Touch Down or Take Off? ...I am so Confused

This is how I roll.....but only in Africa

Elhaji wants an i-phone too

Kids can fall asleep anywhere

After thirteen hours in the air with a 3 hour layover in Belgium, multiple bottles of airplane vino and an uncomfortable nap (quite the opposite of my little fewllow passenger there) I arrive safely on the island of Lungi, Sierra Leone's airport base. From here it's on to the main city of Freetown.  It ain't JFK airport more like Madagascar2.

It is equipped with the bare essentials which may or may not be funtional on any given day. I went through customs and headed outside to find my first host and transporter, Elhaji who is to ensure that I get to Freetown in one piece. Next, I'm bused a few yards away to an ex-military chopper. You can also take a boat or water taxi to Freetown and pay a fraction of the cost, but today I'm rolling in style. 

Choppers and choppy stomachs
Approximately 12 passengers, mostly NGO personnel, and international govn't officals were  crammed in along with their luggae for take-off. The Russian pilots explain that the ride would be a smooth 7 minutes long.
I sat by a window that was jokingly (I think) designated as an emergency exit & stuck my head out the window for the majority of the 7 minutes while checking on another passenger who was nauseous and close to collapse (he looked green). Noticing how giddy I was, someone asked , "Is this your first helicopter ride?"  Disgracefully and with all 30 some-odd of my teeth showing I squealled, "YES!"  gushing just enough to nauseate the remaining passengers who simply rolled their eyes before tuning me out. I'm so uncouth but I got some great shots -

KUSHE *WELCOME* TO SIERRA LEONE

A VIEW FROM THE PLANE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

In 2009, when a friend of a friend invited me to visit her country in West Africa, I stumbled over both feet to get on the plane. I didn’t know much about Sierra Leone outside of its association with the Blood Diamond conflict but I quickly learned that along with being one of the poorest countries in the world it was also still considered dangerous and undesirable.

  

I didn’t care about that, even better I thought. I won’t be exposed to some “filtered to fit a desired experience” type of trip. I was going to a place where electricity had just become available 24 hours a day - and that was only within the capital city of Freetown.
A place where people lived on a dollar a day and barbaric practices like female genital cutting were as common as Sunday service. I would be living in a beautiful house that was caddy corner to a shanty town. And as American as I felt, physically  there would be little distinction between me and the local population.

A VIEW OF FREETOWN THE CAPITAL CITY

When I told a few associates that I would be travelling to Africa, initially, many did not believe me. Considering that I as a Black American have no family on the continent of Africa, it struck my friends and associates as odd that I would be travelling there on vacation. "Why Africa?" they'd ask. But my question to them was: If I were Chinese or Hispanic, would you question my travelling to Asia or Latin America?

It was to this day the best experience that I have had abroad. I would find out that in addition to a dark past, that Sierra Leone had a rich cultural history.  Not only was it one of the African countries drained of its inhabitants during the transatlantic slave trade but it would also be one of the first African countries to accept the returning freed slaves. But these slaves  would go on to become one of the most prominent tribes (Krio) in the country  present day.

The morning of...

6:42am Off to work for a couple of hours. Not sure why I am coming in. The boss knows I have an early evening flight but he insisted! What a killjoy (original thought edited). I think he's jealous - haha! That's ok I'm not returning when he thinks I am - toucher!

Can't forget to pop my Malaria tablets whilst hoping they don't give me diarreha (did I spell that right?) So far I've been shot up with Yellow Fever (a must) and Tetanus (a precaution) forgoed on the Hep B (didn't have $80 - the others were free - (courtesy of my employer) As well as traveler's insurance (thank God) Perhaps I should've done a "Hepatitis shot" fundraiser - hmmm next time. Am officially packed (kinda) looks like I'm going on missionary work for 3 months. Ok bus coming in 10 minutes still not dressed... ....first stop... Brussels Belgium ....