Mel's Air Adventure: Monrovia, Liberia

Wednesday, 14 March 2007

Monrovia, Liberia

The WFP crew house

The world's slowest computer

The lounge... aka Sibo's dance floor

Electricity is rare and there is a dribble of water in the taps.

My room

My room mate (he must be related to Sir Earl) used to keep me awake at night and sometimes even left me a present on my pillow.

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14th March 2007

Today's mission.... finding goggles. Sean and I went into the big city in search of goggles. We have been a so isolated on our 'Island' that i didn't realise that there is a full on city across the bridge! According to our driver between 4 and 5 million people live in the city. Abidjan city center is so grim that it makes Hillbrow look like heaven. The traffic is bumper to bumper, its really crazy. (Imagine Eastrand mall R21 intersection on a Saturday and times that by 100). If you drive around long enough you will see a bumper bashing. We saw two today.
The driver took us to some kind of hardware store (a 3rd world GAME is the best way to describe it). We walked through the lamp section... I wish Mark could have seen them. They must be an interior decorators worst nightmare. I can officially say... they are the most hideous lamps I've ever seen. Some of them are so bright I'm sure they can glow in the dark. Guess that's one way of saving electricity.

The goggles they had there were kiddies ones so off we went to the next place... which was a fishing store which obviously wouldnt' have. I guess the only hope is the sports shop but they are sold out and will only get more next week. The gym also sells goggles but at R500 that's not an option.
So mission unaccomplished. Sorry Sean you'll have to swim with your eyes closed!
The driver dropped us at the supermarket. I got some chicken for dinner ( i checked the sell by date... its within limits). Sean and i then walked to the veggie market on the side of the road not too far from where we stay. On the way we walked past a bakery. We bought ourselves a french loaf which was freshly baked. Yum.
The people along the road love greeting me. Sean says i must be a super hero. He says he's noticed how the women stare. We concluded it must be my hair. Its so hot that its all sweaty and stuck to my scalp. It must look terrible. But the local women have a thing for hair. I think West Africa is the 'Fake hair capital of the world'. Nowhere on the planet will you see such an abundance of wigs and fake hair.
On route from the super market to the veggie market ... I'm sure the chicken we bought was starting to cook. You also don't want to breath too deeply as some of the smells can knock you unconscious. We bought some veggies with which we'll make a stirfry tonight.

I enjoyed our little outing but its good to be back in the clean, airconditioned crew house!

I don't know when we will fly again... please pray that one of the other planes needs some maintenance so that we get a chance to fly again.

Keep well,
Love
Mel.

Mel's Air Adventure

Wednesday, 14 March 2007

Monrovia, Liberia

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14th March 2007