Pico slave camp

Picworo  is the word for 'rocks of fear' it is here that slave traders would bring slaves to be held until they were sold to buyers and then taken to the next camp and eventually the coast where the people would be taken by boat to the americas for slavery.

In the rocks of this space you can see the impressions of where people are, where people danced, where people were sold at auction, where the guards watched for raiders (those who wanted to free those who had been captured) and where people were punished. All of the rocks still stand.

To hear the story was to listen to families be torn apart, lives destroyed for profits. And it was Africans capturing and selling Africans because the white man could not come in land without getting malaria. A system that did not see all created equally, a system that promoted economic prosperity over community, a system that crushed dignity to gain power.

While our day was breathtakingly beautiful with sunshine and a breeze, it also stole your breath to realize the pain that was endured in the same space.

Journeys

Today we got up early and made our way by plane to Tamale and then by car to Bolgatanga. The northern part of Ghana is a gorgeous, a landscaper of agriculture and small villages. A beautiful road took us to Bolgatanga and I was amazed to see power lines run with us the whole way (very different from Guinea 20years ago!).

Vesta is in charge of us now and doing a terrific job of making sure are all hydrated and safely wherever we need to be. She exudes joy and and a terrific sense of humor.