Sierra Leone Blog

Please send me 5,000 of them trousers without pockets…

2009-06-30T23:20:00.001+01:00

I had to laugh when I heard about this on the news… they should take out the zippers as well. LOL. Surely Lungi is not as bad… surely… ------------------------------------------------------------------ Nepal bans airline staff pockets Officials said there were growing reports of bribe-taking at the airport Staff at Nepal's main international airport are to be issued with

If I had a cane…

2009-06-18T01:48:00.001+01:00

I’d probably have used it. Seriously, this dude is casually emptying his trash over Savage St bridge as if it’s the new ‘bommeh’. We really need to take responsibility for our actions. Next time you’re passing through the Savage St Bridge, have a peek over the bridge. Either side.

Dispatches from Salone: Stories I Like to Tell Part II – My Friendly Airport Security Lady

2009-06-09T00:45:00.001+01:00

This is from one of my favourite blogs on Sierra Leone, read on about Airport Security. Salone Style… ================================== Dispatches from Salone: Stories I Like to Tell Part II – My Friendly Airport Security Lady This is the second installment of Stories I Like to Tell About Sierra Leone. (Also check out the first one, about my friendly corrupt policemen.) If you are a blood

Freetown City Council clears out streets..

2009-06-09T00:23:00.001+01:00

On one hand you think, ‘how sad’. Then again you think why would anyone open up shop along a public pavement then refuse to remove it and disregard all warnings and advice to do so. The streets should be a lot more sane if street traders were removed from their place of business but then again, I guess the Council has to give them an alternative place to trade from and insist on

Journey to the Lakes: My Journey to the Lakes - Tuesday 3rd – Thursday 5th February

2009-06-04T01:12:00.001+01:00

This is a blog from a good friend of mine who was very instrumental in the days before VSL was born. She even loaned me her Lonely Planet, Sri Lanka guide for some inspiration. She is finally satisfying her passion to see more of Sierra Leone! More power to you. By the way, the Sri Lanka guide is in good condition and I promise to return it soon. Honest. Enjoy… Journey to the Lakes: My Journey

One stop shop, 12 steps pain

2009-06-04T00:54:00.001+01:00

This is a sort of update following the article on the pain I went through trying to register a sole-proprietorship business in Salone. Silly me for trying to go through the process again. I had sworn I’d just do it the easy way and pay someone else to go into the dungeon that is the Registrar’s office. Anyhow, I was encouraged by the glossy posters and adverts that the One stop shop was now in

Arik Air finally takes to the skies

2009-06-04T00:23:00.001+01:00

Great anticipation followed the announcement and high profile launch of Arik Air, which was branded as Sierra Leone’s National Airline. Of particular interest is the Freetown-London route which could well benefit from some competition. You would think they would start operation the next day but unfortunately they apparently came across some glitches which meant their launch date was pushed back.

Mr Minister, next time be more positive

2009-04-01T16:02:00.002+01:00

Why is Sierra Leone still failing to attract tourists seven years after the end of the war? This was the question the Minister of Tourism was asked on the BBC World Service about three weeks ago. I was hoping for a composed response which highlighted some of the progress that has been made on that front and some of what they were doing as a Ministry to attract tourists back to Sierra Leone. He

It’s over a year.. dude, you still here?!

2009-03-30T14:30:00.001+01:00

December 15th 2008 marked my first year in being back in Sierra Leone. Friends know I said it was a one year project… but they also know things take longer in Sierra Leone so I’ll be hanging around these for a while longer... a long while longer by the looks of it. Why has it taken my over 3 additional months to write my obligatory ‘1 year on’ post? Combination of factors… busy December,

Valentine's Day Special: Sierra Leone is Lovers' Paradise

2009-02-14T10:37:00.005Z

There is a one stop shop internet café ala snack bar, football cinema with a library to boot at the junction of Boyle Lane called Ambrosia Leisure Center. Residents of Boyle and its surrounding neighbourhoods from murray town, Ohlohshoro and beyond crowd the cinema every week to catch premier and champion league soccer games. GOAL!!!!!! and YAYYYY!!!! Are usually all the sounds u get from

So much more to give

2009-02-10T15:23:00.009Z

So I had my bags packed like two weeks before (sad I know), ready to go! The journey home is always an interesting one, and every year there is some drama or the other. This year it started out with Gatwick and the travel agent that has invisible horns. We paid 870 smackaroonies for a flight where the only perks were tap water and one lousy meal that tasted like dog food. Everything else had to

Papa Blow Mind: The Voice of the People on Radio Democracy 98.1

2009-02-06T00:22:00.004Z

Most times when i drive in my car i listen to what ever assortment of CDs i have availaible in my ten disk changer. But tonight, as i drove home from the beach weary of the same ten cds i listen to, I turn on the radio and it lands on 98.1 Radio Democracy. I was just about to change the station when i heard "yes dis na papa blow mind, call wi en blow u mind" (BlowMind in krio means to vent or to

Sierra Leone in Lonely Planet's '09 best

2008-12-24T15:14:00.002Z

How encouraging to see Sierra Leone starting to pop up on the tourism radar again. We were also in the Wanderlust guide which I can't find online - yet - but you'll be the first to know when I do.=======================================Here are Lonely Planet's list of top 10 countries to visit: AlgeriaBangladeshCanadaGeorgiaGreenlandKyrgyzstanOmanPeruRwandaSierra Leonehttp://travel.asiaone.com/

