Shared Taxi
The shared taxi station for Elmina was literally just across the road from my little apartment and I eventually popped across around 10:30am. The station was basically a covered parking lot. There were a couple of taxis waiting with Elmina on signs displayed on their rooves. The drivers were sat around talking, one of them directed me to wait in one of the small cars behind them.
There was one guy waiting in there and we chatted. He was returning to Elmina after spending a few days with friends in Cape Coast. It took another twenty minutes for another person to turn up and sit in the front. Three was obviously the magic number; the driver sprang up from his seat and wandered over, started the engine and we were off.
The 10km trip to Elmina did not take long. We picked up a fourth passenger on the outskirts of Cape Coast, and then drove past the University of Cape Coast, which was one of the best in the country, I was told.
Everyone alighted on the outskirts of Elmina and I was alone for the last bit into the attractive little town centre. Eventually the taxi dropped me in front of the castle and I paid the set fee of 5 Cedis that everyone else had paid.
I decided to have lunch before exploring further. In a quiet restaurant overlooking the castle and harbour, I had a delicious meal of tilapia fish grilled with a side of yam chips, washed down with a large bottle of Club.
Elmina Castle
Now an important UNESCO heritage site, Elmina Castle, also known as St. George’s, is the oldest castle in Africa and dates from 1483. It is in fact the oldest European building still standing in sub-Saharan Africa.
It was built by the Portuguese who came in search of gold and gave the city its name “the mine,” or “El Mina.” Captured by the Dutch in 1637, the castle was enlarged and with its former storerooms turned into dungeons became a focus of Dutch slave trading. It became a headquarters of the Dutch West India company for more than 250 years.
As with Cape Coast, entry here came with a guided tour, and after I had paid my fee I was directed to the old church in the centre of the courtyard to join a group. We were a mixed bunch, a few Ghanaians, several Nigerians and one Dutch mother and daughter who had been working for an NGO in a different part of the country.
As with Cape Coast the tour was very informative and took us through the whole sad slavery story once again. We were led one by one through dark dungeons, grim punishment cells and once again to the “gate of no return.”
By the time the place was ceded to the British in 1872, slavery in these parts was thankfully history. The British used it as a police training college.
Fish
The castle overlooked Elmina’s fishing harbour, and I wandered down to take a closer look. I spent a fair bit of time walking along the dockside, taking it all in. It was certainly the most impressive fish market I saw in Ghana.
It seems the fishermen mainly went out at night and so most of the activity was connected with the selling of fish. There were areas where fish was being washed, cut up, and even smoked.
The harbour was full of boats and in places the fishermen were hard at work cleaning them and repairing their nets.
Elmina
I wandered back into town and did a few circuits. It was an attractive enough place and it seemed lively. Elmina was the first European settlement in West Africa and now has a population of 33,500.
I asked a guy about where to catch a taxi back, and to my surprise he pointed to a vehicle coming up the road in front of us. Impeccable timing. There was one person in the front seat and after checking they were actually bound for Cape Coast I clambered into the back.
We picked up another two guys up on the bypass to fill the taxi and within 20 minutes I was back in my apartment. It was quite an impressive little transport system.
Vegetables and Rice
For my last meal in Cape Coast, I wandered down to a little vegetarian place decorated with a Ghanaian flag that the guy who had lived in Kilburn had recommended.
After being told several things on the menu were off, I just asked the chef to make whatever he could. After a lot of clattering in the kitchen whilst I enjoyed another bottle of Club and chatted with him, he produced an amazing mixed vegetable dish that tasted fantastic with rice. If you are ever in Cape Coast, the place is recommended.
I wandered into the high street and heard a terrific noise coming from one of the bars. It turned out to be the commentary of an Arsenal and Inter Milan match being played at full blast on a large screen. I watched for a while but was rather glad when the pub ran out of power and they had to shut things down.meal
Trains To Beyond 