I made it through my first West African country in one piece - Liberia !!!
This first email come to you from inside a hired four wheel drive through the bad dirt road through the deep jungle of Sierra Leone, just after leaving the border with Liberia. I can hardly type but I am used to it.
Before you see the panoramas of Liberia allow me to briefly explain the title of this trip and of course my ext comedy documentary film: WACCO = West Africa Culture Club Overland. I am making this trip with my two best buddies from the Ungowa Africa trip of 2016: Riza Ford originally from the Philippines but a resident of USA and UK and Roberto Rodrigues from Brasil. The there of use used be known as “The Culture Club” because we drank wine and ate olives and cheese every evening before our bush fire side dinner. We are travelling through West Africa by hired cars and public vans hence the term “Overland”. You can also call us WACCO given the countries we are travelling through have a past reputation for danger...
Now that you know what WACCO means let me present the surprising nation of Liberia. Liberia is one of the first countries to become independent from European colonial rule in 1847. It gets its names from the fact the it was first populated in 1822 by freed American slaves returning to the place they were stolen from - Liberia. Liberia does not seem the dangerous country it once was. Even though it is still very poor with a crazy busy frantic capital of Monrovia, the people are VERY FRIENDLY and hospitable. Liberians have also striking good looks and dominated by younger people. Despite two Civil Wars that killed over a half a million people with a hand in the “blood diamond” driven child armies, today it appears on the go with many people not wanting to talk about those terrible years. Monrovia is super busy and very entertaining to watch its people but you need to take breaks from its hot steaming sun. Thank God there was plenty of wine, cheese and olives so the “Culture Club” felt right at home. The highlight for us was bribing a guard to let us inside the Ducal Hotel - the first 5 star hotel in Africa built by Pan Am but now lying in ruins - we photographed the entire city from its bare rooftop. The other highlight in Monrovia was being allowed into the “Centenary Pavilion” - a very ornate hall where Liberian Presidents are inaugurated. Liberia is a big fan of the USA given the origin of its people from the USA as freed people and the connection remains close. Even the Liberian flag was purposely modelled on the US Flag with 8 stripes and 1 star. From Monrovia we managed to hire a driver and his own car to take us to the border with Sierra Leone via a seaside village called Robertsport which is famous for its Lake Pisa fed by the Atlantic Ocean - I went for a swim there and the water was very clear and very warm. Liberia is definitely not for the fait hearted - it is hot, steamy and very confronting in places BUT its people are incredibly polite, friendly and hospitable. Despite its poverty it is making every effort to set up a tourist industry and with 300 miles of pristine Atlantic coastline it definitely has the makings of good future...
See you in a few days when I shall bring you Sierra Leone...
John WACCO Golfin
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