Accra to Cape Coast – Elmina Castle, Cape Coast Castle and Kakum Capony walk – In One Day
I booked this tour with FYAH via my travel agent (significant other – who is a travel agent) back home after a local company I had used for a day trip was vastly over charging for the same trip, as I was a single.
My driver, Josesph, was a little late, although I have been in Ghana, long enough to appreciate Ghana time. Cape Coast is a couple hours from Accra. Starting out early, the traffic was still heavy while in the outlying areas of Accra. The road eventually narrows to a two lane highway with periodic speedbumps, various patches of rough sections and dotted with potholes. Speedbumps aside, the roads are much the same as home but for vastly different reasons. The road passes through numerous communities, villages with their roadside vendors, roaming goats, TroTro’s and cabs. There is plenty to watch when you aren’t watching for on coming traffic in your lane. I wasn’t driving, but still was alert. The rules of the road need not apply in Ghana. Speed is a suggestion, lane markers to be ignored, but these guys are professional and we made it to Cape Coast and back in one piece.
The actual driving aside, I found the scenery to be interesting, each town, although similar seemed to offer something unique. At one place, a gentleman approached the car selling the largest snails I have ever seen. Like literal football sized snails. I was afraid to ask, but I assume they are a delicacy, in another, a gentleman was selling a large, skinned animal which I think would be akin to a Jutia in the Caribbean – a banana rat or Capybera? Maybe?
I did expect the drive to be a little more, well coastal given the name of the destination, however as I have learned, Ghana does not seem to capitalize on the “coast” quiet as much as one would expect.
Once we got to Cape Coast, we collected my tour guide, Harry. Harry is a tourism and hospitality student/graduate can't remember which, who has volunteered at El Mina for 7 years. His knowledge of both Cape Coast and El Mina castles was impressive.
Our first stop, before the castles was Kakum National Park for the Canopy walk. The walk spans 7 rope suspension bridges slung through the canopy of the rain forest. The system was designed by 2 Canadians and a Ghanaian. With the ropes being able to support the weight of 2 elephants. Luckily is also supported the weight of a slightly overweight, very wet Canadian. Did I mention that it decided to rain just as we started our “CLIMB” up to the canopy. Its roughly a 20-25 minute climb up the side of a hill to the height of 250 Metre about sea level. The tour company did advise in advance to wear good shoes. I noticed some of the other adventures were wearing flip flops or sandals. I honestly don’t know how they made the climb. Coming back down was just as bad, as the rain had made it fairly slick walking.
Having conquered the mountain, soaked, sweating but without mishap, it was off to lunch.
We had lunch at Hans Cottage Botel. I am not sure what a BOTEL is, but the complex offers accommodation, swimming pool, a large restaurant complex, a coffee shop and the main attraction is a pair of crocodiles along with some colourful birds, and plenty of geckos. I bought Harry lunch, and we had a very interesting talk about Ghanaian history and custom, I learn why Greetings are so important, and we talked the place of religion in Ghanaian culture, and the traditional practices of religion In Ghana.
The food at Hans Cottage, well mine was underwhelming. I ordered a club sandwich. I wanted something light on the stomach. The sandwich was like something I had seen before. Sort of minced chicken, with cabbage, tomato’s, a very salty bacon/ham/ meat. Harry had grilled fish and fried rice, which looked far better then my sandwich. At least the Star beer was cold. After lunch it was on to the castles.
Nothing is close in Cape Coast, and once you in into the town closer to the castle, traffic slows to a crawl. We headed to El Mina first. The bigger and older of the two castles. Elmina started as a trading post, trading in gold and ivory and only later became a hub for the trading of humans into the transatlantic slave trade. It is an extensive whitewashed complex on the ocean, which every atrocity you would expect to find in a building used for such deplorable activities. Harry, knew the history and had stories and tales about dungeons, the tortures the captives would endure, the confinement, branding and ultimate passing through the door of no return.
After El Mina it was off to Cape Coast Castle, the smaller, younger castle. The castle that was designed, not like El Mina as a trading post turned slave trading hub, but a “castle” designed and built for the sole purpose of engaging in the capture, confinement and sale of human beings. The dungeons here as subterranean, airless, dark, cramped and hopeless. Harry’s commentary again was full of fact, posing questions. His knowledge was truly inspiring!
After the tour, we said goodbye to Harry and made our way back to Accra arriving home approximately 12 hours after we left. A long day? YES! A hot sweaty, drenching rain day? Yes. A totally worth while day? Absolutely. I can’t say enough about the experience. There is so much of the history here which is important to remember and acknowledge and Harry was excellent at guiding one through it. If you are booking with FYAH, ask for Harry, you won’t be disappointed.