There is a small problem with going to the beach in Liberia in June. It’s rainy season. Which means it rains pretty much every day.
This was a big part of why we decided to come for just the day. Not to mention we weren’t sure about the lodging situation. Most of the expats camp on the beach, but we had no gear. There is a resort – massive tents for $100 a night – but we’d heard it hasn’t been well maintained because of ownership disputes. So we figured we would go for the day, scope it out and come back later if we wanted to.
Of course, the instant we arrived in Robertsport at last, a light rain began. Unfazed I walked down the beach to check out the surfers, and was immediately surrounded by a pack of young boys. It wouldn’t be the first time. Half of them weren’t in school because their parents couldn’t afford it (I wasn’t able to figure out if they were public school and what they were charging for). The boys that were asked me to bring them science books and writing paper if I came back.
I promised my friend Craig (who lent me his copy of Sliding Liberia) I would at least attempt to surf this summer. Andrew, a fellow intern and avid surfer who brought three boards with him, let me take one out. My first problem was that I wasn’t paddling enough to get into the wave. The one time I did, I tried to stand up, at which point I watched the board fall from underneath me. Jacob and Maggie, two of my housemates, were equally successful in their attempts to slide Liberia.
Right about then Alfred walked over to check out what was going on. Alfred is quite literally Liberia’s first surfer, of Sliding Liberia fame (see the Robertsport back story below). He offered to give Maggie and me a surfing lesson, using his long board. Needless to say we jumped on the opportunity.
I wasn’t any more successful the second time. Still, getting a lesson from Alfred was super exciting. I can’t wait to get back there and try my hand at it again. Perhaps this weekend…
No comments:
Post a Comment