Hey friends and followers. I hope everyone is keeping well?
I'm now back in Freetown, Sierra Leone. I'm staying at the quaint hostel in the Aberdeen Area where I was before. It's fairly quiet as I type this latest travel update, whilst sitting on the balcony, overlooking the stone-strewn track that is meant to be some kind of road, but isn't!
I disappeared for a while, to Liberia, but also to Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in east Sierra Leone.
To get to this tropical island in the middle of the Moa River, I first had to take a shared minibus (Boda-Boda) from the edge of Freetown to Bo, the country's second largest city and a university town – students everywhere.
I travel to Bo with a Dutch guy named Arne, who'd I'd met when in Freetown. He was fun, very tall and we argued a lot about various topics! It past the time. We stayed at Sahara Hotel in Bo. An inexpensive establishment, about US$11 per night for a private room with a fan, plus a towel and a bar of soap. Breakfast was included. I stayed there on another occasion.
Arne was also heading to Liberia. He departed for the border the next morning. I took a shared taxi to the town of Poturo, which took about 90 minutes or so, and then an hour-long motorbike taxi ride to the village of Kambama. Once at the village, a local guy took me across the Moa River to Tiwai Island in a simple canoe.
There are 8 traditional villages surrounding the island, all on the side of the river. Tiwai is tropical with a large rainforest, which is a protected wildlife reserve and sanctuary.
Camping is available and also two simple guest houses: The former research lodge where I stayed and the Visitor Centre in the village. Meals are provided by the staff on the island for a fee. Breakfast is included in the price of a night's stay. Free, clean, drinking water is available on the island. It's possible to do several activities. I undertook a guided forest walk early the next morning and heard monkies calling to one another in a loud strange guttrall sound. Birds were also heard and frogs sang in the early morning. The noise the from made almost resembled a car alarm! The hour-long walk was fun. I had to step over several fallen logs and trees and tripped over many rough stones and tree roots. The narrow trails twisted every way and I stumbled along behind my guide, constantly going up and down with every step. The forest closed in on all sides several times.
Later the same day, I had a canoe ride around part of the island. It was delightful: very peaceful, almost silent apart from the occasional splash from the canoe's oar. After an hour in splendid peace, the guide paddled me over to the mainland, helped me out, pulled me up the steep rocky slope to Kambama village and, after a 10 minute wait, I took a motorbike back to Putoru Town and went onto Bo. The next day I joined a shared taxi of 6 people including the driver, and headed to Monrovia, capital and largest city of Liberia. The journey took roughly 6 hours, including time spent at both border crossings and several check-points. The shared taxi cost US$20 per person, one-way.
A Liberia tourist visa cost
US$100 and I arranged this in Freetown. I had to wait 7 working days to get the visa.
Upon arrival on the outskirts of Monrovia, I discovered it was a very noisy city! Music was booming from every bar and club, it being a Saturday evening. TV's seem to be blasting from every shop or restaurant. The roads were terrible: stones, rocks and pot-holes all over the roads! It was chaos, and that was just the taxi station! The motorbike ride into the city itself, was just as noisy and chaotic. The driver weaved in and out of other motorbikes, cars, trucks and all mannor of obsticles. I simply hung on! My destination was St. Teresa's Convent on Randal Street. This is, apparently, the cheapest place of accommodation in Morovia. All other guest houses and hotels are very expensive. Naturally, the motorbike driver couldn't find the location of the convent and had to ask several times. Eventually, it was found, but by this time, it was 9 in the evening. The staff at the convent weren't really expecting me, although one of my friends who was staying there, did mention I'd be coming.
St. Teresa's Convent is nice enough. Rooms are upstairs, with a kitchen on the ground floor. Free fresh water is available. Most rooms seem to be twins with 2 single beds. Bed sheets are provided, also a fan. There are 3 bathrooms with a sink, a toilet and a shower in each.
I plan to visit the 2 main churches in Monrovia, the Catholic Sacred Heart and the Prodistant Trinity, but the weather was so humid, I did almost nothing. The Dutch guy, Arne, who I'd travelled with before, told me about a newish restaurant down the street, called T Holy. Food was reasonably priced and they had free, good speed WiFi. So I based myself there for 3 days and researched. Eventually, I headed to Robertsport, 50 kilometres (32 miles) north of Monrovia. The shared taxi took about 4 hours to reach robertsport, again on farely bad roads. I stayed at the delightful and relaxing Philip's Guesthouse and was looked after splendidly by Philip and his young brother, Lisima. The guesthouse overlooks the main beach and on my first proper day in the peaceful town, Lasima and I headed down a grassy and rocky slope onto the soft sand. We walked about a kilometre in the warm air before finding a spot and sat on the gritty sand and chatted as I enjoyed the sound of the crashing surf.
Robertsport is a surfer's paradise. There are large waves and plenty of spots to ride them. Most of the locals surf. There are several things to do in and around the area: walk the long beach to a famous shipwreck, swim, surf, snorcle. Take a boat trip on nearby Piso Lake or go walking in the hills and mountains. It's a peaceful town. I spent most of my time lying in a hammack and listening to an audio book.
3 days later, I returned to Monrovia and its noise for one last night, before making a slow return back to Sierra Leone.
I fly back to the UK on 19th December.
