Monrovia

8 JANUARY 2023

It is Sunday morning, and I have been watching the church goers pass the taxi rank in their wonderful attire. The women are dressed in fantastic outfits - beautifully designed dresses with matching head gears.

The children and men are equally dressed up for the weekly service. Opposite the taxi rank is a wooden church building from which is coming rousing joyous singing and the loud enthusiastic voice of the preacher. It's great entertainment as I wait for the car to fill up with passengers so that we can begin our journey to the border and on to Monrovia.

Crossing the border to Liberia
I took a shared taxi from Bo to Monrovia for Le300,000. This was by far the best way to navigate the border crossing and travel arrangements. We drove along the tarmacked road all the way to the border passing check points along the way, which the driver navigated with good humour and when needed, some payments. At the border, a friendly policeman stamped my passport with the exit stamp. Randomly, I had to show my yellow fever certificate and have my temperature taken at the health room, before walking through the gates of Sierra Leone, across the bridge over the river Morro to the gate leading into Liberia. Here I was asked to show my passport at a window for arrivals. This was stamped by another welcoming policewoman and then I was issued through to the custom’s department. The taxi driver had unloaded our bags; I was just asked a few questions and did not have to show any of my belongings. We then all walked through into the Liberia section of the border area. Here I changed my Leon for Liberia dollars. This was very confusing as the Liberian dollar is fluctuating daily in value and no one could really say its true value. I had to trust that I was getting something like a fair rate - it's necessary to have some local currency for onward transport on arrival in Monrovia.

The drive to Monrovia was along a much narrower road which was not as well maintained as the one on the Sierra Leone side. Nevertheless, we travelled quickly as there was little traffic until we got into the capital. The roads were edged with natural forest land and small villages. Every where we stopped along the way, vendors came to the windows of the car to sell food and drinks. The passengers bought grilled cassava and plantain - specialties of Liberia. They all seemed more relaxed and jovial about coming into this country. There were long conversations about the currency exchange, economies of the neighbouring countries and the struggles of the people. All the other passengers were involved in business or visiting family across country borders.

The taxi stopped at the rank in Duala where I joined a fellow passenger in a keke and headed for the centre of town.

We pulled up outside the Palm Hotel, an address I had of a potential stay. It was closed and not in operation.

Luckily I’d spotted another place around the corner - Diana Hotel. I checked into here for 90 US per night which I could pay by credit card. The hotel is owned by a Lebanese family and the down stairs restaurant served amazing Lebanese food. What a way to finish an adventurous day entering another incredible country..