Chapter Three: So this is Liberia

I am not too sure what I expected to find in Liberia. I think I felt that there was going to be a lot of novelty but still a lot of familiarity as well. I must say they have come a long way since the civil wars that devastated the country but things are a little rough. By the time I exited the airport it was nighttime so I did not get to see much of the landscape. Which is unfortunate because the drove from the airport is breathtaking. I got to know the pempem( motorcycle taxi) pretty quickly. I also became familiar with the pedestrians. There are very few crosswalks and most people do not even use them. So what happens is that you find more people in the street than cars. It can became pretty chaotic and if you even hit one the pedestrians you will be paying for them for the rest of their lives. On my first full day in Monrovia I unfortunately saw something that really bothered me. I was on my way to a family friend's luncheon and on the right side of the road I saw this little girl leaving her group of friends and squatting besides the road. She was just peeing like it was no big deal. People were walking around her and it didn't bother her. This is how people can get sick. I was already a little paranoid because I did not take my typhoid fever shot( i do not recommend this) but this image made me even more paranoid. I became those people who are constantly washing their hands, purell in my pocket and hand wipes never left my side. Yes I became that girl. I am embarrassed to say. The first week in Liberia I was terrified that I was going to get sick because I did not get my vaccine. I would have enjoyed my first week better and my entire trip if I was not so paranoid about the fever. There were a lot of high points, Liberia is an extremely beautiful country. All i saw was green hills that contrasted with the congestion downtown. The Atlantic ocean was always a sight to behold. I also loved seeing chickens in the street again. You don't realize how much you miss seeing chickens until you see chickens again. It was like I was reliving my childhood. Yeah, I know a little odd.



Chicken, how i missed you.