My First Step Into the African Continent

by James Steamer (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Sierra Leone

After an overnight flight from Philadelphia to London where, due to mechanical issues causing me to acquire a daylong tour of London, I arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone to a spectacular sunset. What a special feeling to place my first foot on African soil! My first experience was needing to use a toilet which had numerous previous poops and pees that had been there for days with no water for flushing. Moments later I received my first view of typical shanty style shops and homes with rocks holding down the corrugated steel roofs as I had seen as a child while reading National Geographics. The culture shock was quite dramatic along with hearing that natives here typically live on just a couple of dollars a day along with taking note that there are thousands of leones to one dollar. After taking the ancient ferry to Freetown and staying in a surprisingly modern hotel came the noteworthiness of seeing shiny new high end German cars driving along the unpaved roads with natives who appeared to be only a meal away from starvation. I asked myself, Where is the middle class? I was soon taken by my guide into Freetown where we walked around for a couple of hours while the culture shock slowly diminished and amusement and sadness settled in. I most certainly enjoyed the warmth of the people who mostly seemed happy despite conditions far below the poorest Americans. Though I always knew money does not buy happiness, actually observing this was the ideal experience. After the tear breaking observation of Kroo Bay with children walking barefoot in sewage I fully enjoyed a craft market of wonderfully produced clothing and art. Later on I was taken by motorcycle, the first time in 50 years on one, along the coast to Beach Number 2 where I enjoyed ocean swimming, a great lunch and met a group of local children. The kids were naturally curious to meet a white foreigner and spoke enough English to have an exchange with me. As we were walking along the beach suddenly a security guard began shouting at me for no reason I could discern. Little did I know that this was a “white beach” and the black children following me were not permitted there! Then the next day came more of a real adventure. We biked to Kent where we boarded a tiny leaky old wood boat with a motor in which we were told to all sit in the center for the ride to Banana Island which is about 8 miles away. A large man shifted his weight and the boat instantly came within 90% of capsizing in large ocean swells – a very scary moment though I think I could have swam the over 5 miles back but did not need to find out! Banana Island was a beautiful place loaded with wildlife, tropical forests, spectacular butterflies and flowers as well as sweet natives. I was most relieved to complete the same boat ride back while still not understanding why they make their boats with round, tippy bottoms. Next I toured the old slavery fort at Bunce Island, getting there in a modern fiberglass boat. Contemplating the natives being forced into this place to ready them for the grueling several weeks of rowing across the Atlantic with rotating 12 hour shifts and minimal food and water was another tear jerking experience. Then it was off to Bo, away from the coast. How amusing it was to see people literally carrying miniature shops on their heads loaded with snacks, soap, and cosmetics while selling items to bus riders through the windows. The young woman in the seat next to me began making moves on me despite being under half my age which was a surprise yet surely if such poor people could marry an American that would be a dream for them. Pointing at my ring put a quick stop to that! In Bo I visited an elementary school where I shared a pack of printed photos with the children. They were thrilled to say the least so now I have done this in numerous countries.