Sunday, March 23 2025 - Takoradi, Ghana

Our sail into Takoradi Harbor this morning was similar to many we have experienced in West Africa.  We were surrounded by freighters, container ships and huge cranes.  We had been warned about the high humidity and extremely hot temperatures we would experience here due to its location near the equator.  Bob and I went out on our balcony and the weather definitely felt warm but not uncomfortably hot.  The humidity was definitely higher than that to which we are accustomed.  We were anxious to start our return visit to this intriguing,  mysterious town.

Little was known of the small African kingdoms in the region until the arrival  of the Europeans in the 15th century.  Portuguese navigators, working their way down the West African coast, reached this area in 1471.  Other Europeans quickly followed.  As early as 1492 a French buccaneer, marauding off the coast, robbed a Portuguese ship of its previous cargo.  That cargo was gold, and the Gold Coast became the European name for this part of Africa.  The Portuguese who came to Ghana in the 15th century found so much gold in the rivers that they named the area "Minak" meaning mine.  The goal of the Portuguese sailors was to trade in gold, ivory and slaves.  The name "Gold Coast" was later adopted by the English colonists.  The gold trade with the Europeans helped the Gold Coast to develop throughout the 17th century.  However, in the 18th century, the trade emphasis with the Europeans shifted from gold to slaves, which became the most valuable commodity for export.  It is estimated that between the 17th-19th centuries, one million slaves passed through Ghana ports for export to the Americas, Caribbean and Europe.

In 1902, Ghana was declared a British crown colony.  The colonial years were relatively prosperous and untroubled.  At first, little was done to involve the African population in the political processes of the colony.  But in the years immediately after World War II events moved so fast that the Gold Coast became the first colony in sub-Saharan Africa to gain its independence.  In 1946, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) gained the right for an African majority in the colony's legislative assembly but the fight continued for a share in executive power.

Riots broke out in 1948 over the struggle for self-government and continued until 1950.  Campaigns of nonviolent protests and strikes led to the colony's first general election in 1951. Kwame Nkrumah, a Ghanaian politician and revolutionary, became the first prime minister and president of Ghana who led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. In 1964, Nkrumah pushed a constitutional amendment through the assembly that made Ghana a one-party state, with himself the president for life.  He was ousted nine years after independence, and for the next twenty-five years, Ghana was generally governed by military rulers, with varying economic impacts.  The country finally returned to stable democratic rule in 1992.  Since that time Ghana has built a reputation as a stable liberal economy. In spite of the political stability Ghana's economy has stagnated.  

In 2017, new oil reserves were discovered, adding to Ghana's wealth in resources but these resources have not boosted the Ghana economy.  It is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, with over 33 million people.  It has a good infrastructure and a well-established democratic government.  It is wealthier than some of the other West African countries.  They have an excellent reserve of natural resources.  Ghana's economic outlook may be mixed but analysts remain hopeful, pointing to the stability and strength of Ghana's democracy and society.

Our current port, Takoradi, is a vibrant coastal city, and a fascinating blend of history, culture, and modernity.  It serves as a bustling industrial and commercial hub.  Its enchanting coastal location provides breathtaking views of the Atlantic.  The climate is delightfully tropical, with warm temperatures year-round.  The wet season brings lush greenery and occasional heavy rains, while the dry season offers sunny skies perfect for exploring its picturesque beaches.  The pristine shores are ideal for relaxation or water sports, with the gentle ocean breeze enhancing the serene atmosphere. 

English is the official language so communication should be easy and fairly relaxed.  However, we were warned that there is an attitude of unfriendliness towards tourists.  Perhaps the invasions, slavery and high unemployment contribute to the guarded attitude displayed by the local people.  We were curious to find out what, if anything, had changed since our last visit to this country a couple of years ago.  

As we disembarked our ship we were met with warm, but not scorching, temperatures.  To begin our tour we drove through downtown Takoradi as our guide pointed out the major buildings and sites.  It was immediately apparent that this town is extremely poor (not exactly what we were expecting).  Abandoned buildings had become home to large groups of squatters and trash was strewn around the streets.  Many of the old buildings looked like they had been burned, or maybe just in tremendous need of cleaning and painting.  We could see laundry hanging from ropes stretched across the inside of old commercial buildings.  

We passed a park named Monkey Hill, named for the many monkeys that make the area home.  We looked for monkeys in the trees, but unfortunately it was already too hot and the guide told us they were undoubtedly hiding in the bush and will only come down at night. They have learned to stay away and remain high in the forest trees since the local people eat monkey meat (very smart idea)!!

As we made our way out of town and drove through the suburbs, we passed many residential neighborhoods.  We thought the downtown was rundown but we were so sad to see the same excruciating level of poverty we saw last time we were here.  Buildings were still unfinished and collecting trash, graffiti and squatters were everywhere.  Our guide told us that the reason there are so many buildings that are incomplete is that both private and commercial builders begin a building project without considering how much it will cost to complete the project. They build until they run out of money, then the building goes unfinished, sometimes for years and some of them are never completed!  

Shanty towns/slums still lined the coastal roads on the outskirts of town.  The "houses" were improvised using a combination of plywood, corrugated metal, sheets of plastic, and cardboard boxes.  Undoubtedly, the residents didn't have proper sanitation, fresh water or electricity.  There was garbage strewn everywhere and people were wandering around aimlessly.  There were open drains with raw sewage flowing through them.  It made me so sad to realize that very little progress had been made over the past year in cleaning up the communities and helping people to obtain safe housing.

