Weekend in Robertsport, Liberia.

Headed up to Robertsport for a couple days over the long weekend.  Sandy's been wanting to go, both to there specifically and to anywhere out of Monrovia on a non-work related trip.  Funny, when we first got the Liberia posting, and I showed the map to some Japanese teachers at school, they noticed Robertsport on the map - which is, actually, you know, "Robert's port" - so they were amused that it was "my" port.  Meant to be, clearly.  Robertsport has a rep in Liberia, at least amongst the expat/diplomat type folks, as a nice beach getaway.  And it's apparently developing a small but solid rep amongst the surfing community as an up and coming place to be.  I'd checked out the doc Sliding Liberia before I got here, so it was kinda cool to see it, just for that.

About a 2.5 hour drive, an hour and a half or so of which was on [surprisingly] good asphalt and concrete.  I'd imagined it worse, from the stories I'd heard, but I guess dry season is a much better time to go than rainy season.

But that last hour or so is on hard packed, potholed, dirt.  Which was... interesting.

50 kmph is a generous speed limit.  Though we did hit it once or twice.  But never for long.

This, too, is Liberia.

Rolling into Robertsport.

Can't really tell from the pics, but that's some serious caked on red clay and dirt.  Such is the life of the 'follow car.'  For a 2WD car built on a minivan base that only looks like an SUV, it handled damn well, I thought. 

Pot luck style lunch.  Tasty goodness.

Beach shots.  [Obviously.]

Sudoku goes everywhere.

Resting after a few hours in the sun and surf.

The hut that we used with the guest house that most of our crew stayed at.

Yes, we're still adorable.

Shot of the guest house.

Beautiful sunset...

...with beautiful ridiculous folks.

Evening repast.

Robertsport crew.

Look closely to find my shiny, shaved dome.  You know, I realized it'd been almost a year and a half since I'd been to the beach and swam in the ocean - despite living in a "beach town" in Japan.  [Just like in Hawaii, you take it for granted.  Or I have, at least...]  Forgotten how much I'd missed it.  Something about salt water and the beach that's just instinctual and primal and comforting, it feels like.  Though it may just be all the beach going I did when I was a little kid.

Liberian fishing canoe.

Long shot of the guest house.

As we had 4+ groups/couples, we didn't actually stay IN the guest house, but availed ourselves of our spiffy Pontiac Aztek Tent Kit that we picked up on ebay with our inflatable air mattress in the back.  Set up right outside the guest house.  Pretty comfortable, though next time we won't wait until dark to try and set it up.

Commons area inside the guest house.

Morning goats say good morning.

Cuteness.

"Awwwwww..."

Auto-timered full crew beach shot.  Well done, me.

Cynical bird does not support this message.  [Me either.]  But good pic, yeah?

We remain adorable.

Lagoon about a half hour's walk from where we stayed.

Obligatory Japanese Peace Sign.  Don't be jealous.

Sandy digs this pic.  [Me, too.]

Steep drop off about a foot into the lagoon necessitated goofy - yet highly enjoyable - jumping stupidity and photography.

Got this close to a church and did not burst into flames.  Clearly not trying hard enough.

The drive back.

Stopped at a Korean place in Monrovia on the way home... pretty damn good food.

And the solid metal chopsticks could kill a man, if used correctly.  Which I admire.  On an aesthetic level, of course.

Sandy enjoying her bibimbap.

And my Tteokgalbi, which was quite good.

One final stop before home, Monroe's Chicken for soft-serve.

And that's all she wrote...