Six hours of climbing through green forests, over stones, boulders, and through brush were punishing. When crossing through forests (off trail), we went through magical, damp, and dense forests – with leaves like cushions under our feet, moss covering every tree branch, and a clean soft air around us. Then more climbing. And finally, came the reward. A spectacular panorama where we gazed upon both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean as well as green mountains, some of which were covered in farming patchwork.

As we entered this neighborhood, our little car struggled up the unpaved, muddy path while Manoj changed gears, often reversing and reattempted hills with a quiet tenacity.

We took a short-cut up a hill and when Caju emerged from the brush, he was covered in burrs – these tiny spherical plant buds with a great many tentacles that stick to clothing like nobody’s business…and to shaggy fur.

It all We started at Loos American Bar, a small marble hole in the wall with exquisite wood trim and painted glass. The place is reminiscent of a cigar bar with leather seats and all men wait staff. We feasted on salted peanuts and beer as we debriefed. Our plans to have dinner afterwards at an Italian place vaporized as we stood, realizing that we ate peanuts for dinner. So instead, we walked to the tallest spire in sight and entered the most enormous gothic cathedral I’ve seen since Milano’s duomo. with an idea.

We’ve arrived to Hotel Barmoi after a punishing journey of car, plane, a 13-hour lay over, and many more hours of flying in Africa – a vast country. Leaving Casablanca by plane via Royal Maroc, we flew over Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Mali before landing in Guinea (the country that borders Sierra Leone on the north). Then, a short 30-minute plane ride to land on an island just outside of SL’s capital, Freetown. Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company in 1792 as a home for formerly enslaved African Americans and is currently the largest city in the country with just over 1 million people.