After several days in the Volta region, we passed through Accra again and headed west along the coast. Four hours from Accra we reached Cape Coast, a lively city with the feel of an overgrown village that was the original capital of Britain’s “Gold Coast,” Ghana’s colonial name.

Cape Coast was a very easy city to walk around — although it was hilly — and we spent a lot of time walking along curving roads and passing by smiling people going about their routines. Although it’s fairly large, everyone seemed to know each other. It reminded me a lot of La Ceiba, Honduras, where I lived for three years in the Peace Corps.

We met these two boys as we descended the hill from our hotel. They noticed we had a camera, and with no prompting they quickly posed for us. Then they went about playing, and never asking us for money. Like in most places in Ghana, we were never harassed for money, or a “petit cadeau” (small gift) that was customary on the streets of Dakar.

The same boys pose in front of the neighborhood football field. We stood watching the game for a while and spoke with the team’s “manager,” a boy of about 16 who lived across from the hotel. He explained that this team was part of the under-12 league. We noticed that their ball was very worn, and decided the next day to buy them a new one. They we exceedingly grateful, and wanted to know if we wanted to be the team’s sponsor. We explained we lived too far away for that.

A small fort, Fort Victoria, was located on a hill above the hotel. The manager of the football team took us up there for a quick tour. As we climbed up the hill, the sound of drums beating grew louder and louder. Upon arrival we discovered a dance troupe rehearsing for a performance at a local club later that week.

The next day, we walked down to the shore to check out the activity. We discovered a busy scene of small fishing boats returning to the small, crowded beach. It was interesting to see the use of sails — something we had not seen in Senegal.

Cape Coast Castle was located next to the beach. The scene was calm under the hot sun, as men repaired fishing nets and children played in the streets.

Cape Coast Castle is one of dozens of old, colonial castles and forts strung along Ghana’s coast. This castle was first established by the Dutch in 1637, then taken over by the Swedes who expanded it in 1652. It changed hands five more times before being taken over by the British in 1664, who made it their colonial administrative headquarters until the capital was moved to Accra in 1877.

The castle has been extensively restored, and we were given an excellent tour of its history. Of course, the history was not pretty. Apart from its administrative functions, the castle was also used at first as a trading post for goods such as gold, ivory and spices that were brought to the coast. Later it became a prison where slaves were stored before shipment. Slaves were kept in crowded, dark dungeons for weeks or months at a time. Often hundreds were stored in small rooms with almost no light. Food was passed through a hole in the wall. There was no bathroom other than the dungeon itself. Many did not survive. This photograph was taken inside the male dungeon.

All the more shocking was the fact that directly on top of the male dungeon, which was located on the lower floor of this building through the dark doors, was the castle’s chapel, located behind the shuttered windows. It’s hard to imagine that services were held there every Sunday while hundreds of slaves suffered in inhumane conditions just a few feet below.

Needless to say, the visit to the castle was quite depressing. Still, it gave a better understanding of a dark chapter of human history.

That night, Abraham and I passed New Year’s Eve at a restaurant on this beach. It was one of the best New Year’s celebrations we’ve ever had, with lots of happy people and fireworks and a bonfire on the beach.