Day 1 Hill Station Club and beyond ..

I had read that hill station club had been ravaged by the war - so I was prepared for changes - so in anticipation we drove up via lumley up through Congo cross - a small visit to see the brother if of my good ( now Gambian resident) friend manu shallop ... Tony has been out here most of the time ... And his supermarket business is a base next to his home ... So call in - say hello - arrange a beer - and pick up some supplies - but the main attraction Hill Station Club. I recognised it instantly ... But only a shadow of it's former glory now remains ...

The once proud ornate pillars that acted as a walk through to the main building only partially remain - and what was a walk through corridor of fine columns and a covered roof - now are only half covered by some corrugated iron ... The place itself was decimated ...

The two full size snooker tables were now consigned to the annuals of time ... And the room itself had been ritually tortured in a symbolic attempt to show the new found rule does not accept the old ways... It was hard to swallow ...

Out on the balcony I told the now young caretakers of the building of Its days of glory - when Hill Station Club was the place - and of times of adult play ... Specifically a game that was mutually beneficial - a race set with lines of fizzy bottle drinks and kids - set up by a group of drunk giddy adults ... Now wanting a break from their night club entertainment. The joke was clear - five kids racing to drink five bottles of fizzy coke or such with the sugar rush - and then the throwing up that occurs when you mix these 2 elements.

But that was then... Some photos as this was where my mother and father met - it was the regular spot at least once a month for an adult booze up and an important part of my youth memories... So on the way down there is a big sign saying Hill Station - nice but risky as it backs into the presidents residence..

But it's a risk I took - and was promptly arrested by the armed military guard outside the palace... All my experience of Africa - my ability to understand Krio and speak it some what - saved me in the end .. Armed military police are not renowned for their sense of humour. I had ignored them as they shouted at me from their post outside the presidents palace, and they clearly had thought of me as being a white ex-pat who was ignoring the black guy ... well actually nearly right, as I was ignoring them to prove a point rather than a colour thing. The sign in my opinion was not close enough to the palace to be of any threat to them.. it like being arrested for taking photos of Pall Mall because its close to the queens residence ..

In the end, as I was using someone else's car and driver - I thought it best to turn around and walk towards them. the key point they wanted to make is that I could have been taking photos to give secrets to their enemies .... I was quick to point out that the only enemies they have encountered recently were their own people ... That went down well then !!!

In the end - a mixture of discussion, arrogance, and understanding was used to sort out the problem..... combined with the fact that when he started to spout off in Krio about the "white guy" thinking he can do what ever he feels like in his country ... I reminded him that I was not white, and this was my country not just his !!!

Note of caution - Not for the standard tourist I must add - as the wrong mix of humour, and aggressive retorts would have seen me handled in a very different way.. after all there were 4 machines guns in the small holding area I was taken to .... The stuff of international incidents ....

So back down to the supermarket for some supplies ...

Back towards the hotel - a visit to Montanan "palace" !! A beach bar on lumley beach a little more "up market" ... Sit with a few beers to watch the sun go down ... Then back towards the hotel for an evening of chill down and a look into the strange turtle pond in the middle of the hotel .... With the newly named big Fred the turtle in the pond ....

Day 1 comes to an end ... A hot interesting start to my visit back to Freetown...

Bearguitarists always do things a little differently !!!!

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