Nimba Mountain Trip

Our Guest House

Hello Ivory Coast

On Top of the World

Our Expedition

A Gigantic Sandbox Toy

A Little Work on the Brakes

Playing With the Children While We Wait

Packing Up Outside Abuja To Return to Monrovia

At this time last week I was climbing up the tallest mountain in all of Liberia. It was beautiful up there in the clouds and above the clouds. With a long glance from left to right we could gaze down upon the countries of Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Liberia. It took our group a day and a half to reach this point, but it was well worth it.

On the eve of the four day weekend I huddled together with James, Carlos, Kassi, Sally, Jacinto, and Nathan in the dining room to review our final details for the trip. We determined who was to secure essential items for our three day, two night voyage such as bug repellent, mosquito nets, flashlights, candles, water, bleach (in case we were stranded with absolutely no clean water), money, cameras, and a touch of food. We also reiterated that we had no secured driver, vehicle, food or water for three days, directions, or place to stay for the nights as of yet. But, we did have a desire to travel up country into the bush to Ganta to spend a night, travel the next day to the mountain, return to sleep in Ganta, and then travel to home sweet home in Monrovia. And with this, we parted ways until the morning for our travels to begin.

It rains here. It rains here often. It is the rainy season. It was defiantly the rainy season when the seven of us hiked down the gangway after signing out for the weekend. It was pouring. We looked as if we were going backpacking decked out in raincoats, and with plastic bags covering our backpacks. We were also exhilarated to begin our travels. As we walked down the port entrance we prayed together for a beautiful weekend together, for safety, and for good times, all of which happened.

We began by taking taxis to Red Light, a main intersection North of Monrovia where there is a large transportation depot with vehicles travelling to all parts of the country. My taxi ride was uneventful, but those in the other taxi had fun. A man entered their car and asked if they were from Mercy Ships. (This happens all the time.) They said that indeed, they were. The man then went on to tell them, and all of the other people in the taxi for the rest of the 20 minute drive how wonderful Mercy Ships was. He had gone to the vision clinic and had received some precious glasses, of which he carefully pulled out of his coat, unwrapped them, and showed to everyone. At the depot, he took it upon himself to find the second group (my group) of travellers. Soon enough, we were reunited to begin a long process of negotiations for our next stage of travel. There were negotiations of whether to take two taxis, a minibus, or a minivan, there were offers and counter offers for prices for each of these, there was figuring out who the driver was and whether or not we had to take a ‘car boy’, all of which is taking place in the middle of a group of animated men fluxing between 10 to 30 of them. And, did I mention that we stand out in the greater surrounding crowd? At the end, we rolled away in a Toyota minivan with our group of seven, a driver, and a ‘car boy’ who was actually a car man.

Our travels down the mostly-paved road were dotted with pee-pee breaks (as they call it here), times to pull off the front tires to adjust the break pressure, times to eat yummy donuts, plantain chips, cooked corn, and glass bottles of pop on the side of the road, and wonderful UNMIL military checkpoints. Every time we stopped there were ‘plenty plenty’ people there to greet us, and lots of cute waving kids.

In Ganta we found a great guest house for five dollars a person. It included hung mosquito nets, a bathroom, a large barrel of water, double beds (to be shared) and generator produced electricity from 7pm to 11pm. It was wonderful. At night we had a feast of local food down the dirt road at Abuja. We also purchased some donuts, bananas, and coconuts on the street for an early morning breakfast the next day for an early departure. At night we played what I like to call ‘stupid camp games’- fun games that are for connecting with each other, not winning. We played one of my new favorites: the animal game. At the end of the night, I climbed into bed and tucked in my mosquito net, ready for the next day.

In the morning we hiked out, much like the morning before, except that this time it was not raining! We went to the local taxi area and began another long stage of negotiations. Yuck. After getting everyone all excited, again, and even having one car that attempted to cut getting cinder blocks placed in front and behind each tire, we made our way with our new ride. Nine of us rolled down the road in this small hatchback taxi for a two hour drive to the base of the mountain. By the way, this is somewhat normal here… We only had to hop out and walk one time, so that our taxi could drive up a steep, muddy hill

When we finally arrived at the base of the mountain, it was like we were in a different world, one that was quiet and beautiful. We hiked around for three hours up there, having a blast. I felt like a little kid in a giant sandbox, playing around with the rocks, abandoned mining equipment, water, and climbing all over the place. It was peaceful up there on top of the world, looking down at everything! For this period of time, we were the tallest people in all of Liberia, Guinea, and Ivory Coast!

On the way down from the base of the mountain, in our taxi again, our seventeen or so year old driver decided to ride the brakes the whole way. Riding shotgun, I shared that when I drive down mountains I pump the brakes on and off so that they don’t overheat. The driver nodded. After a long pause of continual brake-riding, I inquired if the emergency brake worked, pointing to the lever. With a node he said “nope”. I then offered that when the brakes stop working to please use the engine to brake. Being the verbal communicator that he was, he nodded. A minute later when the smoke began billowing from the brakes, and they stopped working, I was delighted that we rolled down the mountain slowly and safely with our engine holding us back. The driver kept the brakes on anyway for reasons unknown to me. At the bottom, in the middle of no where, we stopped for an unplanned repair of the brakes for a while. Let’s just say that throwing cold water on them so that they warp or crack wasn’t a good way to start.

In time, a pickup truck came on by and offered a little boost. We were delighted to accept and go cruising in the back of the 4x4 down the two-track around the mountain. At the end we arrived back in the town at the base and were dropped off. While we waited for our taxi to return we talked with the crowd of 20 kids that assembled and the 20 some adults. Some of us played football (soccer), some talked with the moms, some talked with the various UNMIL, UN police, and Mittal Steel trucks that all stopped to see why there were white people hanging out on the street. Eventually our taxi arrived, and we headed back to our favourite restaurant two hours away, and to our guest house, and slept really well.

Returning home to Monrovia was a piece of cake. We found a Toyota 4 Runner and flew all the way home with our group of seven and one driver. It was the most space that we had had yet!
The trip was so much fun. We saw so much of what makes Liberia what it is- the people, the culture, the land, you name it. What made it so amazing was the company though. Our crew was easy going, incredibly patient, adventurous, encouraging, and down right fun. I am thankful to have made such excellent friends while being here. As we walked back up the port entrance to the ship again, we stopped again to pray, being thankful for a great journey.