We get up at 6.30am to finish packing, hoping to leave Kambia before 8am and be in Freetown by lunch. There are many sad goodbyes as we leave the base as everyone has turned up to wave us off. We finally get on the road at nine, and although we were not expecting an unbroken journey, we had hoped to get out of Checkpoint before we broke down. Another airlock and our top speed is now 5mph so Moses, FT and Murray take the ambulance to the mechanic whilst we wait at the Hotel African Village.
Feeling a little despondent we order cokes and settle ourselves in. I visit the hotel toilets and am pleased to come back with a report of a clean, flushing toilet. Two hours go by and we get word they are on their way back to collect us, so I make a last trip to the heavenly bathroom. A quick wee, and as I reach down to wipe I see a plate-sized spider emerging from the toilet bowl towards me. In a state of shock I jump off, slam against the door and run out, knickers still around my knees, laughing and crying hysterically. The others of course have to go and look and agree that I have just suffered a majorly traumatic incident. I am also out of Marlboro Lights and have resorted to smoking local menthols. It is indeed time to go.
The drive to Freetown, now in the full heat of the midday sun, takes four hours which is pretty good, although again, I sleep for most of the journey. We are dropped off at the Hotel Cabenda, one of Freetown’s best but still pretty grotty. We eat dinner at Alex’s Beach bar and restaurant, a lovely middle eastern eatery on the bay. I finally get some really good local food – vegetarian ground nut stew and rice – and a welcome glass of cold, dry white wine.
When we return to the hotel and ask at the bar for bottled water they shake their heads. “Run out” they mutter. With apparently no possibility of getting any more, we brush our teeth with Sprite and think about changing hotels.
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