Happy November! And 2 week anniversary on Tiwai Island! I haven't gone crazy so that is a good sign. Although..I am dying to check my email and I haven't spoken to another female in 14 days. I take that back - haven't spoken freely (village women, of which there have been 2 short convos, don't count). Could also use a pizza.
Mr. M. went to Bo to get supplies for me. Sort of wishing (I had gone along. Trying to stay here until the 10th though, for after we put out all the cameras. That starts on Monday. It is going to be an exhausting week.
Friday is a party thrown by the "youths." I got an invitation that also had a note asking for more paper so they could write more invitations. Also on the invite was my entrance fee - 50,000Le (about $16). Pretty steep, especially by SL standards. I've tried not to be offended by it, looking at other's invitations who are 1/10th of the price. There will be traditional dancing and food, so I guess I should suck up my pride. It goes to a good cause, and I've paid more than that on one meal many times. Man am I cheap! Mostly just afraid the money is going to run out.
Oh, I think I hear the boat, meaning Minah has arrived (over an hour late) to take me on a forest walk. That was a good walk! 3 hours, about 5km. Lots of swamps! Minah almost stepped on a cobra, we had a great viewing of Diana and black and white monkeys jumping from tree to tree. Also saw knuckle prints and feeding spots of the chimpanzee. Also heard sooty mangabeys calling. Plus 2 or 3 pygmy hippo footprints. All in all a very satisfying walk. It takes awhile to walk anywhere, even on the transect trails, because you have to watch out for vines that can trip you prickly plants that can stick you and always there are tree roots and stumps to climb over. Every guide carries a cutlass (machete) to cut downed vegetation, even off heavily used trails. Trees like to fall a lot in this forest. The raffia swamps are a completely different obstacle course, finding solid land only to wind up shin deep in mud. And then you have to try to get your foot out with nothing to hold onto. It's good fun.
I've found a new diet - not wanting to cook for others and not wanting to be rude to eat in front of them. Seems the minute I start cooking somebody shows up at the research center. It is uncanny. Or I'll resign myself to cooking enough for 2 people and then 2 more people will show up! n
Nite: Somehow it is a comfort to find that Sierra Leonians know "Danfo Driver" - shoutout to all PCVs who know that song!

Something that is going to be difficult for me is to talk about bush meat with people and keep a nonjudgmental aspect on it. The minute you go preaching about conservation they close up. So instead I talk about the wild animals I've eaten, to get them to talk about what they eat, what's their favorite bush meat, even though inside I am cringing.