After three weeks of watching highly paid youngsters run around kicking a ball, I've gone all scholastic.
Went round Cape Coast Castle to see how they used to process people. The atrocities of the slave trade are well documented. And I thought that it wasn't really necessary to go and see where they started their voyage.
Well I was wrong. We went into the male slave dungeon and as we descended into the space, the guide, Morgan, turned the light off. Of course some of us lost our footing.
But he'd done it to lend authenticity to our fleeting experience. There was a small hole in the rock which allowed a fraction of light into the dungeon.
He explained the sanitary arrangements. They didn't involve power showers.
Once back outside in the blaring sunshine, we got a few anecdotes about the colonial executives who were overseeing the deal.
The relatively sad story of Letaetia Maclean who came out to Cape Coast to join her husband the governor but who died after a few months.
Was she poisoned by the African woman who'd become the conduit for Gordon's loins in her absence?
Did she kill herself because of raging jealousy?
Or did she die of yellow fever or malaria?
Well apparently it's one of those and not total guilt over what was happening to thousands of people around her.
The govenor's bedroom and hall were joyously bright; a stark contrast to what was transpiring just a couple of hundred metres away.
The cell where they sent recalcitrant slaves was especially grim. No light, no food, no water until they died. The cell was there pour encourager les autres.
Last days on earth in suffocating darkness.
It was back to the Castle for lunch. I could see the sea this time. Heat, darkness, light. The contrasts are powerful.
You know what you're going to get and you get it.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
The Mighty Victory
Bizarre name for a hotel but it's got qa bed and a shower even though the light in the ceiling is a bit stark.
I went to a place called the Castle for supper on Monday night. Took the grilled snapper with chips. Sadly it was too dark to see the waves crashing against the rocks. The walk back to the hotel was a bit unusual. I went past people trying to sell salted eggs and other bits of paraphenalia. Some were sleeping by their stalls. I saw two small children wrapped in cloths on the floor snoozing away. And why not. In this heat it makes sense to sleep outside if you don't have air conditioning.
And the smells. Accra seems so antiseptic by comparison. I'm not sure about the chickens which hang out with the families. All I could think was clucking hell.
A phrase not far from that one came to mind when I was on the coach from Accra.
I started to prepare for my passage to the next world when a porter boarded the coach and began to put suitcases by the side exit door.
No-one seemed to think that this might be contravening basic public carriage safety. So why should I come over all sophisticated European.
I realised a few minutes later that my mouth was still open when a fly nearly got in.
When the driver introduced himself to the passengers I thought that's real chummy.
He said that if anyone wanted to to stop they should tell him and he'd stop as soon as he could.
Dressed in a long blue jacket, he seemed more like an avuncular lab technician.
He paused, raised his head skywards and boomed: "Almighty God - guide us to our destination."
There was a unanimous "Amen" from the passengers.
The fly nearly got in again.
I turned to the bloke sitting next to me and asked if this sort of thing happened regularly.
"Depends on the driver," said Joseph as he put the earphone of the MP3 player back in.
Mighty Victory was indeed the appropriate place to stay.
I went to a place called the Castle for supper on Monday night. Took the grilled snapper with chips. Sadly it was too dark to see the waves crashing against the rocks. The walk back to the hotel was a bit unusual. I went past people trying to sell salted eggs and other bits of paraphenalia. Some were sleeping by their stalls. I saw two small children wrapped in cloths on the floor snoozing away. And why not. In this heat it makes sense to sleep outside if you don't have air conditioning.
And the smells. Accra seems so antiseptic by comparison. I'm not sure about the chickens which hang out with the families. All I could think was clucking hell.
A phrase not far from that one came to mind when I was on the coach from Accra.
I started to prepare for my passage to the next world when a porter boarded the coach and began to put suitcases by the side exit door.
No-one seemed to think that this might be contravening basic public carriage safety. So why should I come over all sophisticated European.
I realised a few minutes later that my mouth was still open when a fly nearly got in.
When the driver introduced himself to the passengers I thought that's real chummy.
He said that if anyone wanted to to stop they should tell him and he'd stop as soon as he could.
Dressed in a long blue jacket, he seemed more like an avuncular lab technician.
He paused, raised his head skywards and boomed: "Almighty God - guide us to our destination."
There was a unanimous "Amen" from the passengers.
The fly nearly got in again.
I turned to the bloke sitting next to me and asked if this sort of thing happened regularly.
"Depends on the driver," said Joseph as he put the earphone of the MP3 player back in.
Mighty Victory was indeed the appropriate place to stay.
Monday, 11 February 2008
The Check Out
The time to leave the hotel has come. We're supposed to be out by 2pm but all morning the chambermaid has been loitering around asking when I'm going.
Was I that bad a guest?
I have got the coach to take at 4pm and have to be at the coach station at least 30 minutes before departure.
The coach will take many hours and it is not air conditioned. I am not a great coach traveller.
However I must be intrepid if I am to advance. I'll be at Cape Coast at 8pm. Apparently there's a good restaurant nearby.
The trip around the real Ghana has begun.
Was I that bad a guest?
I have got the coach to take at 4pm and have to be at the coach station at least 30 minutes before departure.
The coach will take many hours and it is not air conditioned. I am not a great coach traveller.
However I must be intrepid if I am to advance. I'll be at Cape Coast at 8pm. Apparently there's a good restaurant nearby.
The trip around the real Ghana has begun.
