2025 Trip to Liberia Travel Log - Day 0
The Journey to Liberia – Travel Day
It takes a day (24 hours): Minneapolis to Chicago to Brussels, Belgium, to Monrovia, Liberia.
In the picture you might notice Don & Jeff, enthusiastic and well rested as the adventure starts in Minneapolis. But please focus on our custom corrugated travel luggage (aka cardboard boxes, wrapped in plastic shrink). “What’s in those boxes”, is what the customs agent in Liberia asked when we arrived at Roberts Field in Liberia. “Three sewing machines, miles of thread of different colors, about a thousand pencils, 500 pencil sharpeners, 200 5-color crayon sets, and 500 BIC pens with the school logo,..” You can imagine the customs agent has heard a lot of stories, and he wanted to see inside. After seeing a sewing machine and 400 pencil sharpeners in the first box he was convinced there would not be anything “of interest” and he let us go.
There were significant improvements at the airport compared to 2 years ago. For example, last time we walked down a staircase to the runway to exit the plane, took a bus (less than 50 yards) to the terminal and walked up 2 flights of stairs to reach health screening, immigration and customs. This time we exited through a jetway, just like at home! In the baggage claim area we found our luggage going around on a carousel, just like home! Last time there was a large area with a plane-load of baggage strewn across the floor…and we had to go find each piece and gather them together along with hundreds of other passengers.
Walter Cooper of M&M Shipping arranged for a car & driver for us. It’s first class service which includes person on the inside of airport security. Our guy, “Willie”, met us as we stepped off the plane and into the jetway. Then he guided us through the health, immigration, baggage claim, brought us through customs and delivered us to Owen, our driver. If you have ever been in an unfamiliar airport in an unfamiliar country, you can appreciate this service! Any of you that went on the Haiti mission trips know what I’m talkin’ about!
On the drive to the hotel, most of the way we were on a newly paved 4 lane road instead of a patchwork 2 lane road. A less exciting, but much appreciated improvement.
The hotel has added a wing since our last visit; we are looking out on the South Atlantic Ocean. In the picture taken from my room you can see the breakers just beyond the lagoon and the beach. We also have front row seats for the night’s (blaring) music at the bar below. All for $110/ night including a nice breakfast buffet. A little less than say, Sanibel Island in Florida. And here you can experience the Ghetto Boys' Bridge (which we will avoid on this trip).
I am pleased to report that there have been improvements since we visited 2 years ago. Tomorrow Owen will pick us up and we will make the 1+ hour drive to see Pastor Sylvester at The Light of the World Academy, Chapel, and Medical Clinic.
Stay tuned!