We Love the Coast!

The harbor at Cape Coast full of Ghanaian fishing boats

The last few days were full of a variety of experiences. On Tuesday we visited two museums about the Ashanti people who live around the city of Kumasi in Ghana. They believe in a golden stool that was conjured in the heavens and fell into the lap of a man who then became their king. This was hundreds of years ago. The highlight for me was playing an old drum at one of the museums that makes a sound like the roar of a leopard. The Kumasi people used to use it to scare off attacking enemies. After the museums we all traveled to Cape Coast. Even after only being there for a day, I think it's my favorite city in Ghana. There are hundreds of fishing boats in the harbor, all primitive and well-worn. The people living along the coast live in very dirty, disorganized areas. It was quite a sight to see. As soon as we arrived at our hotel in Cape Coast, which was on the coast, McKenzie and I bolted to the beach where we had been longing to go ever since the beginning of the trip. We swam in the ocean; it was warm and refreshing. The waves were huge and powerful! It was a lot of fun. That evening after dinner we had the privilege to hear testimonies from pioneers of the church in Ghana. One of the gentleman was the 14th person baptized in Ghana. Another gentleman explained how he was faced with the decision to be disowned by his family or join the church. He chose the latter and said he has always been grateful. They all were faithful to the church before it was officially recognized in Ghana and before the Priesthood was extended to worthy males of all races. They lived through the period known as "The Freeze" when the Ghanaian government prohibited all activity related to the LDS church in the country. Their testimonies were piercing. They expressed love, gratitude, and complete trust in God. I sensed a compelling and divine sort of faith in their hearts. Hearing from them was moving and memorable.

Running and racing along the shore of the beach in Cape Coast

The crocodile pond at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort in Cape Coast

Me with Moses, our horse guide for when we
rode horses on the beach in Cape Coast

In the morning we visited the crocodile pond at our hotel and went horseback riding on the beach. We wish we could have stayed at Cape Coast for a few more days. There were many fun things to do but we did enjoy what we could do with the time we had. Later that morning we went to Kakum National Park and the Elmina slave castle on our way to Accra. Kakum National Park is a rain forest where a canopy walk has been constructed. This is a walk above the tall trees of the rain forest on nothing but a wooden board and rope-nets for support on each side. It was a thrill! The park is home to elephants, leopards, diker antelope, and many different kinds of birds but they are rarely seen as the thick vegetation provides a lot of camouflage, and the abundance of human activity and noise scares them off easily. Though we didn't see anything, we enjoyed the thrilling canopy walk and beautiful views from above the rain forest.

The canopy walk at Kakum National Park

The Elmina slave castle was another moving experience. The castle housed hundreds of slaves at a time throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries until the slave trade was finally outlawed in Great Britain. The British controlled the castle. The castle contained two dungeons, one for male slaves and one for female slaves. The slaves were treated worse than street rats. They were forced to live in their own waste, They were given minimal amounts of food and water. Many of them were shackled at the neck, wrists, and/or ankles. When bought by a slave company or landowner, the slaves were branded like cattle for identification purposes. British officers raped woman slaves at will, harshly punishing them if they resisted. The castle stands today as a memory of something in history that humanity must never allow to happen again.

Atop the Elmina slave castle with fisherman and the ocean in the background

A panoramic view of the Elmina slave castle

We arrived back in Accra yesterday evening. Today has been a day of wrapping up the trip. McKenzie and I did initiatory at the Accra Ghana Temple. As a group, we all went to a final art market to buy souvenirs. They are fun to have but we won't need them to remember our experience here in Ghana. It has been unforgettable!