Our first stop was to take a stroll along the Bosomtwi-Sam Fishing Harbor where the boats arrive with their catch of the day and women (fish mongers) wait to collect the fish and take them to their regular customers.  The wooden boats were very old and rickety and some of them didn't look like they were safe to sail. Hordes of women flocked onto the boats to be among the first to select the best fish. 

 

We were walking through on a Sunday morning and we felt it was extremely crowded and difficult to make our way through the crowds.  Yet, our guide told us that since it was Sunday it was not at all crowded!  He told us on a weekday there would be many more people in the fish market.  As we walked through the market we were accompanied by security guards who watched over us.  The weather was very warm and the smell of dead rotting fish, along with the human waste and garbage was quite overwhelming  We were anxious to move on and return to the bus.

The next stop was to visit with one of the local Chiefs.  Each small community has a designated chief.  The Chief is always a descendant of the original family. When we arrived at the chief's "palace" we were seated in rows of folding chairs with a plastic canopy sheltering us from the heat.  The palace was a rather rundown two-story house desperately in need of paint and repair.  There was a makeshift stage set up on the large patio, which was elevated above the rest of the yard and the area where the guests were seated.  In the center of the stage there was a large chair, surrounded by smaller seats.  On our previous visit, one of the Chief's wives sat next to him.  This time, the smaller seats on the stage were reserved for his elders and our Silversea representatives.

While we waited for the Chief to make an appearance we were entertained by a small group of drummers and dancers dressed in traditional clothing.  Music here often seems to be limited to drums of various shapes and sizes.  The consistent, rhythmic beating of the drums creates an atmosphere that could easily lull one into an almost hypnotic state.  We waited for the Chief to appear.  Suddenly the intensity of the drumming increased and became faster and the dancers became more animated in their gyrations.  One of the village men brought a large cushion that looked like a footstool and placed it on the ground in front of the larger chair.  The Chief's feet are never allowed to touch the ground so they rest on this footstool when he is seated.  Finally, the Chief made an appearance.  Everyone was told to stand and remove their hats (even the women).

The Chief walked with an air of arrogance, strutting the short distance as it he were purveying his subjects.  He held his head high and his lips were turned slightly upward into a bit of a smirk.  The elder was holding an ornately decorated staff and began to address us.  Before the Chief spoke (through his elder) there was a ceremony which involved the introduction of a couple of Silversea representatives, followed by purifying the ground with a bottle of Schnapps that we presented (brought from the ship) to the Chief (we brought another bottle as a gift for the Chief).  Finally, the opening ceremony was over and we were invited to sit down.

We were told that the Chief can only communicate with guests in his native language unless he receives permission from his elders to speak to us in English.  So he asked them if he could speak with us in English and they agreed.  After the elders gave their permission, one of them invited us to ask questions of the Chief.  He would entertain two questions at a time.  He was vague when asked about how many wives he had, how many children he fathered, and how many people are under his care.  He told us that we are all his children.  He continued to expand his answer, saying that they don't count people in numbers.  We tried to get more specific information out of him but the Chief was a quite polished politician.  Once the question period was finished the drums started beating again and we were instructed to rise.  We waited for the Chief to proceed back into his house, oops, I mean palace.  Once his entourage had disappeared, we were allowed to return to our waiting bus. 

On our way to our last stop, we drove through the central market.  Our guide told us that since it was Sunday, many of the stalls were closed.  There must have been one-hundred stalls in the market but only a fraction of them were open when we drove through it.  Since many of them were closed, we weren't able to stop there, but our driver drove very slowly passed the stalls that were open and we could see that they were selling the same goods that were being sold everywhere - lots of clothing, wood carvings, beaded jewelry, colorful fabrics, etc.  In doing a bit of research and talking with other well-informed passengers, there is some skepticism that all of these goods are handmade in Ghana.  Many people believe that a majority of these items are made in China and brought here to be represented as being made by local artisans.  Regardless of where they are created, we found nothing we wanted to purchase in any of the traditional markets on this trip through Ghana.  Now, we have one more stop before we return to the ship.

Our last stop of the day was at the Raybow Hotel Resort, one of Ghana's nicest hotels, for refreshments and a traditional music and dance performance.  I think we were all ready for a bit more subdued environment.  We were seated in folding chairs inside a community room.  Soon, drums began to beat and dancers entered the room wearing brightly colored traditional outfits.  The young people jumped and leaped through the air, creating lovely shapes as they energetically performed with amazing enthusiasm.  There were dances of war, courtship, and play which were very entertaining.  They served us drinks and some of the traditional foods for which they are famous, including banana chips, fruits, fresh bananas, and sandwiches.  Bob and I chose not to eat or drink anything off of the ship so we simply passed the items to the next person.

Finally, it was time to return to the ship.  It's been somewhat of a challenging day.  It's difficult to see people forced into living in such unsafe, unsanitary and unhealthy conditions.  I have felt quite overwhelmed with emotions throughout much of the last two days.  I learn so many lessons from traveling the world.  It encourages me to do whatever I can to help individuals in need throughout the world.  Now, we have a few days to rest and recover from the last two very active days.  It also gives us time to reflect on what we have seen and what we have learned from our visits.  Our next stop will be a continuation of our time in Africa.  We will arrive in Banjul, The Gambia in just a few days.