Trip to Ghana & Visit to Elmina Slave Castle

(Personal journal entries, December 1997)

On Saturday, 20 December 1997, Holli and I arrived in Ghana. The bus ride from Burkina Faso was about 22 hours, including the numerous stops to use the bathroom in bushes, buy food and drinks, and stop at customs to have our passports stamped. We were also in awe of how the nightlife in small villages in Ghana was lively – rooftop parties with strobe lights and crowds of people hanging out along the road dancing to loud, but distorted music.

When I first arrived in Accra, I felt a touch of serenity. I felt as if I was home, in the right country of possibilities. I loved Ghana! The people were a bit friendlier than the people in Burkina.  But maybe it was because English was spoken in Ghana and French in Burkina, and we all know how I struggled with French.

As I stepped off the bus in the new sandals I had made in Ouga, I happened to look down at my feet. My feet were swollen so big, I panicked. Luckily, Hollie calmed me down by telling me it was the long bus ride and dehydration. However, although I agreed with Holli’s explanation, it didn’t remove the embarrassment I felt having to walk around with swollen feet.

Holli and I ate fresh seafood sold along the roadside and later had a delicious lunch at one of the Mama Pots, hole-in-the-wall restaurants owned by commanding Ghanaian women. Ghana’s economy was robust (and still is today), and there are job opportunities for expats. The men are fine, and the fashion was varied and colorful. Yes, I wouldn’t mind living in Ghana with the right setup – a strong man, the right man I thought too myself.

Sunday, 21 December 1997, Holli and I arrived at the airport early to wait for Holli’s family. As we waited for their arrival, we chatted with Ghanaians to learn more about the people, cultures, and the best places to visit. Holli’s parents, sister (Lori), and two aunts arrived. They are beautiful people. The entire family was comical.  I laughed for our entire trip. Holli’s family also made me feel secure and welcomed as I tagged along. I couldn’t believe they were treating me as if I were their own child. Later, when we traveled to Cote d’Ivoire, Holli’s parents even paid for my expenses.

In Accra, we stayed at Gye Nyame Hotel. I was sitting on the balcony listening to Kenny Lattimore thinking about living in Ghana. I said a prayer for God to make way for my future family to live in Ghana because Ghana was so developed, and I didn’t want to live in America, ever again. We discovered many African Americans living permanently in Ghana. Impressive. I knew I wouldn’t miss America if I moved to Ghana.

Later that afternoon, we visited a beach, a gallery, African-American owned shops, and ate at a Vegetarian restaurant owned by a black man from Chicago. He shared his amazing experience of living in Ghana with us and he didn’t have any intentions of returning.

Tuesday, 23 December 1997, we are on our way to Cape Coast to visit the Elmina Slave Castle. During our drive to Cape Coast, I decided, when I returned to Burkina, I would talk to Jan (Peace Corps Country Director) about transferring to Peace Corps Ghana.

Holli’s dad hired a driver and rented a van for the group to travel around Ghana and to Cote d’Ivoire. We made it to Cape Coast and stayed at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort. Upscale and located right on the Sea. I remember changing into my bathing suit, playing in the water, and the high tides hitting against my back as I posed for my pictures in the water. I also remember the hotel manager very well. He resembled Eddie Murphy so much; he could have been his twin.

My last nine months in NYPD/America were stressful. I was not surprised by how emotional I became during our tour of Elmina Slave Castle, listening to the inhumane treatment of African men, women, and children. African women and children were crammed in small spaces with little ventilation and only allowed to leave that tight space once a day for fresh air and to relieve themselves. I because enraged.

To read more about the Ghana trip and the ordeal of us being stuck in between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire after both borders closed, come back next week.