アフリカにあるアメリカ。リベリア自転車旅13日間。

アフリカにあるアメリカ。リベリア自転車旅13日間。

This is a 13 day trip through Liberia. It starts with trouble and ends with trouble. I realized how difficult it is to travel around Africa by bicycle. A slum on the water. Delicious Liberian food. Drink with locals every day. My bicycle broke and I mostly traveled on foot.

There is a world of charm that can only be discovered on a bicycle trip. So let’s go! It’s a river! Cross this bridge to Liberia! The current location is on the border between Ivory Coast and Liberia in West Africa. I will now begin my 10th African bicycle trip to Liberia. I entered Liberia.

The price of a Liberian visa varies greatly depending on where you obtain it. In conclusion, the Liberian Embassy in Ivory Coast was the cheapest. Visa fee is 60 USD. After getting my Liberian visa, I loaded my bike onto a long-distance bus and headed to my current location.

I want to exchange currency. Liberian dollar. I’m currently configuring the SIM card. It’s confusing. The Liberian dollar is also called Liberty. First, you can choose between Liberty payment and US dollar payment. The amount of internet packets differs depending on the payment method.

And the shop said, “Currently, I can only create an account in US dollars, but is that okay with you? “said. But I don’t have American dollars right now. The store replied, “1000 Liberian dollars equals 5 American dollars.”

The interesting thing about Liberia is that there are Liberian dollars and American dollars, and there are also two bank ATMs. This is a very helpful system for travelers, as American dollars are an essential item when traveling to Africa.

When you come to Liberia, you can get enough American dollar cash. (ATM fee 7.5 USD) The voucher for purchasing the Internet says 1 USD. Peel off the sticker and use the number that appears to top it up. Total data, 6.5GB.

By the way, if you pay in American dollars when shopping, your change will be in Liberian dollars. I’m leaving. Now let me explain about Liberia. stop! Big problem. No good. Impossible. I can’t pedal. My bike broke again. The hub is broken. Please take a look.

This is what it looks like even though I took the brake off. The tires don’t spin. Oh my god! African quality? Anyway, the quality is completely different from European quality! This is the part I replaced last week, but I can’t believe it’s this bad…

Apparently there’s a bicycle shop in a village on the border. I’ll try pushing my bike for now. But even that is difficult because the tires won’t turn. this? It doesn’t look like a bicycle shop.

I managed to get back to the village on the border, but in the end, the bike was not repaired. The bolt was not bent, but a part called the bearing cup was broken. I was surprised that it broke in just a week.

After all, the bearing cup was not a part that needed to be replaced. This time I learned that I should replace the entire hub. Due to my Liberian visa, I am only allowed to enter the country once, so I cannot return to Cote d’Ivoire to buy parts.

Since I couldn’t push my bike anyway, I decided to take a shared taxi from here to Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. But if I leave now, I’ll arrive late at night.

After arriving, I would not be able to find a place to camp or move, and I would not be able to sleep there until the morning arrived. I wanted to avoid that at all costs, so I took a taxi that left at night and arrived in the morning.

The fare is 4,500 Liberian dollars (24 USD) including bicycle. I had dinner here before leaving after loading my luggage. This taxi trip was also full of problems. Due to the poor condition of the taxi, I was only able to travel a third of the way. I have to change cars here. sleepy! Huge heavy rain. After a long drive, I arrived in Monrovia.

It’s 9 o’clock this morning, and I’m in front of the bicycle shop. Eight hours have passed and it’s 5pm. We were able to complete all repairs, including the major repair of replacing the hub and maintaining the front tire . All for 40 USD.

I spent a lot of money, but I can’t help it. The cost so far has been 32 USD by taxi and 40 USD by bicycle. Do you consider this price expensive? What is certain is that you can get better things for the same amount of money in developed countries. But this is Africa.

Just like buying water at the top of a mountain costs 5 USD, here you have to give up your sense of cost performance to some extent. This meal costs 1.4 USD. good morning. This is my place to stay in Monrovia.

It’s a rich family’s house. It is a vast site with about three houses. I’m camping there. goat. This is the toilet and bathroom. It is rare that there is a toilet seat. There is no hot water in the shower. Having a shower head is great.

But can you see it? Shower head is broken. The price per night here is… 10 USD. Accommodations in Monrovia are expensive. If you stay at a regular hotel, the cheapest price is 30 USD. So it’s great to have a safe place to sleep for just 10 USD.

The Embassy of Ghana is located in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. I am now going to apply for a Ghanaian visa. Normally, you would have to complete the application form online. But I couldn’t finish it because there were so many difficult items. So I start by negotiating, “Can I still get a visa?”

The result of my Ghana visa application… I was able to do it! The cost is 70 USD. I came to Liberia for this. I am very happy. Received in 2 days. I will enjoy my stay in Monrovia! Palm butter! 250 Liberty (1.4USD). This is a place called Frederick Island in Monrovia.

