This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by @terresco: Rencontres avec l'Afrique - La côte de l'or

^{As my primary language is not English, there are probably some mistakes in my translation.}

Remember that the person who speaks here is NOT me, Vincent Celier (@vcelier), but @terresco, a French guy.

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Ghana was formerly known as the Gold Coast because of the presence of many mines of the said metal. Object of all desires, first ethnic and then colonial. Yet gold is not its only wealth, the coast is wonderful, we discover nooks hiding wild beaches, mixture of white sand and wild rocks. The people are welcoming, its story is fascinating.

From Abidjan, going to Ghana was easy. Two hours eastward along the coast, the crossing of the river which serves as a natural border, the usual customs harassment. In the early 90's Ghana was very poor and not very touristy. A soldier took power in 1992 following a long period of instability. Note that he was re-elected twice afterwards and ceded power in 2000.

We went there regularly because the rocky coast was perfect for surfing. We did not hesitate to visit a different region during each trip.

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A wild coast where you felt good

At that time, every day we were discovering forgotten waves, perfect, just for us. No one to forbid us anything or tell us between which buoys and at what time to surf. Nobody either to pick us up in case of difficulty, role devolved to friends, objects of reciprocal vigilance at all times. The resulting individual responsibility does not seem less effective than the generalized prohibition technique to avoid accidents. The satisfaction of being responsible for these acts, forced to think about their safety and that of our friends, is much greater and formative. Our European societies have an unimaginable delay in this area.

The coast is dotted with ancient Portuguese forts that were used for the gold trade and later as a starting point for the slave trade. This testimony of the past, fairly well preserved given the total absence of maintenance, was open, free of access. One entered, one walked there imagining the sufferings and the overflowing activity of the places during the comings and goings of ships. Tourism infrastructures being non-existent, we often camped there. Lying on history.

From time to time, in a village a little larger, there were hotels which had had a period of glory of which no living person could remember. There was no running water or electricity in these coastal villages. And not much food in the kitchen. The nights were pleasant, the stars dotted the sky with little competition from the small flames of kerosene lamps, unique sources of lighting.

What was not our surprise at the sight of a sign announcing a hotel with running water. A good shower would not be refused, desalting once in the week would not be a luxury. As soon as said also done, the hotel is empty, two rooms are allocated to us. There is a bathtub that does not seem to have seen water for a long time, no water at the tap but the manager ensures that we will have water at a specific time. We will make sure to look for something to cook while waiting.

The tour of the village is quickly done and as a food we come back with half a packet of pasta, three Laughing Cow packages and some fruits. All is entrusted to the cook for a meal on the roof after the shower. The time has come and we wait patiently, checking the taps every 2 minutes. Suddenly someone shouts in the corridor: Running water! Running water! The tap remaining indifferent to the announcement, I open the door get more information. A young man galloped down the hall carrying a bucket of water ... running water indeed!. The meal was not less pleasant, the cook had done wonders, the setting and the company were exceptional.

The basis of the food during these expeditions was the rice we brought with us. Accompanied by a box of tomato sauce concentrate and some onions. It was quite easy to find tropical fruits, bananas, pineapple, papaya, coconut in quantity. And above all we had fish. The Ghanaians are fishermen on the coast, we helped them pull the huge nets that were half-circle at sea and we had our share of the fishery. The complement, often lobster, was bought from those who traded it. In each place it was easy to find someone who, for a small amount of money, was deliciously preparing everything.

From the Gold Coast to Ghana

The colonial history of Ghana is rich in rebounding, first with the Portuguese navigators, discoverers of all this west coast of Africa, who arrived there towards 1470. The traditional story is that the tribes were decked out of jewels in gold . Big mistake! It did not take long for our first settlers to quickly discover the mining wealth, to take possession of the place and call it the Gold Coast region. Fearing competition from their fellow Europeans, they built the fortresses that served as a base for our surf trips. The names of Elmina, Cape Coast, places of so many tragedies, evoked for us holiday accommodation. Please forgive us, we were carefree young people.

Much later the Dutch dislodged the Portuguese, then the English the Dutch. Following the war, Germany and France also played a role. Finally in 1957 the country becomes independent and takes the name of Ghana, while remaining, like most of the former British colonies, in the Commonwealth.

The most famous tribe is the Ashantis. Their king is the most respected person in the center of the country. The most sacred symbol for the Ashanti is the royal throne, guarded in Kumasi, their cultural capital. The throne symbolizes the spirit of the ancestors in local animistic beliefs. The chef wears a brightly colored kente, gold jewelery, gris gris. He goes out with many colorful umbrellas. The kente is a brightly colored fabric, made by the finest weavers and carefully chosen, which is used by Ghanaian chiefs.

It is imperative to make sure to attend one of these ceremonies where foreigners are welcome.

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Today's Ghana, from what I have read, heard or seen in reports, has nothing to do with the Ghana in my memory. Fortunately for its population, Ghana has known since a development; the fortresses, I believe were developed as tourist destinations. But do not worry, I'm sure there are many nooks to discover.

-- @terresco

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01: Encounters with Africa: Ivory Coast, by @terresco
02: Encounters with Africa: Abidjan, a daily pleasure, by @terresco
03: Encounters with Africa: The Tuaregs of Agadez, by @terresco
04: Encounters with Africa: The Tuaregs of Agadez, part 2, by @terresco
05: Encounters with Africa: On the way to the Dogon country, by @terresco
06: Encounters with Africa: Among the Dogon of Bandiagara, by @terresco

From Cape Town to Mombasa series:

01: Africa, the long crossing
02: From Cape Town to Mombasa: South Africa
03: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Namibia
04: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Botswana
05: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Zimbabwe
06: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Zimbabwe, part 2, by @terresco
07: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Zimbabwe, part 3, by @terresco
08: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Zambia, by @terresco
09: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Malawi, by @terresco
10: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Tanzania #1, by @terresco
11: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Tanzania #2, by @terresco
12: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Tanzania #3, by @terresco
13: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Tanzania #4, by @terresco
14: From Cape Town to Mombasa: Kenya, by @terresco

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All pictures are property of @terresco