Arrival at Wussam Hotel
Good day. November 10th. This day I’m staying at the Wussam Hotel in McKenna. I’m still catching up on a lot of stuff and keeping records. I do enjoy their breakfast there.
Discovering Bissop
They have bissop. Bissop is the Wolof word for hibiscus juice. Wolof is the spoken language in Senegal, but they also call it bissop in Sierra Leone. It is an extraction of the hibiscus and is made in both warm and cold forms. I prefer the cold form, which seems to have a lot of good qualities.
Non-Profits and Charitable Work
I haven’t mentioned it yet, but the two non-profits mentioned on the website have a clear purpose. You can donate directly via the website. Traveling through these countries, I can see the need for their work is incredible. Any contribution would go directly to the organizations; I have no involvement in that process.
Relaxing at the Hotel
Today is a relaxing day. I can even take a swim because they have a clean swimming pool, which is a nice perk.
Meeting Remy
I ran into a person named Remy. He is half French, half Algerian, though he doesn’t claim the Algerian side since he doesn’t live there and doesn’t have an Algerian passport. He is 27 and works in Guinea for an NGO. He is on vacation from Guinea and is staying at the Wussam Hotel, which is a hub for people involved in charitable organizations. It’s astounding how many properties and vehicles are connected to charities here.
Observations on Sierra Leone
The world is paying attention to Sierra Leone, even as they work to manage things themselves. The country has bauxite and gold, and from what I’ve seen and heard, roughly 80% of the raw bauxite is shipped offshore and not refined locally. It’s hard to fully understand from just a few days of travel, but it seems local communities may not benefit fully from the resources.
Global Connections
Remy was a pleasure to talk to. His time in Guinea is ending, and he’s figuring out his next steps while waiting for his girlfriend, who is in Jordan. Running into worldly people like this makes travel fascinating because someone has to do all this work for the greater good.
Looking Ahead
Thanks for coming along on this journey. Tomorrow, we’ll make it to Freetown. Thanks so much for following along.
