May 25th

I’m currently on my way to Freetown and hope to find an internet café there where I can blog to my heart’s content. I’m also going to have real coffee and maybe a croissant for breakfast tomorrow. Very exciting. I got a nice comfy ride from the BBC producer person. Yesterday we went to the smaller islands and found a great spot where I put a camera to check it out. Then we went to my friend Vandy’s farm where he has a pygmy hippo coming nightly. Then we went into the forest and walked all around. We were finished around 6pm and I completely crashed in bed after taking a shower. I couldn’t move until 11pm when some of my friends showed up (we’d made a ‘date’ for them to come around 8pm to watch the documentary made of Tiwai a few years ago by BBC. Yay Africa time!). I was rested by then so we watched the video. The BBC dude also gave me a couple of the series he has done – they are stunning. If we can get footage like that of the pygmy hippos, we are golden. He seems to be convinced that it is possible to film a pygmy hippo within a month’s time, and I am inclined to agree. So he will hopefully send some camera person out possibly maybe. I think it will be fantastic for Tiwai and surrounding communities for this exposure.




I’m kind of tan now! Whee! So much that a village pointed to my skin and said I am now a pumwi black person. Apparently my Mende skin was hiding under all that white Pumwi skin.



I forgot to take a picture of my motorcycle. It was really thrilling to ride it around and have the village cheering for me. I rode to Vaama and back (grand total 6 miles!). I have bought some decorations/bumper stickers for my bike so I am good to go! I just need more practice before I can tackle these village roads.



OK I am getting carsick so will talk to y’all in a bit!