• Ron's Odyssey
  • Ron's Odyssey

Sierra Leone 2024

Country no 14 of my African Odyssey Okumaya devam et
  • Makeni market

    12 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    I asked my tour guide Sahid to follow me to the market to buy some souvenirs at Makeni market. The first port of call was a cobbler to fix my sneakers, which had come apart after getting submerged during my visit to Tacugama Chimpazee Sanctuary some days over the weekend.

    Finding ready-made African print shirts was a big challenge. We walked through the market and down some of the streets radiating away from the clock tower. Visited some taylors who had very few samples to sell and were more interested in making on the spot for me.

    Eventually, we found a store that sold tshirts and shirts with African prints on them, but sadly, there were no dresses for women.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Hanging out with Ibrahim

    12 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Anetor linked me up with his friend Ibrahim. Apparently, they had attended business school together in the US. Ibrahim was in Makeni, Sierra Leone, to fight for his father's property and has built some game courts on the land while the property is still undergoing legal proceedings in court.

    We had a lovely time gisting, and he got me dinner and escorted me back to the hotel
    Okumaya devam et

  • Journey back to Freetown

    13 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Left the hotel shortly after 6am for the trip back to Freetown. Apparently the abig bus I came with doesn't start off from Makeni but Kono and stops to pick up passengers if there is space in Makeni so I took a 7 seater Sienna like suv which they loaded in a 2-4-4 format excluding the driver. I sat in the back seat and paid for 2 seats for comfort, as a result of which I wasn't charged for my luggage.Okumaya devam et

  • Stop, come down & walk checkpoint

    13 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    We got to a major police checkpoint where everyone in the vehicle had to disembark and walk across the police barriers and record after.

    Prior to this, we had come across a community that mounted barriers and a rope across the road and requested money from vehicles before they could pass. Discussions by passengers in the vehicle suggest that these community is notorious for robbing travellers and accident victims, some of which they cause.Okumaya devam et

  • Estuary Resort

    13 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    A taxi we had contacted picked us up at Roy's restaurant for the 1-hour drive to Estuary Resort. Along the way, we stopped over at a supermarket to buy drinks, water, biscuits, etc.

    It was raining heavily during the drive, and the taxi driver drove slowly and carefully. The resort is located in an isolated location off the Pennisula highway. The road leading g off the highway was very rough and not graded, so it took another 10 to 15 minutes to arrive at the gate of the resort.

    Check-in was smooth. I had booked for a single room, but the nice manager who incidentally is the wife of the owner upgraded us to a family room which comprises of a sitting room and 2 ensuit bedrooms.

    While going to our apartment we came across some Gen Z girls taking pictures. I joined in their picture and took a shot.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Estuary Resort - Day 2

    14 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    It rained all night and continued when we woke up and went for breakfast. We had planned to take a boat across the river to John Obey beach, but because of the rains, that wasn't possible.

    After break we decided to relax on one of the chalets balcony and play a game of scrabble.while.enjoying the breeze and light rain. It was a Sirrea Leone vs. Nigeria scrabble tournament, and I am happy to say that Nigeria didn't fall hand. As we say, we no dey carry last.

    Had early dinner of Sierrea Leonean jollof rice, which was very tasty and different from the Nigerian version. I enjoyed it.

    Watched the euro finals between England and Spain at the restaurant but later on went back to the room when it became too windy. Spain won the match 2 to 1
    Okumaya devam et

  • Leaving Estuary Resort

    16 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Departed Estuary Resort after 10am. I had arranged for the driver who took me to the resort to come pick me today. Drive from the resort to freetown was approximately 1 hour.

    It drizzled on our way back to town. Made a quick stopover along the beach to buy a Salonian material for Mama. Sadly I couldn't find a Sierrea Leone fridge magnet.Okumaya devam et

  • Seacoach Express to Lungi

    16 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Arrived Seacoach at about 11:30am. Boat ticket was SLL 1,080 or USD 45. I decided to pay with my bank card as I had barely 2,000+ SLL left and still had a day to spend at Lungi.

    My Salonian friend joined me at the seacoach terminal to keep me company till I departed. The departure time was changed from 1:30pm to 2:00pm due to bad weather.

    We boarded the boat while it was raining
    Okumaya devam et

  • Choppy sea ride to lungi

    16 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    The sea was very choppy with rough waves as we left Freetown port. Surprisingly, the boat ride was a lot smoother than the one which brought me to Freetown when I arrived Salone. The boat was bigger and had more passengers. The ride took 45mins to arrive at Lungi.

