Cape Coast

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I forgot to journal this day, but I remember it being the worst day there, at least for me. We woke up and went to a church and celebrated mass. Whatever it was about that church (maybe the singing?) it put me in a mood to be alone. After mass and lunch with a group from Seattle in Ghana doing mission work, we went to Elmina Slave castle -- which is the building where slaves were held until they could be shipped to the United States. The place still strongly smelled of horrible conditions where these slaves were basically standing like packed sardines in a holding chamber, and it was very chilling being there. We walked through "the point of no return" which you had to turn sideways to walk through, that went from the castle, directly to what would have then been the waterline for the boats to line up. Sadly, the conditions never improved from the castle to the boats. There they were held chained together (whether they had died or not, were giving birth, whatever). However, our tour guide made sure to point out that white immigrants were not the only people enslaving these people. Some locals were capturing their fellow men/women and enslaving them as well. He also made it a point to use this reminder of past slavery to prevent that what is happening today, that is all the human trafficking going on around the world.
Despite the uncomfortableness and not feeling up to being out and about that day , I am glad that I was there. Let the pictures speak for themselves. Ringo wanted me to take these pictures home and make sure to share the story with everyone. It is important to know.
That night we had dinner at the hotel, and I remember calling it an early night to pack up and prepare for our last day.

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Photos

The City
This view was entirely pitch black the night before

Inside Elmina
You can't really see it, but there are little signs to the right: one days "women's slave chamber" and the other says "men's slave chamber"

The Staircase
This staircase went from the women's slave chamber directly to the governor's quarters

The Coast
the view from the top

Cape Coast
an ocean town

Bat in Elmina
Some bats hidden up in a little room under the governor's quarters