Part Four (Liberia)

After a very long Journey we land in Liberia, the task of getting through first immigration then customs was something you have to experience, finally we get our bags and head outside where a car was supposed to be waiting for us (supposed to be being to million dollar question) finally after 40 minutes or so the van turns up, we push or way through the crowds stow our luggage and we are off for the 50 minute drive to the hotel.



Five minutes from the Airport there is a car on its side in the middle of the road with a dead body laying next to it, people everywhere screaming and fighting, Cherie being a nurse says we should stop and help, our driver quickly says "no you never stop at accidents here" (the next morning we find out the guy on the road was indeed deceased and the driver of the vehicle was stone dot death by the mob, lucky we didn't stop.

Anyway 49 of the 50 minute drive to the hotel was in complete darkness all you could see was the occasional Liberian walking along the road, no power no town water no sewer system, so we have a plate of diarrhea sorry that came after the stuff that resembled food and off to bed, big day tomorrow.

Driver is waiting at the hotel at seven and after a really tasty breakfast ???? We are off to the job site, along the way a police man is standing tin the middle of the road with his had up for us to stop, our driver swerves and drives right past him, Cherie says "Thompson that police man wanted us to stop" we don't stop for the police in Liberia is the response, "surely we will get in trouble if we just drive by them" I say, Thompson quiet seriously says "they have no car no radio no gun and all the want is money, why should i stop, fair enough answer i guess. So we finally after a kidney jolting journey we arrive at the site, 13 acres with 26 old buildings, 20 Liberian workers and no tools, did i mention we have to build the 76 room 5 star hotel in less then one year! Wow this is going to be an easy project.

I should say before we arrived at the job site and having had the time in the daylight to see Liberia in all it splendor, Cherie and I were very dubious as to wether or not this was a place for us, the poverty the smell, all the streets were filled with trash the beaches were used as a toilet the heat and humidity close to unbearable, the turning point for both of us was when the current workers all came to meet us, the look of hope in their eyes was mesmerizing, how could we not come back here and help to make these people's life a little better if only for a short time.

Cherie and I spent 5 days in the country looking around searching for somewhere to live, (if we decide to take the job) getting a feel for the workers and the possible hurdles we will have to jump if we sign on.

I really wanted to take the position of project manager but am honestly concerned for Cherie's safety and unsure how to make the decision to move forward, as it turns out Cherie turned out to be the most resilient of all of us and i should have never been worried about her, I called the company in the States told them i would take the job and i would need Cherie to be my office manager (which also turned out to be much more involved then it sounds)

We find an apartment which although not yet finished it's remodel seems like it will fit the bill (I will fill you in Later how that went) sign a contract tell the owner we will be back in 3 weeks, yes we had three weeks to pack up our lives and head to Liberia.

So back on a plane, Liberia to Brussels to New York to a taxi to another airport in New York to Denver total 50 hours, loving the flights to and from West Africa.