Hair day

Before:

During:

After (a bit Pippi Longstocking!):

And, finally, real Salone style!! (Not by me - I haven't mastered the art)

“I’m going to build an igloo in the sand”

Spent a blissful day at Lakka beach, just outside the city, on our second Sunday here. Gorgeous food, just as I remembered it from when I came here first 8 years ago. Same faces of restaurant owner, staff and beach sellers – again that familiar feeling. So many happy memories here and now more being created!

On the way there, v excited!

 

The man who builds igloos in the sand!

Uncle Paul, restaurant owner, arriving with latest catch.

"Where are the people?"

Photo of the first meeting with Hasanatu, their big sister. They ask for her every day and adore her.

Also spending lots of time with uncles, friends and meeting people I used to know from when I lived here.

Had great fun on a playdate at an Irish friends' house where her daugther, and the kids who live upstairs, have their very own playground!

“Look at the chickens Mama!”

Ilanay is obsessed by chickens. Don’t think she ever saw a live chicken before we got here and there’s lots everywhere. Colourful ones strutting around compounds where we go to visit friends, baby ones racing to keep up and Ilanay running after them all with gleeful shrieks.

We’ve a lot of visiting and being visited to do! It’s helping us all to settle though. Quite emotional when I returned to visit neighbours at the first house I stayed in when I came to Sierra Leone in 2008. The area is all changed now with lots of new buildings having taken over the square common space that existed before. Kids had lovely time being centre of attention and Ilanay shone with chattiness! The girls that were barely teenagers when I first came are now all grown up and finished school. The small little ones that I adored so much are now all so much bigger and almost unrecognisable. Feel’s lovely to come back to somewhere that you’re remembered.

 

“There’s a stone in my bread Mama!”

There wasn’t a stone in Daniel’s bread. The first morning after our late night, sweaty, overwhelming arrival, we went to Basha Bakery for breakfast. This is a spot that I frequented every other day back in ‘08/’09 as we lived just around the corner. The best roast chicken and chips in Freetown, the rotisserie turning outside from early morning.

Daniel looked up from his omelette and said "there's a stone in my bread Mama!". When I examined the "stone" it turned out to be his first tooth! My lovely gap filled, smiling boy was very proud and happy.

"Stickers in the bed"

How did I ever forget how hot it is in Sierra Leone, especially when you arrive in the height of dry season coming from Ireland in winter!!

The temp in this photo isn't really accurate as it read 35 a few mins later, but it gives an idea of how it feels sometimes.

The kids' bedroom is the only room in the house with AC. When Daniel asks why I sleep in same bed as them in Sierra Leone, if it’s because I love them so much, it’s mostly true. I also love the AC! When the AC went off one night (only runs when the main electricity supply is working and not the generator) Daniel pipes up from the darkness: “we’re like stickers in the bed Mama!”

They do love their stickers!!

"I think we're gonna stay home"

So we arrived. Flights went really well - Daniel & Ilanay sang on the plane ("Are we ready to go" song that goes on forever and ends with "I think we're gonna stay home!), played games and watched cartoons and were just so good.

We managed to retrieve all 8 cases, and, along with 4 pieces of hand luggage, the 4 of us got on the boat to cross to Freetown. Daniel is a bad traveller at the best of times, so I knew the crossing would probably involve some vomiting. And so it did. Unexpectedly Ilanay got sick too. So all of us reached Freetown at around 10pm a little the worst for wear.

Managed to get to the house and found
lovely cool bedroom with AC on and got
the kids and myself showered to go to

bed. Didn't realise as I closed the

bathroom door that it was missing a

handle. 10 mins of hollering got Hassan's

attention and he got us out by swift kick

to door and remaining lock broke. 

Exhausted, I slept with the kids
in the king size bed, till morning.

This is the start of our 180 days in Salone.