May 23-26:
The end is near and I can't believe it. I don't want something so amazing to come to an end. If only it were easy to drop everything from back home and move to a different country.
Our last few days we spent relaxing and getting those last souvenirs that we just couldn't leave Ghana without. The big event during these last couple of days was going to Cape Coast. While in Cape Coast we visited Kakum National Park where we walked the rope bridges and then we toured the slave castle. Both of these activities were
incredible.
The rope bridges.
This picture isn't of the best quality, but it is a good view of the whole castle.
This is a picture of a shrine they have made where the tunnel was closed off at. When we went, there were many flowers that people bring to pay their respects to their ancestors.
Being in the slave castle we toured the male dungeon, female dungeon, the punishment cell, and the door of no return. The male portion consisted of four different chambers. The total amount of slaves the dungeon could hold was about 1,000. In each chamber they had one maybe two small windows for air circulation.
This is a picture of the biggest of the male chambers.
The female dungeon would hold about 400-500 slaves as well as children. There would be times where children would be sold in the slave trade and they would stay with the women.
Picture of the female dungeon.
There were separate punishment cells for the males and females. The females would be punished for not sleeping with the British officers and when they were put into the cell they would stay there for 1 week and I believe they were fed maybe once a day or at least given water. If they lived great, if not it didn't make a difference. The male cell was different in the way that if they got put in there they were put there to die. They were not allowed any food or water and were just left in there. Coming out alive was not an option for the males. These cells were obviously very small and had no form of air circulation as well.
The door of no return was the door the slaves went through when it was time for them to be shipped to wherever they were sold. The door exited right onto where the slaves would enter the ships.
The Door of No Return.
I was so grateful to have been able to go to this slave castle. You learn so much about slavery and how horrible it was growing up but physically visiting somewhere slaves actually were gives a completely different perspective.
Our last few days we spent relaxing and getting those last souvenirs that we just couldn't leave Ghana without. The big event during these last couple of days was going to Cape Coast. While in Cape Coast we visited Kakum National Park where we walked the rope bridges and then we toured the slave castle. Both of these activities were
incredible.
The slave castle was very humbling. It is hard to imagine that slavery actually happened even when touring a place like this. There was a chapel over the male dungeons where the British soldiers would worship; hard to believe people could worship right over where slaves were being held. Until slavery was abolished there was a underground tunnel that the slaves would walk through to get to the Door of No Return. Once the British abolished slavery they completely closed off this tunnel to symbolize the end.
Being in the slave castle we toured the male dungeon, female dungeon, the punishment cell, and the door of no return. The male portion consisted of four different chambers. The total amount of slaves the dungeon could hold was about 1,000. In each chamber they had one maybe two small windows for air circulation.
This is a picture of the biggest of the male chambers.
The female dungeon would hold about 400-500 slaves as well as children. There would be times where children would be sold in the slave trade and they would stay with the women.
Picture of the female dungeon.
There were separate punishment cells for the males and females. The females would be punished for not sleeping with the British officers and when they were put into the cell they would stay there for 1 week and I believe they were fed maybe once a day or at least given water. If they lived great, if not it didn't make a difference. The male cell was different in the way that if they got put in there they were put there to die. They were not allowed any food or water and were just left in there. Coming out alive was not an option for the males. These cells were obviously very small and had no form of air circulation as well.
The door of no return was the door the slaves went through when it was time for them to be shipped to wherever they were sold. The door exited right onto where the slaves would enter the ships.
I was so grateful to have been able to go to this slave castle. You learn so much about slavery and how horrible it was growing up but physically visiting somewhere slaves actually were gives a completely different perspective.
makes my stomach turn. can't fully imagine how that must have been to actually see those horrific places.
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