Day 3 Monday - another day at the office (cemetery)

Outside the hotel is an old army guy now driving taxi around Freetown ... The only problem with those two terms is - traffic pretty much can stand still in and around Freetown as they are working in every major road in the country at once ??? Not sure what that's about -
well actually I am sure what that's about .. its election time next June..

you don't actually drive in Freetown - you sort of push your way in and out of traffic as you get the chance to.. But he still is a nice chap and we pass the morning with some chat ... Some discussion about the old Freetown - and of course the fact that since the war it's been a place of resettlement. All this goes on as a man sitting at the gate next to me plays with a live lobster ( ??) and the small bush deer wander around - and we are waiting for the driver .. If you thought you lived in a surreal world - then think again !!

Today traffic is bad - he is late - and we sit having a drink in one of the two restaurant bars outside the hotel entrance ..

We decided that today is best to focus on one thing ... It's not the most glamourous of things - Its a visit to the cemetery.

It is said that the Abouds in Africa lived on tip of each other. Once dead - we are all buried in the way we lived. All compressed into one plot of racecourse cemetery are various generations of my family - uncles - aunts - cousins - an elder brother who died aged 9 months old - and great grand parents... All together in the one area. Of course this area had to be cleared of overgrown bush and trees ... High grass and bush as high as a person .. hiding snakes and just about everything you are warned about when walking through jungle bush lands. Now clear and the grave stones of many generations of the family visible - I paid my respects.


I am not sure if it was the heat, something she ate, or any combination of this, but Sandra was throwing up like a puppy at the cemetery. Luckily she had the sense to move away from the family plot when doing this... but I am sure whoever's grave she was throwing up over may not have appreciated it !!! I made a call not to photo that moment - wise choice !!! Check - that item off the list ...

Anyway - time to move on, and to show a truly adventurous spirit, we went on to Kissey street, to find  no. 1 Kissey Street- where the old shop used to be.

Going down old narrow colonial streets - hundreds of compressed people and sellers selling their wears on the street itself .. Makes the term crawl seem like a high speed chase ... It took some 2 hours to go less than mile in the end ... And due to a broken down lorry on route to the cemetery it had already taken us some 2 hours to go about the same distance ....

Anyway the shop on the corner of kissey street is now a bank .... There you go .... It's slow progress to discover things here in Freetown ... even the m25 moves quicker than this during rush hour !!!! Check check ...

This now done ... We stopped for a while at my cousins shop ... then back home via a bank or two to try to get the ATM to work ( a whole blog in it's own right so don't ask!!) ... Finished off the take-away from Sunday night then an early night .... As the humidity - heat - and sat in cars for endless hours had taken it's toll ... Clearly seen when my trusted meerkat companion threw her guts up at the cemetery !!!

It's hot here - humidity in Freetown is as high as any tropical forest - and bears can't just remove their coats ... Well - unless they are bareguitarists of course !!!



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