Day 4: Sierra Leone, a country where reminders of war still exist  – Generation Justice

Less to report for today. The first half of the day was taken up by our journey back to Freetown from Mayagba, after a warm goodbye and shared anticipations for a return. Lunch was fresh bread and bananas bought along the roadside, and I was also able to buy a Waka Waka Baby CD!  It looks to be an interesting mix of Sierra Leonean and American R&B.

We were able to get in some good people-watching again; and this time, as it was a school day, the sidewalks were crowded with children, who were dressed in uniforms of all different colors and designs, walking in packs with their classmates. Although there are many signs of growth and development throughout the city, there are also many reminders of the war, including several amputees we saw walking, on crutches, and in wheelchairs, along the roads we traveled.

We returned to our original hotel, the Hill Valley, and checked into our new room, which (drum roll)… actually has a shower!!!  Not to mention a fan and an air conditioner, so my mother and I are feeling very much in the lap of luxury. Here we had to say goodbye to our friend MKK who had accompanied us back to town, as he had to go back to Mayagba.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. We found out that Sierra Leone and South Africa tied their match on Sunday, Oct. 10, which apparently was a bit of a disappointment. The power went on and off several times, and my mother and I were tempted to take one of the hotel’s pens, which cleverly (and temptingly) read “Stolen from the Hill Valley Hotel.”  For dinner, we had wonderful hummus, pita, and Greek salad. The Greek food here is very good, thanks to the sizable Lebanese population in Sierra Leone. As of today, our trip is over half-way over.

by: Kyra Ellis-Moore