Ghana - Coastal Views

The town of Cape Coast today is primarily a fishing port.  

 It is located in the south-central section of Ghana, right on the Gulf of Guinea.   

The small city has 170,000 residents.      

Crumbling colonial buildings still line the streets in the background.  

I was fascinated by these views. 

 The colors, the activity and the glance into everyday life in 

this small Ghanaian town was intriguing.  

And the fishing boats were so bright and cheerful, 

especially when they were also used for laundry.   

Cape Coast is the capital of the central region and one of the most historical cities in Ghana.  The city was founded by the people of Oguaa and later settled by the Portuguese.  After the Cape Coast Castle was built, the town grew around the castle.   The town became the center of the British Administration and capital of the Gold Coast from 1700 - 1877, when the capital was moved to Accra.   Ghana finally gained its independence from Britain in 1957.   Our steward in Lagos (Gabriel) is originally from Ghana.  He was in elementary school and remembers the parades and the people lining the street on Independence Day in 1957 - and talks about the pride they felt as Ghanaians to be fully independent. 

I didn't see this lady clothed in a black abaya until after I took the picture.  

She seemed like a surreal part of the landscape. 

The fishermen cast their nets in the same waters

 where slave ships used to sail.  

We enjoyed watching the children swim.  

Some of them wore clothing...and some of them did not.

They were having fun trying to ride the surf on a piece of wood. 

The people in this area of the world are full of creativity 

and ingenuity, created by necessity.    

Locals enjoy the sea breezes, sunshine and plentiful beaches. 

Driving through this small town was both a melancholy peek into the past 

and a peaceful glance at the day-to-day life in Ghana.   

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