After almost two complete days of traveling and

three articles in the Columbia

Star I finally arrived in Guinea. My flight was met on the runway by both the passenger shuttle and the AK–47 equipped Guinea military... apparently, common practice since the Military coup in December. I felt a bit like Dorthy in Oz, but instead of being met by a group of singing munchkins, they were heavily armed men with semi–automatic weapons... and they weren’t singing. I was fairly positive that I was not in Columbia, South Carolina any more.

My first week in Guinea was spent meeting the different individuals and organizations I would be working with. I quickly discovered that I had made a terrible mistake in not finding it necessary to learn French. Who would have thought that might be useful?

The following are a series of photos taken during my first week in Guinea. Writer’s Note:

My first meeting with Muhammad Conté, son of the former President of Guinea.

While I have chosen to write about my travels in Guinea with a sense of humor, I also feel it would be tasteless not to shed light on the real problems that Guinea currently faces. On September 28, 2009, the Guinea Military opened fire on 50,000 political protesters. At least 157 people were killed and 1,200 injured in this gross example of neglect for human rights. This shocking event is similar to the 2007 massacre where 110 people were killed.
Students of a private high school in Conakry.
Young boy shows off his cast after falling off his father’s motorcycle.
Typical Guinean meal of fish and raw vegetables served over fonio (starch similar to rice).
Regardless of what part of the world you are in everyone has a Myrtle Beach T–shirt.
People wait to see a doctor at the National Hospital.
French sculpture more suited for a museum than in front of this large tree.
Because of the non–existence of a sanitation system, trash is of ten seen piled next to houses and in the streets.
Mr. Bah Oury’s family
Common meat market in Guinea.
Women return from ºshopping in the large market of Madina.
A group of young girls use a long pole to harvest mangos.
Boy enjoys a mango after school.