Anwen goes to Accra to meet her parents who are coming to Ghana for one week, Melanie travels to the Wli Falls in the Volta Region. I am not ready for a trip like this yet, so I meet other volunteers to go to Cape Coast Castle and surprisingly I manage to get a taxi and find the right place. Standing in front of the castle, we see flags behind some huts to our left and decide to walk along the castle‘s wall to get there. We pass men working on fishing nets and then we reach a strip of beach, crammed with boats. Men and boys are pulling boats out of the water and up some stairs. There are fishing nets everywhere. Among all the flags, one bright American flag sticks out. We just stand there and watch.
After a while, we notice a big door labelled „Door of return“ and we enter. A sign welcomes us, „Akwaaba“. We turn around and see the other side of the door: „Door of no return“. We just entered the castle through the back door. Here is the old dungeon for the female slaves, another one for men next to it. Old cannons are pointing towards the sea. I imagine how boats full of slaves once arrived where now the fishermen are working.
In one courtyard we find a number of artisan stalls, waiting for tourists. They sell necklaces, drums, knives, bags, masks, small and big wooden figures and lots more. I am tired, but I decide to come back another day and enter the castle through the front door.
On Sunday we meet at the market. It is busy. People shout and pull my arm to get my attention. Too many taxis try to wind their way past the stalls through the crowd. We look at some fabric and negotiate over the price. This is a skill to be learned. A Trotro brings us out of town to a beach. Here, it is quiet except for the wind and the waves. It is only us, the sand and the sea. Further away we see palm trees. Some boys are digging holes in the sand. Later we find out that they are catching crabs. The water is great. The sun is great. I will regret the lack of shade the same evening.
In the afternoon we meet again to see a football match in the Cape Coast stadium. Someone saw signs on the road about a match Cape Coast vs Accra. When we arrive at the stadium, we are surprised. The stands are empty, the field is empty. There is no match. We wait for a while, but nothing changes. Well, another time.
