#TIME MACHINE BUDDY HIGH SIERRA DRIVER#

That’s no small feat in a place like Sierra Leone, among the poorest countries in the world. We have lots of work to do to help Jon get the right mix of shoes and clothes, but both Ranitas are incredibly optimistic about the future. She was totally on top of the numbers, stock, challenges, customer expectations. Ranita Jr (18) ran the store this summer before going to college in the school of medicine in September. She’s also a university lecturer, just opened a restaurant, community organizer, wife and mother! Her daughters have every bit of the smarts of their mother.

She had an empty space and, after meeting Jon, decided to get in the shoe business. Impressive stuﬀ.Īfter lunch, Jon took us to meet Ranita, one of VH’s entrepreneurs. He just celebrated his 71st birthday and is planning what the next ten years of his life in SL will be like and how the organization he founded, Village Hope, will help bring thousands into the middle class. After a career as a US Fish and Wildlife researcher, including time in Antarctica, he moved lock, stock and barrel to Sierra Leone. He’s easy to talk with, knows a lot about a lot. So many pictures I would love to have taken but am not sure about the protocol.ĭavid and I met with Jon for lunch. They and many others are extremely friendly, waving and yelling encouragement. It’s 80 degrees with an oppressive 95% humidity. I’m committed to getting in a run to shake oﬀ the cobwebs.

#TIME MACHINE BUDDY HIGH SIERRA DRIVER#

I remember how hellish it can be to travel with small children and empathize, but I have to look away.Ī brief debate at the cost of a taxi to the hotel, which the driver wins, then David and I drag ourselves to our rooms for a few hours of rest before meeting Jon Bart for lunch. One of the screaming children from the plane is now vomiting in a bag because she’s seasick.

To our surprise, there’s great wiﬁ onboard, but the water is rough. The road is short but rough, and then we spend another 20 minutes waiting for the boat. It’s shocking that this is the fastest way to get to Freetown. But all that speed didn’t mean much because we had to get in the van to drive to the water taxi. We went right through customs and immigration, changed money, bought tickets for the water taxi and were feeling good. Loads of screaming children meant no sleep. Our ﬂight left at 1:05a and arrived into Freetown Sierra Leone at 4:05a, which was four hours ﬂying with the time change. The trip had a less than ideal beginning.

Time machine buddy high sierra