I'll be back on board the AFM in under a week, in my cosy little bunk, with 7 square feet of (shared) living space.
Though Harry does not appear thrilled about those living conditions, I'm actually quite looking forward to it. I find the close quarters help keep me more organized and to follow a better routine. I read more, I exercise more, and I get up earlier. I spend more time on the important things and less time scrolling through memes online. Although, there are some pretty great Mercy Ships memes.
Can't. Wait. For mangoes (that actually taste like mangoes).
I realize I promised more of an inside-scoop on Guinea before I leave, so let's dig in a little bit to the culture and landscape.
As far as geography goes, Guinea has a little bit of almost everything. Much of the country is an intermixing of forest and savanna, with some mountainous regions and some plains, and the Niger river irrigating the northeastern grasslands. Deforestation and reckless mining practices have been profitable for a select few, but have left some parts of the landscape scarred and contaminated. Bauxite, iron, diamonds, gold, and uranium deposits have certainly made it a hot spot for many international mining companies.
There certainly are a lot of different types of Francs. I've been to 3 different countries that used 3 different types of Francs, and Guinea has yet another. While many Central and West African nations have joined together in economic partnerships to share the "CFA Franc", Guinea has used its own since 1959.
Due to its low valuation, the smallest denomination of currency is a 500 Franc note, while the highest, 20,000 Francs, is worth only about $3 CAD.
Like most countries in this part of the world, Guineans themselves represent a diverse array of ethnic groups; which in turn means many different languages are spoken within the country. French is the only official language, but Susu, Malinke, and Peul are some of the others more commonly spoken. Being a bit closer to North Africa, Islam is by far the most widely practiced religion.
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Well, I think that's all I have time for tonight! I'm on my first of three night shifts here at home before I have a couple days to pack! The next time I post I'll most likely be in Conakry, gently rocking on the...
À la prochaine,
-D
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