The Quest to Tumbuktu

Well after bout 6 weeks here in Kenema, its time to move onwards and upwards Timbuktu in fact requiring a flight to Ghana and then 2000km ish overland through Burkina Faso and Mali right up to the south of the Sahara. And for my sins back again in 3 and half weeks. The last 6 weeks have flown past though with quite a few memories. The back of the back of beyond as in Kenema.

I am sure it was a curious sight and it even got mentioned at the dinner table that evening when a few other NGO workers popped in for lunch some really healthy and fit white man or and an absolute idiot went out jogging at 3 in the afternoon. They passed me out in a Landcruiser as my heart rate was about 177 beats/min, buckets loads of sweat were pouring down my face and I was trying not 2 collapse in front of the kids who randomly joined me for part of my 5 km run/walk/crawl. It was the last time I went jogging at that time in the day. The lowest recorded temperature n Sierra Leone is 19 degrees Celsius and that was at night. It's damn hot.

IMATT International Military Advisory and Technical Training Basically a group of British soldiers stationed here to train the local army. First time I met them was at a barbeque at our residence. It was quite surprising how many of the 7 knew where Monaghan was. On further inspection and after a few more whiskeys it became apparent they all served some time in the North. Interesting conversations were had. I don't think Steve (the guys claim to fame was that his boot prints are probably still in Martin McGuinness back after they arrested him in the bogside in the 70's and as he put it a bit of a kicking on the way the barracks was the norm) really caught the irony when the Iriver shuffle mode managed to start playing the Wolfe Tones I was dearly hoping for "going home British Soldiers going home" to come on so as we could all sing along !! They left shortly after "A nation once again" ! Although not before I mentioned the 18 and Mountbatten! Nice lads though all the same.

Rob a Canadian journalist whom I sometimes end up having a few too many scoops with is an interesting character. Not sure what went down on the first of our sessions but he seemed to think I was considering selling some of the IRA stockpile of weapons to Guinean rebels. The next time he thought I was interested in purchasing a stack of diamonds think we are straight now though and that I am visiting my Girlfriend (whose rank rose to Fiance last week after a proposal on the beach where the Bounty ad was filmed!). Also met up with Garreth the Geordie carpenter who decided to go into the diamond mining business he now has a local wife, a white kid, 2 acres of mud and feck all money! Although that may be because of his alcohol habits.

Speaking of mines we decided to try for one of the big mining companies. Having seen the mud swingers at the sides of the rivers we wanted to catch a glimpse of a professional operation! Koidu Holdings as they are called actually are the biggest diamond exporter here. After 2 days of trying and 30 minutes of interrorgation by our South African hosts, we got the full guided 2-hour tour of the only vertical shaft mine in the world ever. Apparently. Fantastic to see an 80m deep shaft blasted into the earth. Very decent organisation as well resettling the villagers that had their houses damaged with shrapnel when blasting. Illegal settlers as the hired Israel army hands told us! Well at least they are adhering to Sierra Leone legislation on mining which ain't that difficult seeing as there is none!

It was a nice mud hut village stuck way in the middle of the Jungle 15km off the so called road to be precise and pretty close to the Liberian border. GOAL were proposing to construct a well for the village as their water supply was from the local swamp, and I tagged along for the visit. Very nice people and having rarely seen a whitey we were centre of attention - especially when we produced our 2-man tent for sleeping in that night. The night was spent dancing and listening to drums, although there was the possibility of a little excursion. A local wanted to bring me hunting for snakes at night which did sound interesting. Boa Constrictor was mentioned it was a tempting proposition but saying as we were 15km off the road, which was a 2 hour drive to the nearest hospital in which there was one doctor who worked office hours whom you had to collect and hand over cash to get him to work - I thought I didn't really fancy having to try that route in the dark with a snake bite, so I declined. It turns out the village was a HQ for the rebels during the war as well!

The Albino Negro is a curious sight and I would imagine not a great condition to have in Africa for obvious reasons. But it is surprising how many of them there actually are. Apparently it's caused by conceiving during the monthly bleddin thing which if my memory serves correctly you can't conceive in. Well Africans aren't the most logical of people. GOAL were conducting literacy classes for its drivers and cleaners whom are mainly illiterate (in fact only 13% of woman are literate in this neck of the woods). The guy organising it put up notices all round the office saying when the course started, and was surprised when only 3 people turned up. Someone a very pissed off Catherine - eventually pointed out the irony that people couldn't read the notices!

Anyways off to Ghana tomorrow but my stomach has turned. Ended up travelling alongside the slums today in a taxi and well couldn't sum it up in words. Haven't seen slums like these before. No idea how people manage to survive living in such squalor. Here's a link to some pics from BBC that might sum it up a little

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/africa_sierra_leone_slum/html/1.stm

Until Timbuktu,

The Paw

MISSING MOST: A nice cool creamy pint of Guinness - Although they do have a brewery right here in Sierra Leone. I was taken back the first time I seen a bottle of the stuff and got excited until I read the label made in Sierra Leone and the best bit - 7.5% alcohol packs a punch and doesn't taste 2 bad either.

FANTASTIC PLANNING : At 25km from the city center the options to get to Lungi airprt are numerous - Vehicle (obviously) except it takes 6 hours in a 4x4 - Slowest Ferry ever 2 quid first class, 2 Taxis and bout 10 quid - Hovercraft 15 mins at 50 USD - Helicopter 50 USD and 7 mins (although they sometimes tend to blow up in mid air) - Its located across the river with the nearest bridge about 100km away.