From McKinney to Freetown: Unexpected Encounters on the Road

Leaving McKinney

Good day. November 11th has come around and it’s time to leave McKinney. It’s probably the place I’ve been the longest on this whole trip, but it was very, very worthwhile. One of the reasons I was able to stay there is that I could pay with a credit card, as opposed to having to exchange money first. That saves a bit of hassle. I tried to pay with my card, but the network was down, which probably added about an hour of delay. Eventually, I got out of there and started heading toward Freetown.

Unexpected Encounters on the Road

Not even halfway to Freetown, a black Mercedes rolled past me with people waving. It turned out to be the chief and his son from the village I visited with Miro. They stopped, so I stopped, and we had another spontaneous, fun conversation.

Meeting Suleiman

Later, at another roadblock, the question came up if I would take someone in the empty seat. I said yes. His name was Suleiman, an older man who had retired at 60. He spent most of his life as a prison guard and the last seven years as a Pentecostal minister. He has a wife and two sons living in France, but he hasn’t seen them in 10 years, so not all is happy at home. Suleiman opted to guide me to Freetown rather than just being dropped off, which turned out to be a huge help.

Traffic Challenges in Freetown

We encountered streets with a broken-down garbage truck, solid pedestrian traffic, and wheelbarrows everywhere. The city streets were chaotic, but manageable with Suleiman’s guidance. Eventually, a policeman noticed my faded front license plate. He took my driver’s license and even jumped in the car, driving a few blocks to a station. With Suleiman’s help, I avoided a ticket, paying just 500 leones instead.

Arrival at the Swiss Hotel

After navigating both difficult and smooth streets, I arrived at the Swiss Hotel, where I already had a reservation. It’s an okay place, and I’ll be staying at least two nights. Tomorrow, I’ll focus on checking a Liberian visa and servicing the Land Cruiser. As always, there are a few people around connected to NGOs and other organizations, making for a good environment at this time.