First night... not for the faint hearted!


Advertisement
Sierra Leone's flag
Africa » Sierra Leone
February 8th 2013
Published: February 8th 2013
Edit Blog Post

As first days go, gotta say, that was pretty different.



I think the more people tell me how brave they think I am for dropping everything to come out on my own, the more it becomes real and scary. I still feel in a daze about it all and I'm writing this after just 6 hours sleep in 2 days. I am feeling pretty alone. Probably because I am. But the enormity of what I'm doing has just hit me I think.



It's all a very surreal experience.



Everyone I've met so far have been lovely. I feel awful I can't remember anyones names though! I think I'll play the exhausted card for a few days on that one until I can stop writing them down on my arm.



So right now, I am laying on my double bed with my single mosquito net, which isn't doing very much to be honest. (Iggle is keeping watch ready to kill any that try to eat me!) I'm writing it on my first night bt prob wont upload it for several days! Sorry for the delay!



The heat is overwhelming here. There is no escape or let up from it, its humid and relentless whilst also being delicious yet icky. You get that feeling of never really being clean because as soon as you wash, you're at a constant level of perspiration!



Where I'm staying is pretty alright, better than expected. I'm sharing my room with another bed... dont know if thats always going to be empty, and about 10 tiny ants that like to run around in circles and not get anywhere (I was fascinated this afternoon!) I wonder what David Attenborough would think of it...!?



I've not been shown around anything yet as I arrived later than expected and was exhausted. After an hours power nap, I have my first malady, a swollen eye! Can't explain it, I didn't do it, but presuming its the tiredness, hoping it'll be much smaller tomorrow!



Its amazing how small things you never really notice at home make you feel at home here. For me today it was Moneygram signs everywhere.. Don't know why, they are annoying at home!



I met a couple of volunteers staying in our house, they got married a month ago and are out here volunteering as their honeymoon which is pretty special. Our house is in a sort of compound, we have light for a couple of hours a night via generator and a little gas kitchen to cook with. No gas at the moment though so can't heat any water to make any of the sachets I brought with me! My brilliant plan was not so brilliant. A packet of breakfast biscuits and a lollipop for dinner for me tonight!



Hopefully tomorrow will make for a more interesting blog post and a more positive day in general!



After hijacking a Welsh company's wifi earlier, I got to speak to Grandad and Grandma on Skype. Made me day, thanks guys.



Night night xxx





P.S. Note added this morning - things always look brighter in the mornings!! I am sharing my room with a rat the size of my foot and have decided to call him Billy. Hopefully he'll let me sleep a bit more tonight! :-D

Advertisement



9th February 2013

Ahhh Billy the Rat!
Glad you arrived safe and sound if a bit knackered! Lovin' Billy the rat, you'll have to feed him, give him a bath and a collar, take him for walks and pretend he's the puppy you've wanted for so long ;-) Stay safe and keep us updated with the excitement. xxxxx P.S. Ants going in a circle is very sad. They have lost the pheramone trail back to their nest and can now only sense the circle they've just made and so will keep following that trail until they die. (Perhaps I watch too many nature programmes!). xx

Tot: 0.108s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 11; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0529s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb