Things are so busy on ship that I find that I don't even go outside or up to Deck 8 for a breath of air from Monday through Friday. It's strange not going outside all week, so when the weekend comes, I usually tag along with others and walk through town. Which is an experience in itself! The ship is ported at a container ship yard.
Just outside the port is a huge slum. Strangely, oceanfront property is the least desirable place to make your home because all the garbage is dumped into the ocean. I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but children are swimming in water that is contaminated with all kinds of refuse and debris. They are laughing and playing as any normal child would, the difference is that they are swimming in absolute filth.
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This is trash, not shells!
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This group of young men are calling out to me to “snap” them (take their picture) and are posing like tough guys for the “snap”. The truth is that they really are tough! Most are street kids that have lost both parents in the war, unemployment is above 80% and there is little hope for a future. That is the African culture of despair. As you walk down the street from the port, amidst the tin shacks; no electricity, no running water (and this is a city of 2 million) children run out to greet you with smiles and “Hello, Ow da bodi”! They are so innocent and hopeful, then you see the teenage boys with angry looks on their faces as the reality of despair sets in.
Thanks for reading this! I'll post again soon....
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