Week 4 - Cape Coast aka Gold Coast

Tragically Historic

This weekend was a bit different than most in a way where history really hit home for me. We left on Friday evening to see Cape Coast which is situated in south central Ghana and was the former capital city. On the shores of Cape Coast is a mysterious looking castle known as Cape Coast Castle who's history is a tragic one. Just to give you all a bit of a briefing of the historical importance of this place, Cape Coast was founded by the Portuguese in the 15th century, Cape Coast grew around Cape Coast Castle, which is now a World Heritage site. It was converted to a Castle by the Dutch in 1637, then expanded by the Swedes in 1652 and captured by the British in 1664. From the 16th century the city had changed hands between the British, the Portuguese, the Swedish, the Danish and the Dutch. Eventually, the British based their "Gold Coast" operations (as in resource exploitation of gold and other commodities, and the slave trade) in the town until Accra became their capital in 1877. Cape Coast was also more importantly where most of the slaves were held before their journey on the middle passage which was South and North America known then as the new world.
Upon arrival into the town, almost immediately I was hit with a feeling which is still very hard for me to describe. Walking down towards the coastal lines to our hotel, I noticed that the architecture of almost all the buildings were disturbingly colonial looking almost sending me back in time. As we arrived to the Castle to take the Tour, I recall feeling nervous, feeling abit uncertain about what I may see or feel. We entered and instantly this overwhelming feeling hit me. So hard that at the time I was completely unable to speak and communicate to others all that was going through my mind. We entered the mens slave dungeon where allegedly hundreds were left to live cramped in a room no bigger than half a High school basketball gym. These men lived on top of rotting decomposing corpses as well as their own waist with little food or water. To see, experience and sort of understand all of what happened in many of the Castle rooms we visited made me want to vomit! I have never been so emotionally and physically affected by a historical site in my life.I felt as though the spirits of those who suffered within those brick walls were all around me...... but i guess that was all part of the experience.