My dad just informed me of that Swedish Newspaper SvD recently ran an article on Ghana as a tourism destination: In the shadow of the slave castle.
As the text is in Swedish only, let me tell you what Swedes who read SvD now know about Ghana:
Slave Trade
The article starts with a visit in Cape Coast castle, formerly named Carolousborg. This castle was once controlled by Sweden and its Svenska Afrikakompaniet and traded in slaves and gold, often payed for with iron and glass beads (!).
Culture and Eco tourism
The rest of the article outlines the current day tourism – historic tourism around the castle, but also cultural tourism including handicrafts and festivals, and beach vacations with the growing concept of eco tourism.
Currency, Air Fare and Food
Finally, some facts on currency, air fare and food. Although the writer is correct to recommend Star and Club beer, Jollof rice is spelled “jallof rice” and a dinner is said to cost between 10-20 GHC! I had a great lunch for under three GHC yesterday, so let me politely disagree…
I also missed a section on modern day Ghana – hip life, fashion and flavor!
The article has beautiful pictures by Eric Miller. See picture for this post from Cape Coast, photo credit Eric Miller.
2 Comments
I won’t complain about anything that promotes Ghana, but the “come visit castles and forts from where 10 million Africans were shipped to the new world” promos always make me cringe a little.
an aside… if I may ask… what does one get for 3ghc? last time I was in Ghana, 2000 cedis was comfy enough for my round trip travel from Dansoman (exhibition) to Circle and school lunch- but that was ’94/’95.
Hi Mike,
how are you? Hrm, is that the google translate version, yeah, it does sound bad / way too rosy…actually, what Sweden needs is probably a longer article outlining our part in the hideous crime that was the slavetrade. Recently, there was such an attempt in Denmark, but in Sweden we haven’t really connected with this side of our history as a nation. The first time I visited Cape Coast, I even made the embarrassing faux-pas of asking the guide “…when you said Sweden, you didn’t mean Swedes traded slaves, did you?” Talk about ignorance!
And yes, you may ask what 3 GHC buys you in Ghana on a weekend lunch, I had omo tuo, three rice balls with groundnut soup and fresh fish at the famous chop bar in Tema, Agbamami (its actually a whole post on its own!). Fried yam and fish will also cost you under 3 GHC. Times have changed, 2000 cedis is today 20 pesewas and buys you a small piece of fried plantain OR water for you and a friend.