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Sunday, May 31, 2009

On Dogs, Peepee, and Peepee Like Dogs


A lot of handwritten signs are noticeable on walls all over town, warning people of dogs, and imploring/shaming people not to urinate on the walls or other locations. This sign bridges the two topics, equating a public urinator with a dog.

Public urination/defication is actually a common issue and problem. Driving around town, it is really normal to see men with their back turned to the street, pissing in to the grass or on a wall. Sometimes, their back isn't even turned. Its gross, of course, but its also one of those cultural issues that is easy to look down upon without examining the circumstances which cause the phenomenon (like a lack of public restrooms, running water, or other alternatives).

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Kakata

In doing some research on procuring raw materials, especially white river sand (top photo), which locals call "Swamp Sand", and bamboo, I made it up to Kakata today, which was fairly interesting. I was only there for about an hour to find something to eat, and there wasn't much activity on the streets, I came across one little neighborhood of solid homes with well-tended lawns and plantings. I was the only non-Liberian in town at the time, as far as I could tell.






Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The View from the Krystal Oceanview



They don't call it Krystal Oceanview for nothing.


Even if you don't stay there, or aren't particularly hungry, the veranda of the Krystal Oceanview, at the north end of Mamba Point above the area called Johansen, it worth a visit. The vista across the opening of Mesurado Bay is pretty stunning any time of day, with boat traffic in and out of the Freeport, and on a clear day you can see well past Virginia (the shall of the Hotel Africa is clearly visible) toward Bomi County. Sunsets here are fantastic.