Streets of Monrovia

So far, this blog’s mostly been about our family, home and nice outings. But what I see most of, every day, are Monrovia’s streets. Why no blog posts about them yet?

Well, I’ve tried to take photos, and every time there’s just so much not captured. So many buildings and people and movements that don’t fit into a single frozen frame. And the same goes with words, it’s daunting to try and describe all that richness of sights and smells and life in the words of the English language.

But I’ll try small-small, in a Liberian English expression.

Day-time
First, here are some pictures.

From our flat, one drives with Benson Street over the hill and then into town, below:

Benson Street roadside:


So, you can see, not much of high-rises: typically the buildings in central Monrovia are one, two or three storeys high. Dead electric cabling criss-cross above the streets like giant spider webs. There are still a couple of war-damaged buildings to be seen, and there's hardly a structure not looking a bit - or very - worse for wear. It's not terribly clean either.

But colourful, yes. There's all people milling about, the wares for sale, occasional trees, cars and egg-yellow taxis. Shops and homes are painted in bright colours, and were often designed with some elegance in mind. Colourful and, if you soften your focus a bit, beautiful too.

Most of the action happens on the street, and in small street-fronting stores. With sky-high unemployment, almost everyone’s out on the street selling, or else buying, procuring or organising; travelling to another market or district where something in particular can be found; or any combination of the above.

There are enough cars and taxis to make occasional traffic jams, but most people are on foot. Other popular means of transport are motorbikes, many serving as taxis; wheelbarrows for anything you want to sell on the move; and wooden carts for dragging along containers of drinking water, also for sale.

There really are all kinds of shops but the most ubiquitous are provisions stores (usually small but there are a few large supermarkets); clothing shops, selling cheap imports or gorgeous West-African outfits made by rows of dressmakers; computer stores; local restaurants; pharmacies (cheap & no prescription needed); and cow meat shops.

As for pavement stalls, some sections of street are dedicated mostly to fresh fruit and veg; others to cheap imported manufactured goods (from socks to ginger biscuits); and on the corner of Mechlin and Benson streets not far from our home, there’s smoked and salted fish, and fresh fish every afternoon and on Saturdays.

Evenings
The focus is on retail activity during the daytime, but during the last week I’ve had occasion to be out in the late afternoon and evening, and found myself in the midst of Monrovia’s very happening social scene, which is distributed over the same streets and pavements.

Now instead of the more business-like concerns of the day, people sit on steps or chairs, with family, friends and neighbours, and enjoy the evening together. There are a couple of guys and one girl in athletic gear, running up the hill of Benson street towards the ruined Masonic Grand Lodge. You can buy bits of roasted meat or mealies (corn). As traffic lessens, pedestrians on evening strolls take up more of the road space, and soccer balls get kicked across the street. Children hang out in groups or with their families. One consequence of small, crowded homes without electricity or TV, is evenings spent relaxing with others. A balmy climate helps, too.