Plane delayed, we arrived in Sierra Leone under the cover of darkness. A six hour flight from London to SL via Liberia. We had received instructions on what to expect at the airport and with game face on acted like we had done this all before. Passport stamped, we waited for an hour as beyond our view the baggage handlers checked any unlocked bags for items they fancy. Luckily our bags were locked and boring. Finally strapped and loaded, we cleared customs and were moved into a mob of nationals all vying to become your personal assistant. Eric became ours. Two helicopter tickets later we spent the next hour in a humid hangar as the two waves of travelers ahead of us took the quick hop across the inlet. It was finally our turn to hop. I gave Eric a two dollar tip having no idea at the time what that translated into for him. We came to realize it wasn’t huge (3 liters of cold bottled water, a side of fries, 8 bars of laundry soap, etc). Better than nothing. The helicopter ride was smoother than expected and we were anxious to see a familiar face. Sarah and Kristen granted us that couple with big hugs. Their body guard, now our friend, Quami assisted us with our luggage and we headed out. The only lights were the few powered by generators and the wicks of candles. Engaged in conversation, we looked out the right window to see the white foam of the ocean break the darkness of the night. As the ocean faded from view, a couple of rough roads found us at what would be home for the next three weeks. We were tired from the trip but excited to be with Sarah and begin this adventure we had been preparing ourselves for. We quickly talked, ate, and got settled in, and around 2am the candles were blown out. We had arrived in Sierra Leone.
This was the view from our beloved veranda. We spent as much time as possible out here. Mornings, meals, and nights. The best view and the coolest breeze! The building off to the right is the school/home where all the children stayed(88) and way out past it is the Atlantic Ocean! The tree right in front is a papaya tree and they had banana trees as well. So Cool!
We constantly were watched from the children’s home. Little eyes would peer out to keep tabs on what the white folk were up to. Smiles and waves were frequent.
