and advertize that!
We are now in our tent. Ray is asleep and I am writing this on my little netbook, in the dark, listening to the sound of the waves thrashing the beach. Tomorrow we head off for Kumasi around 8:00 in the morning. I think there is Internet there so I should be able to upload this, and hopefully some pictures. I hope you can see them on FB. If Alanna sends me instructions "how to"....I'll load them directly on my blog. Blogger has a new look, and the picture insert key didn't seem to include the option to upload from your computer. Can't believe it. Maybe I just couldn't find it amidst my frustration with the Internet.
Hope you are all well!! Thinking of you, and wishing you could experience this exciting place. Gretel: If you read this I could see you and Manfred here!! Next holiday maybe??
2 comments:
Bev and I are enjoying reading about your adventures and seeing your photos. Those children were so beautiful!
I went out last night about 9 PM and noticed that the Moon was at the top of its arc, close to brilliant Jupiter, and maybe 20 degrees South of the zenith. I realized that were you are, it must be about the same distance north of the zenith, which would make it look upside down. Someday, I must see the Moon like that.
Too bad about the rivers. Are there fire-flies at night?
Liz:
i am still convinced you have a goat feddish. Loving your blog.
love to Ray
Cathy
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