Afternoon looking pretty dry. One or two showers dotted across the north west, most places will be dry. Temperatures of 12, maybe 17 in the south. Clear skies for most but the winds will be picking up, especially gcioss winds will be picking up, especially across the south and west. Some Rain Arriving in cornwall and devon by dawn. It will be quite mild but even elsewhere we are looking at 8 9 and shine for scotland, Northern England, the midlands and across Eastern England. Rain will continue to spill northwards. In the sunny spots it will be quite warm with top temperatures of 17 or 18 degrees. Hello, this is bbc news. The headlines at 2 30pm. European Union Leaders meeting in brussels have unanimously adopted guidelines for negotiating britains withdrawal from the eu. Labour Leaderjeremy Corbyn urges young people to claim their future by Voting Labour in the general election. Theresa may is campaigning in scotland for the First Time Since calling the election. One of the men arrested in a Counter Terrorism operation in north london had been suspected of attempting to travel to syria tojoin is. Now on bbc news, The Travel Show. This week, celebrating gha nas 60th birthday. Im drinking to the countrys independence. Sparring with the locals. Boxing is massive, they love it here. And meeting some of its cutest residents. I am amazed how much banana a Little Monkey like that can eat. Busy, bustly, noisy and lots of fun. I could be in any of the big, Lively West African capitals, but ive come to one country that is celebrating a very special anniversary. News reel the name gold coast passes, long live ghana. 60 years ago in 1957, the british gold coast broke away from centuries of colonial rule. It became the republic of ghana. It was a peaceful transition, and ghanas independence, the first to be declared in sub saharan africa, inspired other states to do the same thing. Today, its seen as a largely peaceful entry point into this part of the continent. The civil strife and terrorism that affects some of its neighbours arent currently a problem. And by the way, ebola never crossed the ghanaian border. So where to start . Well, this might be a good place, as it plays a crucial role in the countrys colonial past. This is jamestown, and its the first place that the british came to when they arrived here on the gold coast. And while relics of that time still dominate the skyline, jamestowns managed to carve itself a little sporting niche. For some reason, these few streets have churned out champion boxers like nowhere else. Ghanas produced seven world champions, and most of these trained in the gyms here. Hello. How are you . Nice to meet you. You must be samuel. On sunday evenings the streets become packed. Makeshift rings are set up and people come to watch challenge fights. What is it about jamestown, why do you create such good boxers and why has it become popular . We have the boxers, the musicians and the dancers. At the ages of nine years, they have to learn the boxing like this. This is great, but they look very young to me, you know, to be fighting. Sometimes you see their parents, their parents hasnt been to the school, so they also want their little one like this to become a boxer, a fisherman, a footballer. Sometimes when they have them, and they see they are not having the mind to learn, they have to push them box like this. Many families here see Sporting Glory as a quick route out of poverty, and thats a powerful motivator. That was really good. That was a tough fight. A tough fight. How much does the anniversary of independence, the 60th year mean to you guys here . Injamestown, we really like each other. People on the streets, happy. This is osu. Its accras commercial district, and if ever you were looking for a taste that symbolises ghanas independence spirit, you will find it in here. Come on, follow me. Republic opened in 2013. Its a celebration of the Independence Movement and specialises in a drink that has a unique connection to 1957. This drink is called cocoroco, which means the almighty, the powerful, the great omnipotent. It utilises cane spirit, which is, in our local slang, we call akpeteshi. When the british were the colonial authorities here in ghana, prior to independence, akpeteshi was outlawed, it was deemed as unfit to drink, unwholesome, unhealthy. Do you mind if i try some of the akpeteshi on its own . On its own, yes. To ghanaian independence. Yes, to our independence. Lets do it. Cheers. Ooh i can feel the heaviness of that and its spicy. It is spicy. So do you feel this is like a symbol of ghanaian independence . Yes, i believe akpeteshi being decriminalised by ghanas first president , president kwame nkrumah. He actually passed legislation to make the distillation and consumption of akpeteshi legal. And so that gave ghanaians the liberty to indulge in their own, to consume their own, what is effectively theirs. Look carefully round accra and you will see signs of this anniversary year every where. Not least in the art world, which has used 1957 as a source of inspiration and reflection. This is a really powerful piece of work. It stands at the mausoleum of ghanas independence leader kwame nkrumah, and argues that ghana is still not properly free of slavery, and colonialisation. Itjust exists in a different form these days. But the thing that really hits me is you cant stop looking at all their faces. Theyve all got individual expressions of pain, and it is quite sobering, actually. Ghana was right at the centre of the slave trade until it was abolished in the early 19th century. Its most powerful remnants lie a few hours east of here, in the old colonial capital cape coast, which is where im going next, in that most african of transport options. So this is a bit interesting, travelling in this tro tro with the locals. They havent got any regulated stops, theyjust stop randomly anywhere. So weve stopped. Now were waiting for people. Who did your hairfor you . I did my hair in the uk. In london. In the uk. Do you like my hair . Yes, the way they do it is very, very nice. You like it . It was quite painful. It was tight. And so to cape coast. A sunny and beautiful spot now, with palm trees and long