Enjoying Liberia

Enjoying Liberia

Tripping Along the Coast

Robertsport,  a place I never had the chance to see while living in Liberia as a Peace Corps Volunteer a long time ago.  This small coastal town in far northwestern Liberia had always been described to me as a beautiful place and I remember that the Peace Corps people stationed there rarely traveled -- probably a good clue that they had something good going on.  The beaches around Robertsport have recently gained some fame as a world class surf spot with the film, "Sliding Liberia." 

So on a beautiful Saturday in February my friend Mosoka and his son Chris and I set out from Monrovia to explore.  Here's a little log of our adventure.

First thing we had to do is escape Monrovia, cross "the Bridge" onto Bushrod Island, through Freeport and pass through Duala.  Much of this area consists of shanty towns and markets that deal in various foodstuffs and tons and tons of plasticware and brick-a-brack.  Immense activity and energy expended in the daily toil of trying to survive in frank poverty. 

Here's a scene from somewhere near Duala.  That is a mound of trash behind the lady with the tubs on her head.  You can imagine the smells.

One never knows what one will see next.  Check out this guy walking down the side of the street nonchalantly with his Intra Venous bag!!!

He's already somewhat remarkable because he appears to be a Chinese worker.  There is a substantial population of Chinese workers in Liberia doing things like paving roads and installing traffic lights.  Several Liberians have commented to me questioning why Chinese workers are doing jobs that could be done by Liberians.  True that many of these projects are apparently funded by the Chinese government, but Liberians do need jobs.

He apparently also has a bag of meds with him.

Ahhh! Finally out of the shanty towns and onto the road to Robertsport!!!!!

 This red laterite, iron oxide rich soil is typical of Liberia.  Not being a farmer, my experience with the stuff happens mainly during road trips.  In America sometimes I have been nostalgic for that "Red Dust on Green Leaves", yet in Liberia I have also often cursed the red dust as it blew up in clouds behind passing cars or trucks.

Women washing clothes in a stream off the side of the road.

Here's Mosoka hanging out in a savannah tree orchard.  We learned from a local farmer that the leaves of  these fruit trees also have medicinal properties and are used to treat coughs and chest congestion.  Since I had been battling a cough since arriving in Liberia I asked him to show me how they were used.  He picked a few young leaves and told me to chew them and swallow the juice.  I did and within minutes my airways opened up and my cough got steadily better over the next couple of days.  Maybe psychosomatic but hey I'm grateful and I'll try this one again.  

Liberia would be a gold mine for natural products research.

This is the son of the the man that told us about the medicinal leaves.

We arrive in Robertsport and are greeted by sets and sets of waves.

Before playing in the surf though we decided to get some food.  I just can't get enough fufu and soup and this meal was absolutely the best I've had in Liberia so far.

The chunks of fish were sweet and luscious and the cassava dumpling just melted in my mouth with a broth that had just the right amount of pepper and sesame paste.  My God this was good!  

Eat your heart out Anthony Bourdain!  

Anthony Bourdain's blog about Liberia

"No Reservations,"  Bourdain's episode about Liberia

Here are some kids that were hanging out outside the little cookshop.

After fueling up with good grub, we went off to the beach and played in the surf for the rest of the day.

Until the sun set and we had to head back to Monrovia.

 

Father and Son -- Mosoka and Chris

JB and Mosoka before heading back to Monrovia

Moses Kollie, our driver

The First Few Days

Monrovia, Liberia West Africa  Feb 10, 2013

So this is the beginning of my adventure of returning to Liberia to work for a few months.  Its also the beginning of my first attempt at blogging and I have to say that I'm not finding this interface intuitive, so this start may be a little shakey but hopefully things will get smoother as I practice.

Why a tale of two cities?  On one level it has to do with my love of two places --  Honolulu, Hawaii and Monrovia, Liberia.  Two vastly different locals literally half way around the world from each other.  Maybe I'll say more about that later.

On another level though it is a tale of two cities because my life in Monrovia will be lived in two vastly different adjacent and intertwined places.  On one hand Liberia is a place of dire financial poverty.  Index Mundi ranks Liberia at #225 out of 226 countries with a per capita gross domestic product of $500. (Only the Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks lower at $400.  The United States ranks #12 at $49,000 and Liechtenstein ranks #1 at $141,100).  Yet on the other hand it is also a place where money can flow like water among the legions of diplomats, NGO and humanitarian workers, missionaries and high level government officials.  So on the streets of Monrovia one sees air conditioned luxury all terrain vehicles, Mercedes and Beamers mixing it up with dilapidated, bald tired, duct taped, gerry-rigged and rope repaired cars and trucks of every description, filled to overflowing with human and other cargo, on severely potholed, often unpaved roads.  Why anyone would want a BMW sports roadster in this place could only be an expression of ostentation and arrogance perhaps.  Hey, but now I'm beginning to be judgmental and I don't want that.  Let me try to be a reporter of observations and experiences.   You judge for yourself

Red Light, Paynesville, Monrovia, Liberia

Red Light, Paynesville, Monrovia, Liberia

Red Light, Paynesville, Monrovia, Liberia
Note the tape and cellophane on the back window of the taxi

Along Tubman Boulevard, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia

5th Street Sinkor right off Tubman Boulevard

BMW Roadster in driveway on Tubman a few blocks from 5th Street

Mercedes and all terrain SUV in driveway on Tubman

So I get a note from my nephew Chris asking me if I'm experiencing any 'culture shock' upon my arrival here.  With apologies to Chris, I'd would like to share my response to him with a wider audience:

"Hi Chris,  I'm starting a blog that I think I am going to call 'a tale of two cities', because of the disparity, no, the absolute chasm between the poverty I see here among 80% or 90% of the people and the obscene, flagrant opulence and luxury I witness among the elite.  I have a foot in both worlds and what I feel goes way beyond culture shock.  I am sitting writing you with tears in my eyes.  

"On top of this you have to layer the reality that most of the people here lived through years of one of the bloodiest, insane civil wars ever.  The stories and experiences I have heard over the last couple of days are wrenching.

"While walking around town today I encountered an old woman in a wheel chair.  She was skinny and extremely malnourished and crippled.  I don't even know how she uses a wheel chair here because the streets and sidewalks are crumbled and full of potholes and chunks of cement and dislodged asphalt.  If you can walk normally you risk injury if you aren't constantly conscious  of how and where you are walking.

Sidewalk along Tubman Boulevard, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia

Sidewalk along Tubman Boulevard, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia
Note the man in the wheelchair in the background

"Anyway, I encountered this old woman and she stuck out her hand and I decided I should give her something.  Well within seconds I was surrounded by other handicapped people with increasingly severe handicaps.  What should I do?  I remembered that I had spent maybe $20 dollars the night before on a dinner and a few beers at 'reasonable' restaurant next to the US embassy, (i.e., a nice part of town).  This of course makes me feel guilty and I start handing out more money, but I only have a few small bills and so I start handing out bigger bills until of course I stop.  I have a threshold I guess where self interest trumps generosity and I am filled with feelings that I can't really describe.  A sense of bewildered irony and a search for courage as I suppress an urge to run away.

"But don't let me depress you.  There is much here that is fun and enjoyable.  I spent part of the afternoon at a great beach next to a little fishing village where the people were friendly and full of the love of life.  Poor, sure, but they fish and they have food and they sell their surplus so they have some money.  I am definitely going back to that place again. 

"This is a wild experience that will tug a soul in every direction."

Sign across the street from the entrance to Robertsfield International Airport

The Gateway to Liberia