Photos: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151359104996961.1073741826.562066960&type=1&l=edfbbe8017
Wednesday morning and there is a feeling amongst the 6 of us who are leaving in Freetown that our trip is almost over. We were up and packed up camp and had eaten breakfast before the kids hit school.So, not too big an audience. First part of the journey was OK. Then we turned off on a one lane, dirt, laterite road and we were back on a wild roller coaster ride that jerkepad our bodies left and right while grinding our buttocks into the seat to prevent human projectiles from taking out the other passengers. I think there are seat belts. There are definitely signs saying "buckle up".
Aminah, our truck, was having problems. They started yesterday and the crew tried to sort them overnight, shortly out of Bo, they started again. However, Dave and Jimmy are extremely competent and a process of elimination. We stopped once to do a fix, then half way down the dirt road, Aminah ground to a halt just at the edge of a little village called Masa.
I used this opportunity to chat with two young men. I'd guess their ages around 17 and 25, but I may be wrong. They both lived in Freetown and were visiting home for 3 weeks. They both said they were students but were unable to find work. They both spoke English very well and were intelligent. They were both very disillusioned about the situation in their country. The older one was the younger one's uncle. They talked about the huge level of corruption by the country's leaders. They hope the new leader, who was elected at the end of last year will be different. They have a system to punish corruption but those who administer it are more corrupt than those who are being charged with corruption. Then there is tribal favouritism between the Mende and the Timnes. A Timne for example, will always give a job to another Timne and a Mende to Mende, so if you are not in the ruling tribe it is hard to find work. Couple that with the fact that on an individual level there is no support. It is everyone for themelves. They seemed to respect the West because of our systems. They have no suggestions as to what to do to progress. Meeting and chatting with these two young chaps brought home to me the dedsperation many of the youth in SL feel. It stirred my nurturing buds to do something to help. But what can you do? I think so much work is needed by the people in the country, not by outsiders; not by NGOs and aid except emergency aid. The most the west can do is to form an international pact to control all the multinational corps that drain the country of its resources and give little back into sustainable development and progress.
The crew has determined we got a bad load of diesel at the last stop. They have now bypassed the gas tank and are taking the fuel from a gerry can. Dave is sitting in the truck holding the gerry can close to the diesel tank and monitoring the situation.
Once the problem and a fix was found, we were soon on our way again and arrived in Kambana where we ate lunch before loading up the dingy with gerry cans of water, cooking utensils, cook stove, propane, pots and pans, dishes, and food for 17 for 3 days. Alexis and I were first to make the 10 minute journey, complete with half of the supplies, and we feared that we would end up in the river Moa with the crocodiles.
The camp at Tiwai was actually quite like camping in parts of Canada, where you set your tent up in open air platforms with metal roof and there is an open air lounging area with a thatched roof - they had provided the tents and matresses so we only had to take our sleeping bags, swim wear, change of clothes, and toilet gear. Our group was on for dinner which we cooked in their kitchen. All the food was lying out and the chap in charge soon took it away and locked it up in a room I might add with a gap between the ceiling and the top of the walls, to protect it from the poisonous rats. Guess rats can't climb??
After dinner and clean up we played a round of trivial pursuit, met the Spanish and Czech guests there, and went to bed.
Wednesday morning and there is a feeling amongst the 6 of us who are leaving in Freetown that our trip is almost over. We were up and packed up camp and had eaten breakfast before the kids hit school.So, not too big an audience. First part of the journey was OK. Then we turned off on a one lane, dirt, laterite road and we were back on a wild roller coaster ride that jerkepad our bodies left and right while grinding our buttocks into the seat to prevent human projectiles from taking out the other passengers. I think there are seat belts. There are definitely signs saying "buckle up".
Aminah, our truck, was having problems. They started yesterday and the crew tried to sort them overnight, shortly out of Bo, they started again. However, Dave and Jimmy are extremely competent and a process of elimination. We stopped once to do a fix, then half way down the dirt road, Aminah ground to a halt just at the edge of a little village called Masa.
I used this opportunity to chat with two young men. I'd guess their ages around 17 and 25, but I may be wrong. They both lived in Freetown and were visiting home for 3 weeks. They both said they were students but were unable to find work. They both spoke English very well and were intelligent. They were both very disillusioned about the situation in their country. The older one was the younger one's uncle. They talked about the huge level of corruption by the country's leaders. They hope the new leader, who was elected at the end of last year will be different. They have a system to punish corruption but those who administer it are more corrupt than those who are being charged with corruption. Then there is tribal favouritism between the Mende and the Timnes. A Timne for example, will always give a job to another Timne and a Mende to Mende, so if you are not in the ruling tribe it is hard to find work. Couple that with the fact that on an individual level there is no support. It is everyone for themelves. They seemed to respect the West because of our systems. They have no suggestions as to what to do to progress. Meeting and chatting with these two young chaps brought home to me the dedsperation many of the youth in SL feel. It stirred my nurturing buds to do something to help. But what can you do? I think so much work is needed by the people in the country, not by outsiders; not by NGOs and aid except emergency aid. The most the west can do is to form an international pact to control all the multinational corps that drain the country of its resources and give little back into sustainable development and progress.
The crew has determined we got a bad load of diesel at the last stop. They have now bypassed the gas tank and are taking the fuel from a gerry can. Dave is sitting in the truck holding the gerry can close to the diesel tank and monitoring the situation.
Once the problem and a fix was found, we were soon on our way again and arrived in Kambana where we ate lunch before loading up the dingy with gerry cans of water, cooking utensils, cook stove, propane, pots and pans, dishes, and food for 17 for 3 days. Alexis and I were first to make the 10 minute journey, complete with half of the supplies, and we feared that we would end up in the river Moa with the crocodiles.
The camp at Tiwai was actually quite like camping in parts of Canada, where you set your tent up in open air platforms with metal roof and there is an open air lounging area with a thatched roof - they had provided the tents and matresses so we only had to take our sleeping bags, swim wear, change of clothes, and toilet gear. Our group was on for dinner which we cooked in their kitchen. All the food was lying out and the chap in charge soon took it away and locked it up in a room I might add with a gap between the ceiling and the top of the walls, to protect it from the poisonous rats. Guess rats can't climb??
After dinner and clean up we played a round of trivial pursuit, met the Spanish and Czech guests there, and went to bed.
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