The United Nations figures for Sierra Leone's population in 2010 had 43% aged 15 and under. We certainly saw a lot of young people on the trip.

Idriss and Ghibril wanted to stop on the return to Freetown to buy some provisions for home. Ghibril  passed on the bushmeat because the price was too high, most likely due to the seller spotting Tony Jan and me in the car and quoting a Freetown price. The mangos were a deal. This is Idriss making his selection.

Our group used Flash Vehicle rentals http://flashvehicles.com/rentals/about-flash/
There were two Toyota Land Cruisers, driven by two top flight drivers, Ghibril and Cherno.

The roads are in poor repair for the most part, with the exception of the highway from Waterloo to Bo. After Bo the roads were dirt or gravel, with the exception of some new construction near Kenema. These two gentlemen had to be constantly alert for the road, pedestrians, animals, etc. An incredibly hard job that they did exceptionally well.

We spent a good deal of time in the vehicles. It is amazing that one can doze off while at the same time have their kidneys rattled travelling over cratered roads.

 I was looking for an easy to use sunshield for the Panasonic GH3. Nothing was on the market yet except for the Zacuto VF, and that required that you hold the camera to your eye.

 I devised something out of black and white foamcore. It is lightweight and slips over the flipped out viewfinder so it can be oriented in a number of directions.

It can be  placed flat in the camera bag for travel.

Pop it together to use. There is velcro on the edges by my thumb.

I held it in place with a rubber band.

I attached the camera to a monopod for almost all of the shooting in Sierra Leone. In come cases if I need to move, I collapsed the monopod and placed the end under my right arm to anchor the camera there and used the strap around my neck for another support point. This left both hands free to support the camera and work the controls.

Some shots from Freetown:
                                    All the children wear uniforms to school.

Motorbikes are used for taxi service up and down the hill where Fourah Bay College is located.

Sierra Leonians are quite adept at balancing loads on their heads. This results in great posture.

Idriss Kpange worked with our crew. This is a shot of him in his recording studio.

We went to Bunce Island on Monday. Tony found a ride on a fellow traveller.

The remains of the slave fort on Bunce Island.

Freetown from the water side.

First day in Sierra Leone. We have to get a few clearances in hand before we can hop out on a street, film in public, etc.
We took a tour of Freetown, including Fourah Bay College, where Marcus Rediker will present a public lecture on the Amistad Rebellion on May 8.
Konrad Tuchscherer and Philip Misevich of St John's University led us to their old academic haunts and the site of the lecture.
All three are pictured below in reverse order outside the Department of History and African Studies, the site of the lecture.