The Pilot 1.5

Day 0.5: Arriving at Lungi International Airport with me was a mixture of excitement and nerves…unsure of what the airport would be like; unsure of where I would find my colleague, Lexi; unsure of who was actually picking me up; unsure of the uncertainties. What I wasn’t expecting was after walking from the plane to the quaint airport entrance, to be greeted by security asking if I was Julie White. Shocked, relieved and still “unsure” I slowly said “yes” and was quickly shuffled to the front of the passport checkpoint and then through the other two stops to check my yellow fever card and my passport again. All of which were the most informal customs experiences I have ever had. The security man was Paul, but I quickly thought of him as Saint Paul. He told me that he will connect me with Lexi and that our ride from Njala was here. The one and only luggage delivery belt was slow to deliver my bags and during my wait I was asked 3 times if I was Jennifer, once how much money I have in Euros, and countless times if I needed assistance…all which I declined. Paul brought Lexi to me and it was good to see a familiar face. Lexi arrived nearly 12 hours before me and relied on faith to accept Saint Paul’s offer to rest in a guest house. After retrieving my bags we were again quickly shuffled out to the vehicle. Taking a leap of faith, I let Paul help us exchange our money on the black “m” for a good exchange rate and I left money with him to put credit on my new African phone…15 minutes later the credit came through.

Lexi and I found ourselves in the back of a rundown vehicle on the roughest road I have ever seen. It was if I jumped into a National Geographic…HUGE holes created from erosion and left-over pavement; small mud-brick homes roofed with leaves; goats, sheep and chickens roaming free; women cooking outside; laundry hanging on lines; women and children carrying goods on their heads; trucks, cars and vans piled high with goods and driving too fast; and palm trees and lush green vegetation everywhere but the dirt road. This was the case for the first half of our 4.5 hour drive to Njala Campus. The second half was good paved roads and pouring rain. Alas, we made it to our temporary room at a guest house where we had electricity for about an hour before the generators kicked off. And…this is Africa.

Day 1: After some rest we explored our surroundings. The room was adequately furnished with a bed, desk and plastic drum of river water. (1 or 2 star in America, but maybe 4 star in Sierra Leone) No air conditioning in a tropical climate means covering yourself with deet and leaving the windows open to catch that rare breeze of relief from the heat. I was thankful for the western-style toilet, but we quickly learned that the empty tank needed to be filled using a pitcher and water from the drum each time we wished to flush. This water is also used for bathing. As you may guess…No. Running. Water. Electricity is scarce and is only available when the generators run from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Dr. Kandeh, professor in agricultural economics and extension education, and the main coordinator of my trip, picked us up. After chatting a few logistics, we met some people who Lexi will be working with for water conservation and management. This is when we were introduced to L.L.B (Lawrence L. Bayon), someone who will be our contact for help since Dr. Kandeh works in Bo, an hour away. After meeting too many people to remember all the names, we were treated to our first African meal—chicken and chips topped with mayo and ketchup. This sounds typical, yes, but the African twist cannot be fully described. Dr. Kandeh left and we were left in the hands of L.L.B who gave us a little tour of campus. Njala Campus deserves a blog of its own… We did get to meet L.L.B’s family and everyone we walked by very kindly smiled and each person we met greeted us with warmth. I’ve never felt so welcomed.

Lexi and I went to one of the few restaurants on campus, The Arc, for dinner and soon learned that good food is scarce after 2 p.m., so we settled for mystery meat pie and a delicious loaf of sweet bread…still warm! Cost: Le2,500 or around 60 cents. Following dinner we sat in the outdoor patio of the little pub near the guest house sipping on the local Star beer and talking with Yusef a man we met on the road. The generator shut off early at around 8 p.m., but we continued learning about Njala and talking Amercian/Sierra Leonean differences. I went to sleep that night proud to have made it through my first 1.5 days in Sierra Leone.

One of the unfinished huts at the Arc. Lexi and I prefer to eat outside.

Joyful Journeys!

Julie