After only 23 hours of travel, I arrived dirty, hot, tired, hungry, and overwhelmed in Freetown, Sierra Leone! But safely! The last 24 hours have been filled with an overload of information that has left me in a daze. The internet connection here is poor, and I don't have pictures loaded yet, so this first entry could be a bit sketchy, but I'm giving it a shot! I decided to give a shout out to the lovely Lauren Slattery, and copy her blogging technique with a list of things I have learned in these first 24 hours:
1. If I don't get hit by a car or motorcycle on the streets of Freetown, it will be a miracle.
2. The internet speed on the ship is just about as fast as travel in West Africa. (AKA slower than dial-up from the 1990's)
3. Leonians are multitaskers- they double the ocean as their garbage dump. saves on realty, what thinkers.
4. Leonian street laws that I have picked up on: blinkers don't exist, that's what the horn is for. Half the cars have stearing wheels on the right, half on the left-- which also coincides with the side of the street they drive on. It's OK to set up a table in the middle of the busy street to play cards.
5. Just because a ship is in port doesn't mean you won't get sea sick! I watched my water bottle roll back and forth across my bedroom floor today..
6. The ship toilets will literally suck you in when you flush. so close the lid.
7. "port side" is on the left. even though the port is on the right.
8. There are no cows in Sierra Leone. = no milk!
9. The sun sets at 8pm on the equator :(
10. A mission hospital must reuse as many things as possible.. including bedpans and suction canisters.
Pictures and stories to come later!
Glad to hear that you are settling in! So if there's no milk what do they serve at Starbucks? ;)
ReplyDeletePraying for you!
I want a picture of the card players! Teach them how to play Deal! Keep an eye out for "ocean kitties" They could be hoping around on the garbage.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you will need to milk a camel : ) Thank you SO much for the update!
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks for the thoughts Dmodeski. Did you meet the anesthesiologist yet??! and i'm sorry you had to find out the hard way about the flushing incident...it makes me chuckle to only imagine you in that situation!
ReplyDeleteOMG, I'm guessing you don't have cavi- wipes for the bedpans. That's pretty sick.
ReplyDeleteWowie, sounds like a crazy adventure so far. I would totally set up a table and play a game in the street! Haha!
ReplyDeleteBut number 6 scares me! I just knew toilets were really out to suck us all into their underground world! Evil toilets! Be careful, Danielle!