My Visit to the Paramount Chief

Before you read this, be warned, it's about the bathroom…

Yesterday we went to Bauya to visit some proposed land for a new facility. It's about a 3 hour car ride (60 miles) up-country. The roads are very roller-coaster like so I took my Dramamine! I have been to Bauya before and knew that finding a place to use the bathroom is not an easy thing. So I prepared myself and tried to drink only a little. But as it was, yesterday was a hot day in Sierra Leone and water was my friend.
When we arrived at the Paramount Chief's house (kinda like a governor) I wanted to use the facilities. The outhouse was in the back of his house so I went in. There was only a small hole in the floor in the corner…um, that doesn't work well for me, so I decided to just go behind the outhouse. Squat and pee! That was fine…no problem.

We had our short meeting and then headed out into the bush. We spend hours in the hot sun…I could have gone into the jungle for shade BUT there are snakes and biting ands and HUGE centepedes and bush rats and muskrats and grass cutters and all kinds of scary things in there!

The land is wonderful though, hundreds of acres available for development and farming! I am praying that God gives it to us!

I drank more water!

We returned to the Chief's home before heading back to Freetown, and this time there were people around so I had to use the inside of the outhouse. I am not exaggerating when I say the hole was the size of the top of a soda can. BUT I attempted to pee in the small hole...IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO AIM and I had my butt up against the wall. I peed all over. I feel sorry for the next person who went in there:)

I was told that this is a story I need to share with all of you. But I've shares, and I'll say this, if you ever travel to Sierra Leone, or any part of the world really, you must always be prepared to encounter strange bathrooms. Being able to go wherever you are is a necessity!