Thirteen of us piled into a poda-poda yesterday to go exploring .. headed off to the Tacaguma Chimpanzee Reserve in Sierra Leone. The poda-poda (such a fun word to say) is the local taxi, like a minivan, or one of the taxis in South Africa. Lots of fun because it's definitely a bumpy ride, no shock absorbers remaining after being on Freetown roads for way too long, and then our driver was obviously a 50 Cent fan, 'cause it was the only music that would kick in from time to time when the short in the speakers would spark in :-)
Loudly. And the four 50 Cent pictures on the dashboard. So we were all bouncing along merrily to the beat of the music, making me feel like I was back in St. Elmo, where the neighbors are always so happy to share the base-line of their music :-)
Oh, and Granny, 50 Cent is a rap artist :-) Let's see if i can get this to load, it was way fun....
The chimp reserve was really lovely, you had to watch yourself around the enclosures because apparently the bored monkeys love hurling rocks at the strangers who come to gawp at them... and apparently have a mean arm and great shot! So cute to watch them interact and bounce all over.
Then we took a lovely hike to Charlotte Falls - a massive cascade in full splendour due to it being the rainy season... so we were all merrily drenched by the time we walked up there and back... happy to have exercise, for sure! We had to pay the tour guide (some dude who had parked himself there to walk us up the 500m trail) 5000 leones, which equivalates to about a $1.50, or I would have probably been ticked and told him quite properly that i am able to find it just fine by myself, thank you very much. Ah well, no point in getting your panties in a wad around here when they're gonna sheist you out of money. That, and it's probably the only money he's gonna make.
Our poda-poda drove in circles in Freetown trying to get back to the docks, finally wedging himself halfway up a one-way street, with oncoming trucks and half of Freetown deciding he'd done a smart thing bringing up a strong rear. Whereupon three of us piled out, elbowed our way through the crowds and beating the poda-poda riders back by about an hour! My poor roommate dragged herself into our cabin after I'd showered and was enjoying a nice cup of tea.
It was such fun!!!
1 comment:
H I L A R I O U S video! What a hoot! The part about the bored chimps reminds me of a place I've been told about in Ecuador. You better not take any valuables there or leave them while you take a dip in the nearby river. They'll have confiscated your things happily and you are left high and dry! What an exciting experience you're having. I laughed out loud reading. Thanks for the injection of Sierra Leone/Lycia joy today! ;) I love you, Friend.
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