Africa at 3 am

On Friday I took a 9 hour bus ride away from Freetown going towards Kono district to visit the families of a few of the day workers here on the ship. African bus journeys and I are old friends. When the 6 of us got to the bus they had sold our seats, even though we had tickets, however it is Africa so they brought out some blue plastic stools and we spent the 9 hours perched on them in the aisle. Like I said I am used to this. And oddly enough I find it uncomfortable but fun.

Sierra Leone is a very beautiful country; lush and green, with palm trees all over the landscape. We drove past what was formerly a serious rebel checkpoint during the war and straight on to diamond country. Apparently Kono is the place to get diamonds but as I do not like them myself I didn't pursue it. Kono is a town rebuilding itself. Amazingly, bombing, war, and indiscriminate mining have not been able to destroy the peaceful beauty of this place.

We spent Sarurday getting food at the market and then cooking it. A great experience for anyone who has never prepared a meal in Africa before which 2 of our group had not. I specially requested fufu since I can't get it in the states and I miss the food in Africa so much. Fufu, which is also known as ugali in East Africa, is ground up cassava which is made into a paste and then boiled in water until it thickens into something like a dough. It is served with a sauce or soup for flavor and the whole meal should be eaten with your hands. I love cooking outside beneath a tree and then sharing the meal with everyone on one plate. We should eat like this in America. It is good communion.

This morning we had to catch a bus back to Freetown at 4 in the morning. The 3 girls in our group were staying at a little guesthouse so we planned to leave there at 3 to get to the bus early. As fun as sitting on a stool over pothole filled roads is it is best to be avoided if possible. You get airborn enough in the seats as it is. Although I think the roads here are miles better than in Kenya.

We were about to leave the gate of our little compound at 3 to meet one of the guys who was picking us up but he wasn't there yet. As we were walking towards the door to wait for him on the street the security gaurd came running towards us protesting vehemently that we not leave. Being a rather cynical person I assumed he wanted to make sure we had paid our bill and weren't trying to sneak out in the dark. We didn't speak Kono and he didn't speak much English so he went and woke someone else up. Turns out he takes his job seriously and he would not let us walk out there in the dark because he was worried for our safety. We decided to wait inside. The security guard, an older man, kept saying "I yo papa, yo ma pickanins" to explain why he wouldn't let us go out there. He meant that he was our papa and we were like his children.

I love being in Africa. Sure sometimes I have been in threatening situations but for every person who would harm me there are more like the security guard. Africa lifts my spirits when I am sad, grieves me when I am feeling complacent, and alway always fills me with joy. All in all I thank God for my weekend because I got to spend it in Africa.

Isimbi Johanna

P.S. We made it to the bus with plenty of time to get seats and watch Celine Dion music videos for an hour before we left:)