May 21

The date has been set....May 21 I leave for Freetown, Sierra Leone, AFRICA. There were a few confusions along the way. I wanted to stay in US over the Memorial Holiday weekend, but Post needs me ASAP, so I will leave more than a week ahead of schedule. Welcome to the government. I'm still waiting for my visa, my car, my airline tickets.

When I went to make my airline reservations, I found out a few startling facts about third world countries. Regular air service does not operate every day or out of every city or by every carrier. Only United flies to Freetown and they only fly out of London or Brussels. It's going to take me 4 days to get to Freetown! Are you ready for this:
Wed. May 21 leave DC
Thurs May 22 arrive London
Stay overnight in London because the next flight out is on Friday
Fri May 23 leave London
Fri May 23 arrive Lungi airport
Stay overnight in Lungi airport hotel because the only ferry to Freetown has already left!
Sat May 24 arrive in Freetown.
Sun & Mon lay by the pool and relax!!!

I got the last of my immunizations. Today it was Meningitis and Typhoid. Yes, both my arms hurt and yes, that's about 7 shots total. I think I should be good for the next several years. Oh yea, except for rabies. Rabies is in short supply so I have to get that at Post when they get a shipment in.

I did a short presentation on Tuesday on Sierra Leone. I'll try and attach it to this email. Ooops. Apparently this BLOG does not support attachments. If anyone wants me to email it to them, just email me or leave a comment here with your email address and I will send it to you. Here are a few more facts about Sierra Leone that I shared in the PP presentation:

•First explored in 1462 (thirty years before Columbus!)
•Land Area comparable to half the size of Illinois
•“Sierra Leone” is Portuguese for Lion Mountains.
•Population is 5.9 Million (Freetown is 1,070,200)
•Settled by the United Kingdom (they speak English!)
*250 Miles of coast
*$1.00 equals 2901 Leones (so $8.00 cream cheese costs 23,600 Leones!)
*Lowest country on the Human Development Scale
*7th Lowest country on Human Poverty Scale
*Rainy season May - Dec
*Dry season Dec - May
*Average temps 80's
*Current Ambassador: June Carter Perry

So...time for bed for me. Hope you have a good night in your corner of the world,

Becky Boo