SEVEN NIGHTS SIX BEDS

Night One Saturday 12/28 –excited, last night before the adventure begins, well fed, bags packed, my bed with Don, cuddled under against the New England winter, nestled in the familiar, just the right pillow, drifting off to the sound of frozen rain hitting the roof and the wind whistling up the street.

Night Two Sunday 12/29 –pre-bed prep in a bathroom I can barely turn around in, took out contacts  but left my glasses in  backpack under the seat in front of mine  - can I make it down the aisle back to seat with uncorrected 20-800 vision? slumped with horseshoe neck pillow and Air France economy seat reclined, hard to get comfy, hard to sleep, play a movie, head phones in, crossing the Atlantic in the dark, baby crying,  reach out to hold Don’s hand as I doze in fits and starts until the sun rises.

Night Three Monday 12/30  -Novotel “a European Hotel in Conakry”, desire to be horizontal overrides any quirks the room might have, had I known it would be the last time I had running water for 2+weeks I would have shaved my legs, money bag plastered to abdomen, electricity goes out temporarily,  tomorrow I can trade my winter coat for shorts and T-shirt,  I must be getting old if one night on an airplane has my body so out of sorts, vague feeling in the back of my head that I SHOULD be taking advantage of this “luxury” and celebrate our safe arrival by jumping Don’s bones, but all I want is sleep, so sleep it is.

Night Four Tues 12/31 -“cottage” on the island of Room, private building, up stone steps among the tropical foliage, putting our sheets on memory foam mattress, patterned contact paper covering the concrete floor,  private bath is a  tiled stall with a trough in the floor to squat over, single bulb light on only for the duration of the generator, romantic and delightful, fall asleep curled up with Don in bliss after a few New Year’s Eve drinks and much socializing with newly made friends, awake to pee, claustrophobia attack in the complete new moon darkness, open door and sit outside amidst night sounds willing dawn to arrive, repeating mantra “this is temporary” each time panic resurfaces until shapes reveal themselves as light finds its way to this piece of the world, back into our little hut, crawl under the mosquito netting and snuggle up to Don.

Night Five Weds 1/1 –  Tex’s** Conakry studio apartment, up 6 flights of stairs with flashlights, 1 medium sized  room for sleeping and living with a tiny kitchen area comprised of non-operating sink, hotplate, and a glass faced vertical rectangle that was a fridge, running water a thing of the distant past,  assist each other in taking “African showers” scooping water over each other, lathering up and rinsing from tubs Tex has paid to have hauled up the 6 flights, shuttered windows bring lovely breezes throughout the night and no mosquitoes,  following a day of wandering around the city with much being closed due to the holiday – bed is welcome,  slept soundly, touched by Tex’s generosity and this moment to experience life in Conakry from the view of the residents.

Night Six Thurs 1/2 – Kalifa arrives, too late to cross to Kassa, back at Tex’s for the night,  3^rd time we have paid to have 4 large duffel bags hauled up the 6 flights, comfort in being in a place we “know”, our sheets back on the bed, open the shutters for a breeze, improved skills in “African Showering”, planned well and brought drinking water up with us – good for taking malaria pills,  emotional exhaustion setting in, weary of treadmill of hurry up and wait, wanting the relaxing part of vacation to begin, fading out to the sounds of the city.

Night Seven Fri 1/3 – huzzah! Kassa at last, drop our belongings, unpack, establish  dirty clothes pile, nest,  our own doorless room and bath which while modern looking has no running water,  so while there is a toilet to sit upon, it’s back to African showers,  Don wipes the plaster dust off the tile floor by candle light, we roll out our sleeping  mats (later replaced by an air mattress),  enjoy absence of mosquitoes and sounds of surf and crickets and the village up on the hill, our space for the next 11 nights!

**Because Tex can converse in English, he was the friend Kalifa designated to pick us up at the airport; although not part of Tex's plan, he graciously became our tour guide/ babysitter until Kalifa arrived 3 days later. For all Tex did for us, he holds a special place in my heart.