Civil war without almost no end, extreme poverty, Ebola and blood diamonds. Sierra Leone did only raise few positive connotations when I entered for the first time in 2017. „Sierra Leone got talent!“ was heralded againts all odds from many billboards on my Freetown city tour. I could not imagine a more spectacular setting for Sierra Leone’s capital: mountains, creeks, mangrove swamps, one of the world’s largest natural harbours and as the icing of the cake, sandbars with turquoise jungle beaches just on the city’s fringes. Only Mozambique and maybe Tanzania can compete, beachwise. Locals really know how to celebrate life: Fashion shows, carnival parades for days on end, beauty contests – so many options so little time – it was sometimes hard to decide where to go.

Sundays are beach days, so tout Freetown was promenading on the beach. Beaches are not for swimming only but to seriously show what you have: feather boa, wedding attire or dinner gowns – I loved to snap and they all loved to pose. Locals rented us for the weekend a little wooden hut right on River Beach Number One, one of Sierra Leone’s dreamlike beaches. We sat with white sands under our feet, shared cold beers with lots of locals, listened to pumping Salone party music and watched the theatre of Salone beach life playing in front of us. Even when the food options were limited (lobster), it was great.

Hotel bars are either great or trash. Even better was Lady Posh, a ramshackle street bar just outside of my Lebanese-run hotel high above Freewtown. After one night I became a regular and Lady Posh became my favorite after-work bar worldwide. Most other guestes were Joe-Sixpack-members of the presidential guard garrisoned nearby, having fun each night spending tehir pay on drinks. We met Alusine and his girl-friend Mas lwho even invited my wife andf me to come over for dinner! Their modest apartment was part of a once-grand British colonial officer’s home, built on stilts, and built high above the swamps to avoid the perils of Malaria. The house was now shared by two dozens residents. Alusine had prepared delicious Joloff rice with peanut fish stew and Mas was just beautiful. Eas y to see why Mas in 2016 had won a beauty contest and was awarded a car whose enginge hood was reading „Miss Independence Sierra Leone“. It proudly parked outside the house, wrapped in dust. There was only one little problem: Mas could not afford a driver’s licence…