Liberia--not Siberia

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From Swaziland we searched again, fully and futilely for a non-flight transport mode to get to west Africa… We found a pleasure boat ride that could take us from Cape Town as far as Angola and drop us off, and we heard that from Accra you can take a motorboat to Monrovia, but the journey takes about three days and sometimes the boat capsizes. Walking and hitching was seen and recommended as a certain death sentence. Even as we drove in a rental car from Mbabane, Swaziland’s capital, to Johannesburg airport we were advised to never pick up hitchhikers. We broke this rule a few times for an elderly lady first, and a young woman second, who was on her way to the town to do some shopping and appeared by the side of the road in the midst of arid, baking fields of weeds under the midday sun… Like many times, we would drive for thirty minutes or more without seeing any sign of houses or life and then encounter a pedestrian making his or her way to some unknown destination, some seeking a lift and some not.

Landing in Liberia’s only international airport is always kind of thrilling because the last hours of the plane journey take you only over impenetrable jungle and it looks as though you’re only getting nearer and nearer to the greenery as the plane lowers. Then lo and behold a runway appears, and you jolt downwards in a mildly graceless fashion.

Dad met us at the airport, leaving the rest of the crew at home, where it was only completely thrilling to be greeted by them all. Two new sisters of mine whom I hadn’t yet met. Ahoy! Hugs! Huzzahs! Pony rides!

We stayed three weeks, during which time my dad arranged for a wedding celebration for us at his new house by the ocean, south of Monrovia. Now we are both Sarco-Thomas! We planted about six avocado and mango trees around the property in honor of the occasion, and also brought an avocado “butterpear” (as it’s known there—but it sounds more like “butta pee-ah”) tree to the School of Prime Systems in Monrovia and planted it with the whole school’s help, after participating in a morning of TWIG activities with the oldest and youngest classes. The young kids were full of energy, learning all about ‘communities’ and how that includes people as well as plants and animals and even soil, air and rain which makes life possible. The older kids were a mixture of enthusiastic and switched-on, and too cool for school, but pulled together in the end as we used rhythm and copying to wiggle our way into making tree dances.

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Photos

the fantastic dancing menagerie
the life of our wedding celebration party-- jamming out to the DJ'ed tune of electronified djembes.

mango tree sunset
...behind full-grown mango tree.

butterpear dance
for schoolkids in Monrovia at Debbie Scoot's School of Prime Systems.

talking with the big kids
about global warming. A distant concept in some ways to the country with the world's largest percentage of virgin rainforest. (I think this fact is correct)-- mostly because of Liberia's relatively undeveloped industrial economy. All this is changing now, however, as both US and Chinese governments arrive to "mobilize" the diamonds, timber, gold and minerals in the interior, as well as the oil off the coast.

R and Margaretta
...my biggest little sister.

Chuchu and Misha
...my littlest little sister.

the Rockers
Maya and Margaret rock out.

our smart selves
...at the wedding celebration. Malaika's dad and Chuchu give their stamp of approval. 50 folks came to eat cake and see us plant more trees to seal the deal.