Back from Freetown

August 8th, 2011

Back From Freetown

All 48 soon to be Peace Corps Volunteers (swear-in is on Friday) made it back to Makeni. Even though our visit to Freetown began Saturday afternoon, after summer school awards, and ended around noon Sunday, I learned a bunch. 

Tammie, Dylan and I at summer school awards.

Mariatu and her father. She was the third place student in my JSS1 class.

Saturday, we took Peace Corps vehicles on a tour of the city, saw all the lorry and bus parks (where to get transportation), and were able to glance at some of the markets. Later that evening we went to the Sierra Leone Peace Corps headquarters, saw the staff offices, the hostel for volunteers and where the Country Directors, Medical Officer and Training Director reside. The Country Directors invited us all over for dinner, which was a great change from our usual meals :) 

How they carry anything and everything here :)

Sunday morning we were suppose to head back to Makeni around noon. In a short amount of time I actually got to see quite a bit! The group I was wondering the town with covered shopping and the market, got to see the beach and went to a sea-side restaurant. 

View from the restaurant we found.

A funny hat.

The poda-poda ride back to Makeni was an adventure, as always. Tammie and I got shotgun, which I am not sure, looking back, if I would have chosen that seat. I kept joking that we were inside the “hurling ball of death.” Going 130 mph in a van that looked like it was scavenged from a junkyard and sent to the welder, minutes before we boarded, was a little scary. I knew when to close my eyes and pray when I heard the locals in the back telling the driver to “take time,” and even more so when they told him in Temne (local language) that he will be in more trouble if we die, since we are white.

View from the drive back to Makeni.

Our swear in ceremony is on Friday and I cannot wait! Then it is off to Futa in a Peace Corps car with Jesse and Matt, both who are south of me.