sandy beaches. A far cry from the traffic and chaos of accra. And at its heart lies this imposing castle. This place looks beautiful on the outside, but inside its got a dark history. Its estimated that in total, around 11 Million People were taken from africa, bound for the americas. All along this coastline were forts, where men, Women And Children would be held in miserable conditions, before their dangerous journey. This was the largest of those forts. These days, its a museum. So this was a male dungeon. Yes, the men were separated from the women. This dungeon was designed for 1,000 people. They stayed here for about three months on average. Occasionally they were let out to be fed, and also to crack stones with cannon balls. A few years ago, during restoration works, archaeologists took up and examined some of the materials on the floor. So they left a small portion of it here, to probably tell the rest of the story. So this is made up of faeces, blood, decomposed bodies, clothes, food, vomit, sweat, urine and many materials that were left here. So this is, this is the product of human despair. Yes. And toil. Pain, suffering, cruelty. And if they survived their stay in the dungeons here, then it was through the door of no return, ready for loading on to the ships. Between the harbour and the ship, one of them might have decided not to go, so he would justjump into the ocean, pulling the rest with him. Wow because they were all chained together. They were all chained together and they were all drowned here. Either they wanted to escape orjust to commit suicide. And this is after being held captive in the dungeons . After being held captive in the dungeons for what, two, three months. So it was basically nonstop hell. Nonstop hell. This is a special year for ghana. Yes. Its your 60th Anniversary of independence. Things have moved on, thankfully. Yes, for over 400 years we have struggled in slavery. We have struggled in colonialism, we have come out as a nation stronger than before, and so we see it as an experience that is worth sharing with others. So people can get courage in whatever they are doing, whatever level they are, they can rise up through the ashes, use the ashes as fertilisers to grow. Become prosperous. Words of hope from a man whose job brings him face to face with unimaginable horror on a daily basis. If he can be optimistic, theres inspiration for us all. The travel show, your essential guide whereever youre heading. Welcome to the slice of the show that tackles your questions about travel. Im here at St Pancras Station in london, where the uks Rail Connection to Continental Europe begins. First, an update on the new rail link in florida. Brightline, as the express Train Service is known, is on schedule to connect down town miami with Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach from the summer, with a high speed extension to Orlando International airport following next year, cutting the journey between the two cities to just three hours, compared with the driving time on a good day of four hours. Next, henry is travelling to the city of cadiz in south west spain, but hes flying into the british possession of gibraltar, and wants to know how to travel onward. Can we take a rental car across the border, or is it better to cross into spain on foot and hire a car or take a bus . Henry, its a delightfuljourney from gibraltar to cadiz, which i have made many times and its very straightforward. From the airport, simply head straight to the spanish frontier. Its a two minute walk just simply aim away from the rock. You will find yourself in the town of la linea, and five minutes from the border there is a bus station. If theres no imminent departure direct to cadiz, hop on any bus to the city of algeciras, where you will find a lot more choice. Iceland is the impending destination this summer for angela, and for thousands of other travellers attracted by the proliferation of air links to reykjavik. Angela wonders. Where is the best place to change money . In iceland, but only a little at a time. The Icelandic Krona is a minority currency, and the spread thats the difference between buying and selling rates is wide, meaning a poor deal for travellers. So sign up for a card with no fees for overseas use, if you dont already have one, and obtain a small amount of icelandic currency when you arrive, but rely on plastic for most of your spending. Finally, lynne says she likes to plan well in advance, partly to give her time to save up for her trip, but also something to look forward to, and she asks. I want to go away this december, ideally after christmas but in time to spend new years eve in a resort. Somewhere hot, with beautiful beaches. A caribbean island, south africa or india would meet those criteria, but prices are already very high. Ive just checked flights from london to barbados in the caribbean, and travelling between christmas and new year for a week, the fare is already over £1,500 thats 1,800. So, if you want something a little closer to home, i strongly recommend egypt for guaranteed winter sun at a budget price. For example, at the resort of hurghada, you can stay for a week, all inclusive, for around £800 less than 1,000 and that includes your flight from the uk, plus a new years eve gala dinner. Whether youre looking for sun or snow, im here to help. Just e mail us and i will do my very best to find you an answer. From me, simon calder, the global guru, bye for now and see you next time. Im travelling through ghana on a mission to have a good nose around the country, that this year celebrates its 60th Anniversary of independence. This definitely isnt the easiest of places to get round. The rainforest is not accessible and there arent many hotels or places to stay, but what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in outstanding beauty. Itsjust, its so beautiful out here and theres so many things to do. About four hours drive north of the second city of kumasi lie a set of caves that im told show off gha nas wildlife at its most unsettling. This wasnt easy at all. Yes. This is one of the hardest treks ive done. Where are we . We are in buoyem bat cave. And where is the bat