Scrap metal is big business in Freetown.
The roads are gridlocked with cars that look like they have come here to die. Unbearable humidity levels soon turn any faded shine into flaky patches of rust. But determined welders and mechanics salvage every little piece of metal and engine parts they can get their hands on.
In Kissy, the massively overcrowded area east of the centre, they also do repairs and fix electronics out of a converted container. This morning, they were hard at work on the undercarriage of this carcass. I was told they were actually re-conditioning it with a view of having it back on the road in about a week.
The yard itself has the feel of a village, with houses overlooking the busy lot. The less fortunate live in shacks among the rotten cars, where they prepare food and sell it to hungry customers.
While we waited for my friend Michael's car speakers to be connected, we came across next month's lunch special...
And George W. Bush's next wheels...
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