Sunday, 10 February 2008
The Final
It is all over. The fat lady has sung. The whistle has blown. It's too late to think of any more cliches. I'm all exhausted.
Egypt won the 26th Africa Cup of Nations. They beat the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 1-0 in Accra and it wasn't a bad final. The best team won and all lovers of football can go away and think: those Egyptian boys done well.
I loved their silky passing patterns. When I go back to my team I'm going to try what the Egyptians do and pass to someone on the same side during a match.
Fascinating as Mr Spock in Star Trek would say.
The Cape Coast magical history tour starts tomorrow. I am going to take my computer with me so I can listen to my music and more importantly watch some DVDs as I recover from this my first Africa Cup of Nations.
Go Ghana Go, as they used to sing on the TV.
Egypt won the 26th Africa Cup of Nations. They beat the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 1-0 in Accra and it wasn't a bad final. The best team won and all lovers of football can go away and think: those Egyptian boys done well.
I loved their silky passing patterns. When I go back to my team I'm going to try what the Egyptians do and pass to someone on the same side during a match.
Fascinating as Mr Spock in Star Trek would say.
The Cape Coast magical history tour starts tomorrow. I am going to take my computer with me so I can listen to my music and more importantly watch some DVDs as I recover from this my first Africa Cup of Nations.
Go Ghana Go, as they used to sing on the TV.
Saturday, 9 February 2008
The Post Office
I almost wish I travelled up to Kumasi today. Ghana beat Cote d'Ivoire 4-2 to get the third place prize.
I'm sure the party in Kumasi will be worth attending. But I thought for the sense of stability I'd stay in the capital.
I am pleased to have been with the people watching the match rather than with loads of journalists in the press tribunes.
It was more of a laugh. During half time, I asked Foster to take me to the post office so I could send off the batch of cards that I've written. We couldn't find a letter box. A woman there said the free standing receptacle was where I could drop the letters off.
It could be picked up by anyone. So I thought I'd leave it till Monday.
The hotel staff are having a cocktail for all the RFI staff. Mighty kind of them. They'll be in good spirits after the victory.
As the adverts have been singing all tournament, Go Ghana Go.
Wish the cheesy musician would do the same.
I'm sure the party in Kumasi will be worth attending. But I thought for the sense of stability I'd stay in the capital.
I am pleased to have been with the people watching the match rather than with loads of journalists in the press tribunes.
It was more of a laugh. During half time, I asked Foster to take me to the post office so I could send off the batch of cards that I've written. We couldn't find a letter box. A woman there said the free standing receptacle was where I could drop the letters off.
It could be picked up by anyone. So I thought I'd leave it till Monday.
The hotel staff are having a cocktail for all the RFI staff. Mighty kind of them. They'll be in good spirits after the victory.
As the adverts have been singing all tournament, Go Ghana Go.
Wish the cheesy musician would do the same.
The Third Place Play Off
Ghana will play Cote D'Ivoire in a few hours. Three weeks ago when I was but a boy in Accra, this was widely thought to be the final.
Nothing is inevitable in football and so in the semi finals, Cameroon beat Ghana and Egypt thrashed Cote D'Ivoire.
I thought that the Ivorians would win the title. But they didn't take their chances. At any level you've got to stick the ball in the back of the net.
I wonder how the lads are getting on back in Paris. Given that they were losing quite drastically with me there, it's been as soothing as it is upsetting to find out via the emails that they're getting pasted in my absence.
I don't think we'll be pushing for third place in the division this season.
It's going to be interesting to see if I'll be a better player after all this football.
Like I said nothing is inevitable in football.
Nothing is inevitable in football and so in the semi finals, Cameroon beat Ghana and Egypt thrashed Cote D'Ivoire.
I thought that the Ivorians would win the title. But they didn't take their chances. At any level you've got to stick the ball in the back of the net.
I wonder how the lads are getting on back in Paris. Given that they were losing quite drastically with me there, it's been as soothing as it is upsetting to find out via the emails that they're getting pasted in my absence.
I don't think we'll be pushing for third place in the division this season.
It's going to be interesting to see if I'll be a better player after all this football.
Like I said nothing is inevitable in football.
The Bus Station
The STC bus station in Accra merely confirmed all my prejudices about road journeys.
It was chaotic. I didn't spend that long there but I'm sure if I had I would only found structural disorder beneath.
I want to go to Cape Coast on Monday. The 7am coach is full so the only one left is 4pm.
As the voyage will take around three hours. I'll be in Cape Coast at 7pm. Just in time for my evening meal. On Tuesday I'll be able to get up have a look around and then head into Elmina for Tuesday night.
This is the plan. But what good is that sometimes. I can't buy my return ticket for Accra next Saturday yet. I have to do that nearer the time and then of course it might be booked out.
This is starting to remind me of Paris. Strange that Ghana was once a British colony.
It was chaotic. I didn't spend that long there but I'm sure if I had I would only found structural disorder beneath.
I want to go to Cape Coast on Monday. The 7am coach is full so the only one left is 4pm.
As the voyage will take around three hours. I'll be in Cape Coast at 7pm. Just in time for my evening meal. On Tuesday I'll be able to get up have a look around and then head into Elmina for Tuesday night.
This is the plan. But what good is that sometimes. I can't buy my return ticket for Accra next Saturday yet. I have to do that nearer the time and then of course it might be booked out.
This is starting to remind me of Paris. Strange that Ghana was once a British colony.
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