Ganta City

Red dust powders eyelids like kabuki theatre. Diesel fumes cling to their clothes. Through the night into the early morning they journey across dry riverbeds and rugged roads to be here.  These are the teachers who will guide Liberian children to the future.  Teachers and principals hitched rides in overcrowded cargo trucks, beat-up yellow taxis, and some walked on foot to make it to this ten- day workshop in Ganta City, Nimba County. My job was easy—monitor, evaluate, present new ideas, and give feedback. There is an overwhelming male majority, but I try to look fierce. I’m confident, but I don’t have wrinkles, gray hairs, or other elderly distinguishing marks. In a society that values maturity, I look like most of these teachers’ students. Being professional, arriving on time and cheerfully giving feedback helped make my stay in Ganta pleasurable. I stayed at the Hotel Alvino named after the hotel owner’s son. It is a newly constructed hotel with a complete bar and restaurant. The food is quite good, but slightly unimaginative. Jollof rice, fried chicken, fish, spaghetti, are all excellent dishes, but get boring after a few days. I suggest venturing out into the city to grab a bit of variety. G.B. is made from cassava flour and tastes a lot like fufu, but slightly harder. The city never sleeps and a nightclub adjacent to the hotel proves this at 5 a.m.. You can safely venture over the Guinean border to buy fresh produce, eggs, or a used car. Guinean taxes are remarkably low, thus Guinean investors buy cars that do not pass yearly inspections in Western Europe and export for sale in Guinea. They sell these less than stellar Nissans and Toyotas to eager West Africans. I recognize German bumper stickers on Liberian roads from my Berlin days.

“Ich bremse für Tiere“

or

‘I brake for animals.’

Guinea Road runs parallel to the Hotel Alvino and is a short twenty-minute walk to the border.  If you want to experience true adventure, charter a flat-bottomed raft across the Saint John River.  I recommend doing this during the dry season (October- April) when the river is at its lowest.

For a complete change of a pace make a side trip to the Methodist Compound, where you can buy crafts from people living and recovering from leprosy and tuberculosis. Some of the structures date back to the forties and sustained only superficial damage during the crisis. It is a worthwhile trip. A healthy person has little risk becoming infected by a brief visit, but it is best to check-in with the on-site staff and personnel.

Back on the main highway you can hitch a ride through Côte d'Ivoire into Burkina Faso. Most Monrovian traders worth their salt will buy at the port and drive their goods through Côte d'Ivoire into Burkina Faso for the final delivery. If you are strong and willing to ride on an overcrowded van through dry riverbeds and rugged terrains like the teachers and principals of Nimba County you can experience the true beauty of West Africa.