Buchanan Trip

Last weekend, a group of us set out for an overnight relax-on-the-beach-birthday-celebrating trip to Buchanan. Buchanan is a port city and is the third largest city in Liberia. The 70 mile drive, southeast of Monrovia along the coast, is on some of the worst 'paved' roads in Liberia--at some points, you feel like your teeth are going to rattle out of your mouth. But, thanks to the Chinese, the highlight of the 3 hour drive is the 15km of brand new "corta" about half way between Buchanan and home. The 15km of brand spankin' new asphalt doesn't last long enough, but it's the nicest stretch of road in Liberia!

Even though it was cloudy (which was probably for the best, so we all didn't fry), I spent the day in my hammock among the coconut trees; reading, napping, reading, taking a walk down the beach and repeating. We went to a cook shop in town for dinner and then returned to our secluded spot on the beach to set up camp for the night. Some people opted to sleep under the tarp that was stretched between the two jeeps, while others had tents or hammocks. Elena, Deb and I opted to just spread a sheet out on the sand and lay under the thousands of stars! The stargazing lasted until the storms rolled in, but thankfully the rain stayed out over the ocean all night. The lightning show was awesome! I woke up at one point freezing to death! I already had on a hoodie, but I was in shorts. Thankfully someone threw me a hoodie to cover my legs...and I was still freezing! If you've ever tried to sleep on the sand, you know that even though it sounds adventurous or luxurious....well, you just don't get much sleep! I'm accustomed to sleepless nights on the sand in Buchanan, so I knew that little sleep would occur. I got a few hours of sleep off and on, and was awake before sunrise. The sunrise was incredible and well worth the miserable night of sleep! We packed up and were ready to leave when we got word that the bridge we needed to cross was out. I'm sure we all just laughed, since usually something ridiculous happens on trips like these, and set off towards the bridge, ready to make repairs. After some investigating, moving a few planks, a few prayers and everyone holding their breath as both vehicles went over the bridge, we were safely on our way back to Monrovia. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

[Our secluded beach, view from my hammock]

[My hammock with a pretty sweet view!]

[View of the ocean from the rocks]

[Only in Liberia will you have a beach this beautiful to yourself]

[The awesome sunrise!]

[Some minor civil engineering on the way out of town. One of the support beams was totally shot. Thank God both vehicles made it across!]

I Love Delta!

Yesterday I got a heads-up email from my dad that Delta was going to make a big announcement today. I knew a route from Atlanta to Monrovia has been in the works for some time now, and because Ma Ellen is currently in the States, Delta took the opportunity to announce that they will begin service to Monrovia in June 2009 via Sal Island, Cape Verde!

SOOO...for those of you who've been wanting to come and visit me, now is your chance! Especially all of you with Delta connections--hello, good use of a buddy pass?! And, for those of you who say you can't handle the heat...June has the coolest temps!

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know that you have another flight option to Liberia. Delta is finally coming to L.I.B.! I'm hoping they'll run some deals when they open the route, so keep your eyes peeled.

This is a big praise for me, because the biggest expense with me coming to Liberia is the plane ticket. Now I can travel standby with a buddy pass...which will save me more than $1500 for a round-trip! Praise the Lord!

Travel Tips

So I'm starting the packing process. There's a few blogs I read of people living in Liberia, and they sometimes will post 'helpful household hints' for things to bring to Liberia. I find it pretty helpful because my mind somehow always manages to forget something in the packing process.

For those of you who have traveled to, or lived in, Liberia....I want your tips. How about....3 things you're so glad you packed....and 3 things you wish you would have packed. And, even if you haven't been to Liberia....you can still give me your list! I'm interested to see what people say, and it might give me a great idea....or help me remember something that I otherwise would have forgotten.

Let the lists begin!

[8 more days!!]

In fairness, I'll list a few things I recommend for traveling to Liberia:
- If your a female....SKIRTS all the way!
- Lots of hand sanitizer
- Lots of trail mix, granola/protein bars, etc.
- 2-in-1 shampoo...those trickling cold showers have to be short, or it speeds up the bucket bath
- Travel size bugspray (with Deet) and sunscreen
- Extra batteries, in all sizes that apply to things you're taking
- Toilet paper...you never know when you'll need some
- Sturdy pair of sandals (I wore my chacos everyday for everything...except church)
- Earplugs or headphones....to drown out the generator (or snoring) when you're trying to sleep
- Travel size bottle of laundry detergent for sink laundry (undies & bras mostly)
- Nalgene bottles....then you can dump a few water bottles worth into one bottle, trust me, you'll end up drinking any water that you have access to....you can never drink enough!
- Some people are weird about bottle water, so if that's you, take some of those On-the-Go drink mix things. I recommend the Propel mixes, because that does more for you. Throw in some flavored ones (lemonade, tea, fruit punch, etc) if you tend to get tired of drinking water.
- For a shorter trip....a cannister of Gatorade powder. When I got sick, someone went into town to buy one at Abi Jaoudi's (like $8+), but it was a lifesaver! I've packed 2 cans (<$5 in the States). - If you're taking feminine products, do not pack them in a ziploc bag. Use a cosmetic bag or something that's not see-through. When I traveled over last year, every female who packed them in see-through bags (everyone but me) did not have them in their bags once they got to Liberia. I packed my stuff in a cosmetic bag and mine made it! I suggest dispersing them between bags (including carry-on), and this time I'm going to be super sneaky and pack some between clothing that's space saved. I know, it sounds crazy, but pads and tampons are a luxury in Liberia...so that's the only explanation I've got.
- Depending on the time of year....a few long sleeved, light-weight shirts....for bugs or when it gets chilly (the only 'chilly' I experienced was the 2 nights I had airconditioning). Also, at least one pair of pants for bugs.
- I set aside 2 tshirts, 1 long sleeved shirt and one pair of windsuit pants that I would wear for when I was the cleanest....aka....just out of the shower. That way I'd enjoy being clean for 10 minutes.

These are all basic things, and since I'm hardly into the packing process, I haven't really thought about everything. I'll make another list when I'm packed.