First week

It’s been an interesting and fun first week in Freetown. 

I arrived on Sunday evening to a very crazy airport (probably worse than normal as three planes had landed in quick succession,) and was met by a lovely VSO staff member.  We got into a bus down to the water taxi terminal, where we had to wait for several boats to go before there was space for us.  It was dark by that time; the stars were amazing.  It was exciting getting the choppy boat across the water with the sky being lit up with lightening.  We arrived in the part of Freetown called Aberdeen, and were dropped at the hotel we’re staying at while in Freetown called ‘Leisure Lodge, the Ultimate place to relax!’ We are the first guests at this hotel, which is still being built.  The staff are lovely and have been teaching us Krio.  It has 24-hour electricity, air-conditioning (all very unusual for Freetown,) and wireless (when it works!) and great breakfasts with fresh papaya and pineapple.  

This week has been spent at in country training at the VSO office learning more about the developmental context in Sierra Leone, history, culture and the health and secure livelihoods programme they have. We started Krio lessons as well, and covered a huge amount in our first lesson from greetings to parts of the body to past, future and present tenses, but are not sure how much I can remember. 

We’ve been exploring Freetown in the evenings … our hotel is not far from Lumley beach, which is sandy but unfortunately covered with seaweed and rubbish.  It rained lots the beginning of the week, but have had some dry days the last few days, and went for a run (short!) along the beach yesterday.

The roads are mainly dirt roads with massive holes in them.  There are small corrugated iron shacks everywhere, and people selling various things, carrying huge loads on their heads.  People seem very friendly, and all shout out ‘How are you?’ ‘How de body?’ We’ve been either driven around by VSO, or squeezed into taxi’s (our record has been 9 in a small car.)  The other volunteers (there’s 9 of us who arrived at the beginning of the week, and a few more coming today,) are lovely, and there are a few of us who will be in Bo (the city I’ll be living and working in.)  We’re in Freetown for another week, and then travelling out to Bo next weekend.