The Thing About Freetown.....

When we last left our heroes they had narrowly evaded capture by the Gambian drug squad and subsequent interminable incarceration in unspeakable squalor. Now, after weeks of silence, they return with news from the steamy wilds of Sierra Leone…

Flying into Freetown we had no idea what to expect. Okay we had some idea what to expect. Scenes from Blood Diamond and passages from wartime chronicles, ‘A Long Way Gone’ and ‘Ambushed,’ sprang to mind. We’d be lying if we said we weren’t a little bit nervous. To ensure a safe and smooth entrance, we thought best to arrive in the Sierra Leonean capital, a city with intermittent power and no reliable water supply, at 2300. The ferry from the airport pulled in to the dock three feet short, requiring a flying leap into knee-deep water. Apparently this was standard procedure as there were plenty of boys ready to give us piggyback rides. We politely declined and waded ashore into the heart of darkness. Walking up the unlit road, lined with ghostly faces illuminated only by small propane burners grilling chicken, we were unnerved to say the least. Nervously and thankfully stumbling out onto the main road we hailed a cab - a disco cab stuck in the early 2000s when Christmas LEDs were all the rage. We dodged container trucks and motorbikes into the downtown core, occasionally foraying into hilly, cratered side streets, only to slide back down into the thick traffic.

*Pulled up to PZ around 0007 or 0008, said to the cabbie, ‘yo holmes, smell ya later.’ Looked at throbbing mayhem we were finally there. To sweat our balls off – princes of humid jungle air.*

Our search for a hotel was longer than expected as homophobia in Sierra Leone generally bars same-sex groups from sharing a single hotel room. In our desperation we found a kindly night clerk, presumptuously named The General, who was willing to look the other way and let the three of us share a king sized bed. Snuggle Town!

The next morning, despite the previous night’s apprehension, we quickly warmed to the open demeanor of the Freetownians and the vibrant clamour of their city. An aspect that Dan fell in love with was Mama Africa and her sizzling street food operation. On the same corner of downtown Freetown, the winning combo of rice and sauce has kept loyal customers coming back to this sister-run bench and cauldron for eighteen years! And, to Evan and Peter’s delight another sister served Fanta and Coke across the sidewalk. We were regulars in no time.

The thing about Freetown is it’s best served hot and sweaty with a side of rice and sauce.