A year later – By Yeniva Sisay

2008-11-13T16:49:00.001Z

There was a smile planted on my face when I woke up this morning. I woke up with a sense of pride and accomplishment, joy and astonishment. I took in a deep breath of faith, struggle, determination and courage and swallowed wonder, chance, bliss, and uncertainty. Breakfast was served on the veranda of my brand new apartment that overlooks the hills and vast terrain of Freetown. A view that

SwitSalone Presents THE 2008 SwitList (a.k.a Travelers Social Guide for Just Comes (JCs), Been Comin (BCs), One time Visitors, and Returnees)

2008-11-13T09:23:00.003Z

SwitSalone Presents THE 2008 SWITLIST(psssstttt i'm not dead...been hybernatin from the global)I know that there are loads of you who will be coming soon to crowd my town, and my streets, and fill my country with your "innits" and "whatsups". Last year i let you take over and i stayed home...this year fat chance....ITS MY TOWN. I understand you may not know better and therefore need advice from

So what do you think of the beach bars situation?

2008-11-11T16:08:00.001Z

I’m being asked a lot about this recently.. I’ve also been planning to write about it for a while now. Frankly, I feel it was a bit of a cock up. I’m certain the ministry also feels like this now… No one seems to find real justifiable cause to put so many people out of business in a couple of days.. just before the peak season. Apparently, some of the structures were ‘not up to it’ or something

Mboka – An opportunity for a second look at The Gambia

2008-11-03T14:56:00.001Z

Anyone traveling within West Africa can probably tell you how difficult it can turn out to be. Truth is, I was dreading this journey.. and I could have so easily not made it. I forgot my passport at home but luckily enough for me, I realized this with enough time in hand. Passport with me, we set out to get the 11am ferry for a 5pm flight. Meaning I had to leave the house at 9am. The interesting

Seeing more of Sierra Leone - Educational Trip to Gola Forest and Tiwai Island

2008-09-30T12:58:00.001+01:00

Every time I head up country, the same thought inevitably occupies my mind for most of the journey. There’s just so much unused land up country but yet it feels like 40% of the population resides in Freetown. There’s something very wrong with our land laws. Nevertheless, heading up country is always an adventure, especially when you’re heading somewhere for the first time. This would be my first

All People's Congress: One Year and Counting...

2008-09-19T18:00:00.002+01:00

It has been one year now since last year’s elections and over the past couple months, I have been trying to assess the differences between this and the old regime. During the colour coded, rally, and manifesto infested campaign period, we were bombarded by promises and catch phrases the likes of “kaka wi noh wan yeri”, “loose u face”, and so forth. And like many others, I was inspired and moved

Wusum Hotel - Makeni - Probably the best hotel in Sierra Leone

2008-08-13T14:15:00.002+01:00

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” ===================================== A few weeks after returning to Sierra Leone, someone casually mentioned that a new hotel was being built in Makeni. I made a mental note that I should check it out when I could fit it in. This person

The 10th Accused in the Cocaine Scandal: Bo na Lie Bo Ahmed Noh Go Mix Pan dat

2008-08-08T18:34:00.001+01:00

I met Ahmed Sesay last year at Cafe De La Rose. We didn’t really meet per se but we both went there everyday for lunch separately until one day we were actually introduced. After the introduction we would exchange hellos and goodbyes whenever we happened to be lunching at the same time.When I stopped going to Cafe I would bump into Ahmed at Chez Nous in the evenings. He seemed to me more quiet

Visit Sierra Leone plays host to South Africa's Bafana Bafana

2008-06-19T13:51:00.001+01:00

After a relatively quiet May, our June schedule was already beginning to look busy even before the month commenced. It's strange how everything just seems to happen at the same time and I was beginning to suspect it was going to be one of those manic months - not complaining though, in these parts you appreciate all the business that comes your way. So when last week we received a request to

Protecting Foreign Investors Against Corruption in Sierra Leone

2008-05-28T18:26:00.001+01:00

Corruption has been perceived as one of the major causes of the 10 years of rebel war in Sierra Leone. The scourge has led to the deprivation of the vast majority of the people such that the country is considered as one of the poorest nations in the world in spite of its rich natural resources. This has been perpetuated and consolidated by undemocratic practices, bad political governance, bad

Access Point Africa Sponsors Visit Sierra Leone Internet

2008-05-28T14:14:00.001+01:00

Following my mini rant in the April Newsletter, about how the slow Internet makes me feel like "throwing my computer over my veranda but the problem is the veranda is just not high enough", I'm happy to say that we have now got faster Internet access courtesy of Access Point Africa. Ha! Our situation has improved quite rapidly and self destruction is no longer a threat. Seriously though, it's

Sierra Leone's National Football Team Leone Stars World Cup 2010 Dreams

2008-05-28T02:58:00.004+01:00

I Love Sierra Leone & I Support Leone Stars In February, I was fortunate enough to be in Accra, Ghana for the African Nations Cup. While I was in Accra, I learnt two things: Ghanaians love Ghana, and Ghanaians love football. I was amazed and in awe of the overwhelming support for the national team: the black stars. There was not a car that passed by without the national flag attached to it,