First Sunny Weekend

Outside my window, on the other side of the cement wall, is a home. I don’t know who lives there but I know they like to listen to music loud all through the night and right now they are watching a horror movie. The suspense music part is playing right now. I’m just waiting for the scream...there it is.

This weekend I have been able to get out and see a bit more of my new home and surroundings. Yesterday I went to Lakka, a beach about a thirty minute drive away, with Pete and Sonia who work in finance, and Mikey, the pediatric physician who works in the outpatient clinic. Things here aren’t very far away but with the roads in the condition they are in it takes much longer to get places. If a truck or car breaks down, it stays there until it’s fixed. The road is also being widened so a great part of the hassle comes from the construction. It’s impossible not to notice the shops along the road. It looked as though the front of the shops had all been torn off and that is exactly what happened. When they had come through to widen the road any shop which was in the way was bulldozed and for many shops that just meant the front wall of the shop was torn off, keeping the inside exposed. I was told though, that the owners were compensated for this.

One thing Sierra Leone does well are their white sandy beaches. Lakka is a large crescent cove where the beach is lined with many small places to get chop, food, and they all have wooden lounge chairs and huts to lay under. The water is pretty clean and the swimming is perfect. The shrimps I had for lunch were massive and the chips, fries, weren’t too bad either. I laid on a chair and read most of the day and watched the fishing boats come and go. It was a perfect day to breathe and take in the new sights and sounds of Sierra Leone.

The main modes of transportation here are the poda podas, large vans which you shove as many people into that you can, taxis and motorcycles. Poda podas are pretty standard throughout most places I have been in West Africa, every place just has a different name for them. The nice thing about here though, is that the rates are pretty standard and easy to figure out so you don’t have to haggle for a better price. I had thought of getting a drivers license since I’ll be here for a bit but I think I’ll be able to figure out public transport just fine. I found the supermarket but we were in a hurry to get back so I’ll save that excitement for another day.

We all just said goodbye to Anna, who I am taking over from. It was bittersweet for everyone here. I have only worked with her for the last few days but she has done a fabulous job bringing the VVF part of this clinic up to where it is. Saying goodbye to her also means here I am. The adventure of this next year is just beginning.