Accommodation in Freetown

We stayed at the YMCA for the duration of our time in the city. The Y was located walking distance from the centre of town in a mostly residential area. The rooms were reasonably comfortable, however, the water and electrical supply was touch and go. Air conditioning was a single electric fan in the room which we ran continuously when the power was on. Fortunately, when the mainline power would periodically go out, a gas generator was used as backup. For reasons unknown, we went without water for two days at the end of our stay. This was not so pleasant as we were unable to shower and cool off in the 30 plus degree temperature. Tammy was given a bucket of water to use for cleaning.

Dinners at the Y were fabulous. We would order our meals in advance and the cook would shop for fresh produce at the local market. We ate traditional African dishes of rice, beans and casava leaves. Various fruits was almost always on the menu including Bananas, Oranges, Papaya and Plantains. Mangoes were out of season. On occasion we ordered meat dishes including fish or chicken.

The first image below is a picture taken looking north from the 1st floor balcony of the Y. The second picture is a street view from the front of the Y looking south.

Internet - Freetown Sierra Leone

Sorry Folks! Despite the fact that there were several Internet Cafes' in Freetown, the service left everything to be desired. I tried to post to our blog on several ocassions without success. We are now back in London. I will endeavor to post the story of our journey with pictures over the next couple weeks or so. In the interim....this is fun....during our travels through a small town called Grafton, I noticed a young boy wearing a Canucks hockey jersey. Of course I insisted we stop for a picture. He was initially reluctant. I had to explain that his jersey was my soccer team back in Canada. We later learned that Grafton was home of a large refugee camp for displaced people during the civil war. Scott

Arrival in Sierra Leone

The flight arrived late into Freetown last night. The airport is built on a peninsula on the opposite side of a large river delta from the city. There are several ways to get to Freetown. Ferry, Helicopter, Hovercraft or a 6 hour drive down and around the peninsula. We had two Sierra Leone friends, Maxwell and Amara meet us at the airport. Because our plane was late, we missed the ferry. We drove at night down a road with pot holes the size of small ponds. Often the road would end, and we would have to turn back and find an alternate route.

Scott & Creighton travelled with a Sierra Leone/Edmonton man named Ray whom he met on the plane. Mom, dad, myself, Maxwell and Amara went in the taxi.

We were in complete darkness throught the drive. There is no electricity in any of the villages, thus making the stars so bright. Thankfully, it didn't rain althought there was lightning storm on the horizon.

The picture is us getting gas at a station that was closed. They charged a whopping $8 per gallon.

Camera and Sound Package

It took me a while to finalize the camera package. If I had a few more thousand dollars I would change / add a few things. Here's the package:

two camera bodies: a 5Dmk11, & 7D. Each camera has unique features. The 5D has a full size sensor for beautiful resolution and shallow depth of field. But with the shallow depth of field, it is difficult to focus on a still object, never mind a moving one. The 7D can film at 60fps. Which means I can shoot in slow motion. The 7D has a smaller chip size, therefore it will be easier to follow a moving subject. Both cameras can do time- lapse. I've been pressed for time but here is a link to a time - lapse test. I have a gadget to assist with this. There are other camera tests on this channel if you wish to check them out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4yWhmLAZSw

Lenses: I am taking a short zoom, long zoom, wide angle, and fast 50mm prime. Polarizers for filters (wish I had NDs)

Lighting: bed sheets, LED on-board light, scrap of reflector paper. (wish I had a bounce disc)

Sound: Zoom H4N, seinheiser shot gun mic, I hope to make a bamboo boom pole. (do they have bamboo in Africa?)

Old G3 Mac i-book. It took 40 min to download 4 minutes of video. Yes, I'm nervous.

Two 500 gig hard drives (if we get that far)

-extra batteries, and CF cards, follow focus, eyepiece

I would like to thank Jan Wolf for supplying much of the gear, Geoff Rogers for supplying the 7D and light. And Mirabelle Rohatgi for the computer. I am truly grateful to having such good friends.

Also thanks to Geoff for looking after our cat, snake, fish, geckos while we are gone.

Thank you for reading!

Original Settlers - Freetown, Sierra Leone - Canadian Connection

One of the first groups of North America settlers in Freetown came to Sierra Leone via Nova Scotia. These Nova Scotians, were black loyalists who fought with the British in the American Revolutionary war. Most were  relocated to Nova Scotia by the British from the American states of Virgina, Maryland, North & South Carolina. The majority of these British loyalists had been in America for two, three or four generations. The Nova Scotian's were easily identified apart from other ethnic groups in their new home Freetown Sierra Leone by their accent which was typical of American and British working class citizens of the time. The Nova Scotian settlers were the single greatest Western influence on the development of Freetown.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotian_Settlers_%28Sierra_Leone%29

Flight Itinerary - Creighton Jones

Creighton's journey begins a littler earlier with an early morning flight to Toronto Pearson. In Toronto, he will meet up with the Grandparents for the flight into London Heathrow.

Creighton also returns to London from Sierra Leone earlier along with Martin & Maxim. The return flight from Freetown to Heathrow (BD968) lands in Terminal 1. It will be necessary to transfer to Terminal 3 for the flight (AC855) back to Vancouver.

Thanks to the Uncles for delivering Crey to Terminal 1 Heathrow for his return flight to Vancouver.

From         To               Airline            Flight     Date         Depart   Arrive
Vancouver  Pearson      Air Canada     AC108    4/11/10     7:00       14:18
Pearson      Heathrow    Air Canada     AC856    4/11/10     19:10     6:25
Heathrow     Freetown    BMI Airways   BD967     7/11/10     11:50     19:45
Freetown     Heathrow    BMI Airways   BD968     17/11/10   22:45     6:35
Heathrow    Vancouver   Air Canada    AC855     18/11/10   13:00     15:00

Flight Itinerary - Tammy, Scott, Lloyd & Willa

From           To              Airline             Flight   Date        Depart   Arrive
Vancouver   Gatwick      Air Transat       TS840   4/11/10    14:05      6:45
Heathrow     Freetown    BMI Airways      BD967  7/11/10    11:50      19:45
Freetown     Heathrow    BMI Airways      BD968  21/11/10   22:35     6:25
London       Vancouver   Air Transat       TS841  25/11/10   9:15       11:20