cave . One entrance is down there. Inside, we will see a bat. They are fruit bats. How many bats are in there . They are almost seven, eight, nine thousand. Thousands of them. Yes. Thats incredible. In fact, some estimates put the total number of bats inside the buoyem caves at between 15 20,000. They have been shut to tourists for a few years because of fears surrounding ebola. Now these concerns are gone and the caves are open again, if you have got the stomach for them. But if youre keener on the kind of wildlife that makes you smile, rather than shriek, you want to head to the twin villages of boabeng and fiema. The people here have forged a unique relationship with their closest neighbours. So this is your village . Yes. That is my village. Amelia, who has lived around here for her whole life, takes me on a little stroll. Come on, you monkeys so these are the friendly ones. The mona. Hello. Look. Wow, look at that. Thats so cute. You said theyre not shy look, amelia. Wow thats so nice. I am amazed at how much banana a Little Monkey like that can eat that monkey must have eaten at least ten bananas. They can eat more than ten. The villagers here believe these monkeys are sacred. There are two types. The cheeky mona and the black and white colobus, which is slightly more aloof, but with good reason. Declining numbers through habitat loss means theyre currently listed as a vulnerable species. There cant be many places left where youre virtually guaranteed a sighting. You can see the black and white ones up there. They will just watch us, but they wont come to us . No, they wont come to you because they are not friendly like the mona monkey, the mona monkey who willjust come to you, but the black and white, they wont come, because they depend or leaves and insects, so they wont come to you. They dont need us . No, they dont need us. Harming either species is strictly forbidden under local law, which means these villages have become a sanctuary. In fact, the monkeys here are loved so much, that once they die, they are given a proper burial. Here the monkeys belong to the gods, so the villagers have to stay with the monkeys peacefully here. If we harm or punish them, you have the same punishment from the gods, so you have to stay with them peacefully, and that is why the monkeys, they are unique from other parts of ghana. But this is special. This is special. More, more special. Thats it for now, join us next week, when. Rajan heads forjerusalem, to visit the place said to have been christs burial chamber, newly re opened after extensive restoration. This is, for christianity, the most important place in the world. Quite an incredible experience to be here. But in the meantime, you can keep up with us on social media, or visit our website, but for now, from me, ade adepitan, and all The Travel Show team here in ghana, outside the bat cave, its goodbye. Its Bank Holiday Weekend so there is some rain in the forecast, particularly in central and southern parts of the uk. It will be a warmer feel to things than it has been for the last week. Were picking up winds from the saab or the south east which is a warm direction this time of year. It will turn windier on sunday. This area of low pressure will be responsible for bringing the wind and rain through sunday. See the isobars picking up through sunday and then this rain will be encroaching into the south west. Many northern and eastern areas remaining dry. For the rest of saturday its going to be dry with lengthy clear spells. They will continue through the night, most will continue through the night, m ost pla ces will continue through the night, most places will be dry but the winds will start to pick up. It will become windy across the south west with maybe gales in exposure. Thicker cloud and rain pushing towards cornwall and devon. For sunday, a dry and bright start. Good sunny spells around. For much of scotla nd sunny spells around. For much of scotland towards Northern England and Eastern England it will stay dry all day. For the south and west be turning cloudy with outbreaks of rain. Some of the rain could be heavyin rain. Some of the rain could be heavy in places, quite showery. That rain getting in towards the south west coast and maybe the south east and midlands through the middle part of the afternoon. Ahead of it, warm sunshine with temperatures potentially reaching 18 celsius in london. Warmerfurther north away from the east coast. Western scotland and North West Scotla nd Western Scotland and North West Scotland could be seeing 18 celsius because of the shelter from the highlands and an abundance of sunshine. Into Bank Holiday Monday things get quite messy. This low pressure makes inroads, for much of england and wales it will be cloudy. There will be showery rain around. Heavy bursts mixed in too. Not going to bea heavy bursts mixed in too. Not going to be a complete wash out. For scotla nd to be a complete wash out. For scotland and Northern Ireland a lot of dry weather. The best of the sunshine for Western Scotland, still quite cool in the northern coast of england and north east scotland. For the rest of the week its going to turn dry with eastern areas cooler with more cloud. The best of the sunshine in the warmth for the west. Mainly dry with light winds, cooler along the east coast but warm in places, especially across western areas. There will be quite a lot of sunshine in the forecast for the next few days. This is bbc news. The headlines. Eu leaders unanimously adopt what they say are firm and fair guidelines for negotiating brexit. Im ben brown live in brussels. It to those leaders just one minute to agree they are negotiations stand on brexit. Labour Leaderjeremy Corbyn urges young people to Claim Theirfuture by Voting Labour in the general election. Theresa may is campaigning in scotland for the First Time Since calling the election. Ukip leader paul nuttall is to stand in boston and skegness in lincolnshire. One of the men arrested in a Counter Terrorism operation in north london had been suspected of attempting to travel to syria to join is. Also in the next hour, the heavyweights head for wembley
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