The RAIN!

Oh my goodness...Everything Everyone has said about Liberian Rain is true! The "Rainy Season" is insane!

So beautiful! And really I could post photos (but the internet has been prohibitive) and well it is RAIN! Constant RAIN!

And truly - May to November: HA! It is amazing there is anything left after the rain comes - CRAZY. Of course being indoors under tin roofing only adds to the sound - the sound from the pitter patter of light rain to the constant white noise beating of the roof when the torrents descend for hours on end.

So beautiful I can't express - and tenacious at the same time - constant CONSTANT: you think the rain is over, you even see that distant star they call the sun, and there is a mist on your face  - it is still RAINING!

The more I think I about it the more it sorta spooks me - what this land would be like if not populated and "industrialized." Even with 1.1 million folks in the "metro" area - the rain still takes away the soil and the land - it is constant - and it still washes everything away leaving debris in sand along the new rivers and streams it creates. I just wonder if this peninsula would even be here if not for the concrete and asphalt covering. OUt in the jungle you hear reports and see photos of the dirt roads turning into red mud rivers - I mean FEET OF MUD -- unbelievable and so magical and natural at the same time.

Ironically, I expected an increase in bugs - but the rain even deters BUGS - mosquitoes don't have a chance since it is constantly raining! Ants and other critters are kept at bay, and lucky me I have not seen a spider since my return. But for some reason flies FLIES are abundant and here in the house we all keep a fly swatter attached to our hip like police man carries a gun.

Though these snails appear and they are just so beautiful! And so large (and local food item).

Of course the dissonance between expats and locals becomes obvious when discussing rain. Expats will drone on and on about the grey days, and the bad roads, and being stuck in their homes, and how they need to "get out" or they are going to go crazy. The constant whining from people about the rain makes my head hurt - I tend to turn it off, I empathize for sure FOR SURE - but truly most of the time expats just need something to whine about. The best really is everything still works - for those of us in the city - so there are no major dilemmas - planes still land and take off and food is still available.

In fact even more food is available because it is a big season for produce pumpkin (squash) and cucumbers, and tomatoes, and eggplant are all in season! Even litche is in season - so much goodness!

Pumpkin (squash), Paw Paws (Papaya),
and Butter Pear (Avocado)

All these items came from the Jungle!
The cucumbers are huge and tasty, love it!

And of course the Liberians have lived through the rain for the past um ....HUNDREDS of YEARS - and at least 183rd since they have been a democracy and guess what it still rains - in fact these folks have been in war with themselves for 20 years including rainy seasons! So far be it from to judge those who whine on...

Even more so are the few foreign journalists who stop by Liberia snap a few photos and talk to some expats and then create opinionated articles about how the government is not doing enough - I am sure, proper roads benefit everyone...

Here is a post from the economist - and as much as I enjoy the economist I was discouraged by this post - truly I tell you spirits are higher here than this post portends...

economist blog post

And yes eggs may be 50 cents out in the countryside - but why is anyone delivering eggs (I believe the estimate is 80% of eggs are imported from India) along muddy roads for 14 hours anyway? There is plenty of food out in the jungle - in fact it is called the BREAD BASKET of Liberia. And yes , petrol is $9US, if I was a business owner I would raise prices and take advantage of all the expats traveling out there as well - let alone how many hours did it take the petrol truck to get to the jungle?

And yes, there are issues, rising flood waters, water born illnesses - yes, but again, the rain was here first.

So glad I got to witness the rainy season in full effect this year - luscious, tenacious, spirited  all the signs of life and that the earth and Africa are still ALIVE!