An Unforgettable Adventure
I don't even know where to start describing this trip, but I will certainly give it a try.
On May 22, the plan was that we were to leave ELWA at 7:00 am and make our way to a very small and remote village, to preach and offer encouragement to. The goal was to make it to the end of the road (literally) by 4:00 pm, where we would have an hour and a half hike into this village, including getting in a canoe to cross a river. Thus our adventure begins!
At 7:45 am we pulled out of the ELWA campus. The farther out of Monrovia we got, the more it started to rain. Soon we were driving through puddles, mud and ruts that were bumber deep!
We came across many interesting bridges along the way, but ran across a little problem when our first vehicles tires slid off the logs on one of the bridges.
After much debate and moving logs in to fill in holes, we were able to pull the
vehicle out. Then the challege came of getting both vehicles across safely.
Inch by inch the driver was directed across.
Forty-five minutes later, we all celebrated that both vehicles were across safely!
Hoping that was the last of the log bridges, we continued on, to find a second one not too far down the road!
The problem this time, is that first of all its getting dark. Second of all, the wheel base of our first vehicle fits ok over the logs. However, our second vehicle's wheel base does not.
If we would try to cross it, you are also adding a bad combo of wet/slimy tires with wet/slimy logs.
As the first vehicle crosses the second bridge, I take note of the time... 6:56 pm!
We didn't quite make our 4:00 deadline!
Once we figured out we could not get the second vehicle across, we had to figure out what to do next. We were still about 20 minutes from the end of the road where we would start our hike. As we were discussing options, I overheard a Liberian next to me saying that the hike wasn't going to take one and a half hours, but THREE hours! Oh boy... this could be interesting.
Everyone agreed that they would be willing to hike, even if it was in the dark, so we did a shuttle run with the first vehicle, getting everyone to the end of the road, while we left the second vehicle at the bridge.
Our hike finally started at 9:30 pm through the forest of Liberia. We all were carrying our backpacks on our backs and flashlights in our hands. Within 5 minutes into the hike we come across some water. The African women just take off their sandals, walk right through and keep going. Well all of us had on our tennis shoes or hiking boots (yes with our skirts, real cute I know!) on and we really didn't want to walk through and have wet shoes for the next three hours, so we took our time balancing our way across the two small logs that were there.
Well, about 15 minutes later we find more water in front of us, but this time we don't have an option of logs or keeping dry, so we said, "ok... looks like we're gonna have wet feet." At that point the water depth was about ankle deep.
Five minutes later.... mid calf deep.
Five minutes later... knee deep...
...waist deep. (no joke)
All this time we are balancing ourselves over and through little log bridges that are there, but made for when the water is at a lower level. Keep in mind I was also carrying my backpack full of camera equipment... so all these bridges plus 40 pounds of extra weight was throwing my balance off a bit! The most commom question I heard that night was, "Does your insurance cover this??"
My answer, "I have no idea!"