    On arrival at Seacoach Lungi terminal, I couldn't locate my suitcase. On further enquiry, I was told it had been sent ahead to the airport. My plan of going straight to the Lia Hotel from the boat terminal was dashed as I had to join the seacoach bus to the airport after complaining to the terminal manager who assured me that I will be taken to my hotel.

    On arrival at the airport, I was able to locate my suitcase quickly and got the baggage handler supervisor to get me transported to the hotel
    Okumaya devam et

  • Lia Hotel

    16 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    The seacoach bus dropped me off at Lia Hotel. Google Maps had shown the hotel as being at the end of the close, but the hotel was actually located in the middle.

    Check-in was smooth, easy, and fast as I had already paid on Hotels.com prior to travelling to Sierra Leone.

    The hotel is very nice, modern and standard.

    I had the now traditional fried rice lunch and later chicken and chips for dinner before retiring to the room to set my alarm for 3am and repack my suitcase.

    A South African friend currently working in freetown called, and we talked for an hour 20 minutes.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Off to the Airport

    17 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    My alarm woke me up at 3 am. I had barely slept for 4 hours. A quick shower and finally rearrangement of my suitcase before checking out at 4:05am.

    I reminded the receptionist that I had booked for an airport drop off the previous day, so he called the driver who appeared with the hotel's bus 10 minutes later.

    The ride to the airport was short, uneventful, and quick. We were the only ones on the road this morning and arrived at the airport around 4:20am.

    Airport security at the airport entrance requested for my passport and ticket. He later asked about my experience in Sierrea Leone, and we got talking about the similarities between both nations, quite a pleasant man.

    The ASKY airline counter wasn't open yet, so I used the opportunity to wrap my suitcase.

    Checkin by ASKY Airline started at 6 am, which was quite late for an 8am flight. There weren't many passengers.

    After checking in at the airline counter, I proceeded up the stairs towards the security scan, where I was asked for a Securipass receipt. Apparently, it is some form of payment of $25 every exiting passenger needs to pay. I was directed to a bank counter downstairs at the checkin hall to make payment. Since I had so much Leones to dispose, I requested payment in SLL, which was 575 SLL.

    The immigration officer who stamped me out was very friendly when he discovered I was a Nigerian and asked for something. I told him I didn't have any Leone or Dollar left, and he said how about Naira so I gave him NGN 1,000 which he thought was a lot of money 😁
    Okumaya devam et

  • Bye Bye Salone

    17 Temmuz 2024, Sierra Leone ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    It was 2 weeks of exploration, discovery , assimilation, and fun in Sierra Leone. During this period, I travelled like a local to the Northern province. Made new friends and spent quality time at a beach resort eventhough the rains impacted some of my planned activities I still had fun. Thank you, Mama Salone, for a lovely visitOkumaya devam et

  • Transfer at Lome Togo

    17 Temmuz 2024, Gitmek ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Arrive Lome shortly before 12 noon. It was a short 28-minute flight, according to the pilot.

    The transfer queue for connecting passengers was very long, and I spent quite some time going through it. Once through, I headed off to the boarding gate of my next flight connecting to lagos. Along the way, I came across a restaurant and decided to have a quick lunch since the boarding pass stated 1pm as boarding time. It was 15 minutes to the time when I ordered my food, which arrived 10 minutes before 1 pm. I dived in quickly and was through by 1pm. Stopped over to buy a fridge magnet before going down to my boarding gate. Boarding commenced 1:08pm

    Took off from Lome Togo at 2:25pm
    Okumaya devam et

  • Back to Naija

    17 Temmuz 2024, Nijerya ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    The plane landed in Nigeria at 4pm. Immigration process was much better than last time. Only 2 officers involved in the chain. First officer probably checked for the exit stamp while the 2nd one stamped me into the country.

    My suitcase came out within 3 minutes with the first batch of bags and I strolled out of the terminal building without any custom officer asking me to open my suitcase for inspection also no one asked for a tip.

    I got a taxi at half the price quoted by most to take me to the hotel
    Okumaya devam et

  • Final leg to Port Harcourt

    18 Temmuz 2024, Nijerya ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    My flight to Port Harcourt was rescheduled from 7:30am to 11:30am through an email.

    I woke up at 7:15 a.m., which was when my alarm went off and got ready to go to the airport. My stomach was running a bit, so I took 1 capsule of Immodium.

    The drive to the airport was quick (15 mins), very little traffic on the road. Checkin was fast, I had 2kg excess luggage to pay for. Had hot chocolate and doughnuts at Kruspy Kreme at the departure lounge
    Okumaya devam et

  • Gezinin sonu
    18 Temmuz 2024