Friday 22 February 2013

The forests of Sierra Leone & puzzling Monrovia, Liberia

Ollie's new pilot

The cool thing about touring is that you never know what lies within the next kilometre .... or as Forest Gump might say "Cycle-touring is like a box of chocolates".

Such was the case of Sierra Leone. I expected the worst but encountered a country pleasantly different.  10 years on from a bloody civil war and to the ignorant passer by, its not so obvious a war has occurred. General security was no different to former countries (In fact the police/ military were even more relaxed) The roads were reasonable with many new ones just completed (partly thanks to the EU surprisingly ... God bless the Germans again!)  The culture and people were similarly relaxed with maybe a degree or so more agitation about the place ....  and what about the amazing scenery  ..... rolling tropically forested hills meeting silken beaches on the Freetown peninsula.


Freetown Beaches

Freetown had the most buzzing of maniac markets yet experienced where we called into the Irish Consulate to meet comical Ray from Dublin. His view was that if you grow up sleeping beside a generator your gonna have a high tolerance for noise (blazing loud music is a must as well as beeping your horn like crazy for no reason!)  There were a few more amputees than expected about Freetown where I witnessed the craziest thing yet - a guy in a wheelchair hitching a lift off the back of a lorry at 25kmph. (You see crazy stuff  everyday here but that was a special one)

Africa in general is not for the faint hearted but this part of Africa seems especially unprepared for tourism. Visited the mega relaxed Tiwal Island on the way to Liberia to catch an early morning glimpse of some chimps. I also managed to catch the national popstar 'Willie Jay' in concert in a town called Mile 91 – you thought Boyzone were bad at miming in Trim Community Centre!

Liberia, at first it seemed little different to Sierra Leone. The same shocked looks and comments at 2 Paddies and a petite Dutch lady on bag jammed bikes stopping occasionally for roadside rice, cassava leaf, oranges and bananas. (variety is the spice of life eh!) 

Then Monrovia,  like a Star Trek transporter to a different world, a plastic replica of an American city. Broad streets and grided avenues filled with SUVs, American styled sidewalks and signage. People speaking in an American accents and the few ATMs that could be found dishing out US dollars instead of the local currency.

Unlike Sierra Leone, things in Liberia are less stable. I don't think there has been any War Crime Tribunals and some participants in the war are still in positions of power. The presence of thousands of UN troopers partly explains why everything is bizarrely expensive. The roads are worse and there is even fewer places to access money or internet.

Little display of any African identity through clothing or language. Ironically, it seems that the absence of a colonial power resulted in a void sense of nationalism. (They never had to unify to fight for independence). The indigenous locals were always second class to the freed settling slaves such that indigenous culture was suppressed until war broke out.

Encountering the most extreme of social divides yet with high levels of illiteracy and poverty - getting serious hassle walking down the street with people looking for all kinds of assistance. That uncomfortable feeling when people are way too excited to meet you ... this is not the place for a white man to relax!

Soon to depart Monrovia and for Ivory Coast - the faster you cycle, the cooler it is!  Having trouble fixing punctures in the heat - an uneasy reality. It seems we are likely to end up going back into Guinea as apparently the Liberian Ivory Coast border is closed.

Still enjoying the company of Cycling Cindy and we have just been joined by Yves from France - a legendary 120,000 km on his bike touring CV.

Getting accustomed to the West African culture at this stage ….. and presupposing that the remaining African countries may not be wildly different in culture … starting to consider calling it a day before we reach Nigeria (if we make it that far!)

Distant glimpse of chimp in Tiwal Island, Sierra Leone (copyright Cindy!)

Tree Mushrooms in Tiwal

Laundry in Tiwal

Cycling shoes absolutely toxic at this stage

Transport to Robertsport, Liberia

Robertsport, Liberia

Tiwal Island

Road to Tiwal

Road to Liberian Border

One of many funny road signs Sierra Leone




and u thought Nobber was a bad name for a town!

On way into Freetown

Freetown market madness

Sierra Leone Uganda round trip

Ollie & Cindy in Freetown

Fan pointed at the TV under the watchful eye of a Guinness

Sierra Leone secondary road

Camping Freetown Beaches

Lots of kids spend their days breaking up stones

Cindy yoga positioning for a photo near Freetown



Collecting Palm Wine


Moa River Sierra Leone

Kids chasing Cindy Sierra Leone

Mud Wall House Building

Bamboo Tree Sierra Leone

Big Ass Roots Tiwal Island

More crazy roots Tiwal

Smoking Fish

Upside down tree

Pet monkey, Sierra Leone

God Bless BBC World Service

Well  in Sierra Leone


Football Pitch in the river!


Conakry, Guinea

Monrovia Sunday afternoon

More cheap religious accommodation, Monrovia



Early morning rise to escape the stalkers in Guinea

Music from 4 saw blades

A new friend

Another new friend

Markets near Conakry, Guinea

Celebrity status stopping for food

I forget where!