Bo

7 January 2023

I had mixed feelings about leaving the paradise like haven of Lumthubul Gardens. It definitely is a beautiful relaxing place to stay and was the host to a group of NGOs who turned up this morning to enjoy the day and tuck into a hearty breakfast on the beach.

I could imagine the joy of escaping Freetown to sample this paradise, even for the day.

Nevertheless, I felt a tug to get back to the reality of Sierra Leone life and to learn more about its culture. Hence I took a motorbike taxi to 5/5 junction near Waterloo for Le50,000 and looked for transport to Bo, a town in east Sierra Leone on the route to the Liberian border. I ended up in the front seat of a shared taxi, paying Le90,000 for a drive along well maintained roads through Sierra Leone's countryside. There was still evidence of original forested land, with areas of oil palm trees and other non native trees. Areas of burning were scattered along the way as villagers controlled the growth of vegetation on their land.

On reaching Bo, I headed by motorbike taxi to Sir Milton's Hotel! a grand name for a run down dodgy looking place. It was owned by the same people as Madam Wokey's hotel and conference centre across the road. This looked equally suspicious. However, after inspecting the room, I decided it was clean and safe enough for one night. The central location was a plus and enabled me to get a quick look around this historic, ramshackled town with a great atmosphere. People were friendly, curious and happy to engage in conversation about the town's past; once on a railway track and a mineral mining center. There were signs indicating a possible diamond business here in the past..
I took a motorbike ride out to the glitzy Doha Hotel on the town's outskirts. Hiding behind a high wall, was this establishment with a swimming pool, loud disco music and 4x4 drives with drivers awaiting their owners who were attending a church event in the hotel's hall. I grabbed some food and left to get back to my more humble, quiet residence in the city.