Cheers, Tony :).
I'm now back in Freetown, Sierra Leone. I'm staying at the quaint hostel in the Aberdeen Area where I was before. It's fairly quiet as I type this latest travel update, whilst sitting on the balcony, overlooking the stone-strewn track that is meant to be some kind of road, but isn't!
I disappeared for a while, to Liberia, but also to Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in east Sierra Leone.
To get to this tropical island in the middle of the Moa River, I first had to take a shared minibus (Boda-Boda) from the edge of Freetown to Bo, the country's second largest city and a university town – students everywhere.
I travel to Bo with a Dutch guy named Arne, who'd I'd met when in Freetown. He was fun, very tall and we argued a lot about various topics! It past the time. We stayed at Sahara Hotel in Bo. An inexpensive establishment, about US$11 per night for a private room with a fan, plus a towel and a bar of soap. Breakfast was included. I stayed there on another occasion.
Arne was also heading to Liberia. He departed for the border the next morning. I took a shared taxi to the town of Poturo, which took about 90 minutes or so, and then an hour-long motorbike taxi ride to the village of Kambama. Once at the village, a local guy took me across the Moa River to Tiwai Island in a simple canoe.
There are 8 traditional villages surrounding the island, all on the side of the river. Tiwai is tropical with a large rainforest, which is a protected wildlife reserve and sanctuary.
Camping is available and also two simple guest houses: The former research lodge where I stayed and the Visitor Centre in the village. Meals are provided by the staff on the island for a fee. Breakfast is included in the price of a night's stay. Free, clean, drinking water is available on the island. It's possible to do several activities. I undertook a guided forest walk early the next morning and heard monkies calling to one another in a loud strange guttrall sound. Birds were also heard and frogs sang in the early morning. The noise the from made almost resembled a car alarm! The hour-long walk was fun. I had to step over several fallen logs and trees and tripped over many rough stones and tree roots. The narrow trails twisted every way and I stumbled along behind my guide, constantly going up and down with every step. The forest closed in on all sides several times.
Later the same day, I had a canoe ride around part of the island. It was delightful: very peaceful, almost silent apart from the occasional splash from the canoe's oar. After an hour in splendid peace, the guide paddled me over to the mainland, helped me out, pulled me up the steep rocky slope to Kambama village and, after a 10 minute wait, I took a motorbike back to Putoru Town and went onto Bo. The next day I joined a shared taxi of 6 people including the driver, and headed to Monrovia, capital and largest city of Liberia. The journey took roughly 6 hours, including time spent at both border crossings and several check-points. The shared taxi cost US$20 per person, one-way.
A Liberia tourist visa cost
US$100 and I arranged this in Freetown. I had to wait 7 working days to get the visa.
Upon arrival on the outskirts of Monrovia, I discovered it was a very noisy city! Music was booming from every bar and club, it being a Saturday evening. TV's seem to be blasting from every shop or restaurant. The roads were terrible: stones, rocks and pot-holes all over the roads! It was chaos, and that was just the taxi station! The motorbike ride into the city itself, was just as noisy and chaotic. The driver weaved in and out of other motorbikes, cars, trucks and all mannor of obsticles. I simply hung on! My destination was St. Teresa's Convent on Randal Street. This is, apparently, the cheapest place of accommodation in Morovia. All other guest houses and hotels are very expensive. Naturally, the motorbike driver couldn't find the location of the convent and had to ask several times. Eventually, it was found, but by this time, it was 9 in the evening. The staff at the convent weren't really expecting me, although one of my friends who was staying there, did mention I'd be coming.
St. Teresa's Convent is nice enough. Rooms are upstairs, with a kitchen on the ground floor. Free fresh water is available. Most rooms seem to be twins with 2 single beds. Bed sheets are provided, also a fan. There are 3 bathrooms with a sink, a toilet and a shower in each.
I plan to visit the 2 main churches in Monrovia, the Catholic Sacred Heart and the Prodistant Trinity, but the weather was so humid, I did almost nothing. The Dutch guy, Arne, who I'd travelled with before, told me about a newish restaurant down the street, called T Holy. Food was reasonably priced and they had free, good speed WiFi. So I based myself there for 3 days and researched. Eventually, I headed to Robertsport, 50 kilometres (32 miles) north of Monrovia. The shared taxi took about 4 hours to reach robertsport, again on farely bad roads. I stayed at the delightful and relaxing Philip's Guesthouse and was looked after splendidly by Philip and his young brother, Lisima. The guesthouse overlooks the main beach and on my first proper day in the peaceful town, Lasima and I headed down a grassy and rocky slope onto the soft sand. We walked about a kilometre in the warm air before finding a spot and sat on the gritty sand and chatted as I enjoyed the sound of the crashing surf.
Robertsport is a surfer's paradise. There are large waves and plenty of spots to ride them. Most of the locals surf. There are several things to do in and around the area: walk the long beach to a famous shipwreck, swim, surf, snorcle. Take a boat trip on nearby Piso Lake or go walking in the hills and mountains. It's a peaceful town. I spent most of my time lying in a hammack and listening to an audio book.
3 days later, I returned to Monrovia and its noise for one last night, before making a slow return back to Sierra Leone.
I fly back to the UK on 19th December.
Cheers, Tony :).