1/11 Pictures taken by one of my associates along the way to River Two Beach.
Sierra Leonians don't like getting their picture being taken without their consent. Some will chase you down either individually or in mobs. What they do after that? Use your imagination.
Shortly after I released my last issue, I joined a couple colleagues for a trip to River Two Beach Yes, there are beaches near Freetown but the best ones I'm told are further away. This trip was an hour and a half of pothole-ridden roads with a few stream crossings. The rains had flooded many spots in the road making me wonder how some folks made it through in their compact cars. Of course, the Range Rovers had to blast on by. We were patient and waited for the car in front of us to carefully cross whatever hazard awaited them.
My society is in search of every timesaving idea to suck out a bit more of life beyond an occupation. If you look into the eyes of these folks, time is all they have plenty of. It gives life a bit of perspective. For those folks who threaten to return to their African homeland in an attempt to get back to their roots...this place is really ‘rooty’. Corrugated stick shacks...lots of poverty, hot and cold running dysentery. Hey...go back to your homeland if that is where your heart is. See if you call it your “home” for long.

2/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

3/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

4/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

5/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

6/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

7/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

8/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

9/11 A dried up riverbed.

10/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

11/11 On the road from Freetown to River Two Beach

Yes, Bluelou has a thing about the beach...
The beach...well, it was a bit cool, as the rains had made the dropped the ocean temperature. No, I didn't get in though some did. Naturally, it was nearly deserted. There were two other parties.
While at the beach, we dined on fish and chips. We had our choice of a local brewery beer or Sprite. Food was good. They told me they do serve lobster...I can't wait for that! The vendors came by to hawk their wares...native clothing, wood and stone carvings...all those things that I always knew I needed...somewhere in the back of my mind...but never knew I wanted...until now.
The boss wears those native clothes on Friday. He calls it “African Fridays”...come dressed in native attire. I call it...come dressed as your favorite sofa cover. During the day, the average Sierra Leonian wears the traditional western attire. The Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes are African Traditional.

Bluelou hates the beach...

River Two Beach

River Two Beach

River Two Beach - Click On Image

When I walk out my front door, this is what I see. This picture is deceiving...Sierra Leone isn't like this...It's a very poor.
Being a ‘have’ in the land of ‘have-nots’ gives me a bit of thanksgiving. Even now, we live in dormitories...the best of a less than optimum thing. The company did offer to move us off site where we’d be living in a house. As I saw it, if I have apartment mates, it’s not much different than what I have now...just off site. I’ll probably stay where I am. Still, it’s far better than what these folks have. It’s like a billionaire complaining about losing a buck. - Click On Image

This tree looks like something out of a horror flick. The splotches are buzzards.

1/8 First erected in 1930, Bluelou's Catholic Church...St. Anthony's in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It took a couple of seconds inside the Cathedral for the lessons learned in Tanzania to come front and center in my brain...get there early and sit by the window. These folks stuff every pew and they cannot afford air conditioning. Many have a serious case of B.O.. The window seat is a mandate. When exiting the church, guard your knees...toddlers running wild will be using the space between them as passageways. Walk past the beggars...it's a job...give to the charities.

2/8 St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

3/8 St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

4/8 St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

5/8 St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

6/8 St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

7/8 St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

8/8 St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The currency is called the Leones ('Lee-owns'). So far, my exposure to the currency hasn't been much. You can pay in US but get change in local currency. There are both coins and paper. The paper is old, torn, dirty, and threadbare. Both coins and paper are pretty much worthless. The biggest bill I've seen so far, the 10,000, is worth about US$3.44. If you do the math, you'll find the exchange rate at one USD equals 2900 Leones. Most of my Leones end up in the church collection plate.

One of my former colleagues, as a departing 'gift', left several puppies to go wild on the job site. It's not uncommon to wake up to a symphony of dogs barking at odd hours of the morning. We've had case of dog bite so far. The victim went through the rabies shot series.
One pair of dogs, who haven't gone wild, is Mr. and Mrs. Jack. Adopted by the security guards, Mr. and Mrs. Jack took a while to get to know Bluelou but ever since them, when they're not sacked out in the sun or shade, they bark and yelp to get my attention for that back or belly scratch that only Bluelou can give. Mr. and Mrs. Jack dine on only the finest kitchen scraps our mess hall can provide.
It's not uncommon that one can get really dirty walking on the job site from the lingering dust. With the Jacks, I'm dirty before I get on site...they crawl all over me before I reach the entry gate. Jack 'escorts' me to the gate by gently biting my hand and holding it until I hit the gate. Most of the folks who try to befriend Mr. Jack say that he's not too kind to strangers yet he's like a baby seeking a bit of attention in my presence...whimpering if I move my caressing hand away.

Mr. Jack (Left)

All the while, Mrs. Jack waits faithfully by his side. She'll wait for him to finish his dinner before she eats but will compete for my attention when I walk by. I usually have to 'leave' them about three times before they stop barking and chasing me vying for my attention. When Mrs. Jack went into heat, Mr. Jack suddenly lost his limp.

Since the guards left and Mrs. Jack has had her pups, she's given Mr. Jack the boot and he's playing the field.

This is Squeamish. He definitely lives up to his name though once you break that apprehensiveness, he's quite warm. He and Mr. Jack are great buddies.

Bluelou 2020 Exclusive:The helicopter that takes passengers from the airport to the mainland. It's a Russian Mi-8. Years after I completed my assignment in Sierra Leone, one of the two helicopters crashed. One of the pilots survived. A total of 19 people were killed including the Togo soccer team

Bluelou 2020 Exclusive: What I miss about Freetown the most...for not more than $20, you can get a plate full of lobster just like this...