Now I’m going to the slums on the water. A terrible road. This is the route. Homes on the water can be found in several major cities around the world. Mostly it is an area where the very poor live, except in Venice, Italy. So why did people choose to live on water?

An overview of Liberia. An area for people who live on the water. I found this place on a satellite photo. Today is a free day where I can put my stuff down and explore. That’s why I came.

Liberia is a West African country on the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Click here for the area. However, there is essentially only one paved road in the country. This was a surprise. Like the national flag, this country is influenced by America.

The name of the capital, Monrovia, comes from the then American president, James Monroe. The country was founded in 1847 by African immigrants to America. The idea that “people freed from slavery will build a free country” is reflected in the country’s name.

However, African immigrants discriminated against the indigenous African people who lived in this area, and continued dictatorship and corruption for a long time. Then a civil war broke out that lasted about 10 years. Refugees flocked to the capital in search of safety and work.

When they ran out of places to live in the capital, they started building houses on the river. Currently, it is a slum town on the water where about 100,000 people live. Is that the name of the district? -Yes. My pronunciation is very bad. -I like it.

The official language is English, but Liberian English has a unique pronunciation like this. Please enjoy that in the video as well. Let’s go to the floating slum “New Matadi” in Liberia! It’s rainy season now. During the dry season, water runs out. Is it accessible for motorbikes?

There seems to be a different entrance than the way I came. I have to leave my bicycle behind. This is the route. Apparently this is a church with Academy written on it. I parked my bike here… Yeah, well, let’s go back without staying too long. It’s like an obstacle course.

Mini market on the water. Houses made of corrugated iron are artistic. Is this a dead end? It’s amazing to live in a place like this. This house is in ruins. where are you going? There is no root! Friendly locals. Shortcut. I was surprised at how deep it was.

Just walking around. Return to Academy Church. I park my bicycle there. -Yeah. you have to go through this. This way? thank you. Speaker here? Is there electricity? No, it’s solar powered. But there are power lines. Look, there. It’s completely one-way. So this is the passing lane. TV antenna. This is the bathroom.

Lots of water! Full of energy. At first I thought I would be discriminated against, but I don’t feel that way in this area. “White people! White people! ‘It’s not here. “China! ‘It’s not here. People from surrounding countries say it like a greeting. I want to go back to my bicycle.

Can I go there? from here? no. -This way? I see. I think I should go back. this! thank you. Everyone is kind. Children often begged me for money in this way. But that’s not the case here. They just approach innocently. Came here for a beer after the Waterside District.

By chance, he treats me to something. What’s your name? -I’m Benedict. I’m ASAHI. Club Beer (Liberia’s No. 1 beer) This must be delicious. Local steak! I was able to successfully obtain a Ghanaian visa. Officially it takes 5 days. That’s why the ambassadors in Monrovia work very quickly.

Applying for this visa was the most complicated part of my trip to West Africa so far. For example, a flight ticket. I have submitted an itinerary with a map in lieu of a Liberian visa in lieu of Liberian residency. Screenshot of booked hotel instead of host information.

With the ambassador’s advice, I was able to obtain a visa. I’m leaving Monrovia now. I’m looking forward to experiencing a different Liberia. Motorcycle taxis in Liberia are equipped with umbrellas. It’s probably an essential item. It was raining heavily this morning as well. chaos! The garbage on the right is terrible!

A typical West African scene. 30km from Monrovia. A peaceful landscape. I’m hungry. Take a break. what is this? -*****. Can I see it? steak? meat? -No, *****. This is a shellfish. Suck it! Something like River snail. Spicy seasoning. I’m not in the mood for this right now. What is this? -*****.

How much each? -10 Liberian dollars (0.05USD). I’ll get two. What’s this. banana! Banana Cake! delicious. After all, village markets like this are the most fun. Isn’t it fresh? No, it’s fresh! -When did you make it? today! Are they all the same? – Palm wine. palm. -No. Piassava wine. It’s not palm wine.

Isn’t it a palm? – No, it’s not a palm. It grows in swamps. Palm wine, but not palm. Called Piassava in Liberia, it is a drink made from the raffia palm. Very sour. A different wine, Piassava wine. If you want to make palm wine, go to a palm oil tree.

If you want to make Piassava, go to the swamp. So this grows in swamps. Generally speaking, palm wine is the sap extracted from palm oil trees. Dates, coconuts, and raffia are also palms. You can make different palm wines. I bought one. 100 Liberian dollars (0.5USD). I buy soursop.

Next. It’s a fruit called soursop. Contrary to its appearance, it tastes like an apple or kiwi. One of my favorite fruits in West Africa. I have arrived at my destination today. 65km from the capital. The time is 7pm. It’s time to decide where to sleep.

If possible, I would like to camp under a roof. I was cycling while thinking about this. Today I’ll stop somewhere around here. I camp in a tent. Where do you camp and sleep? where? Can I borrow your place? -A place to camp? For example, this is a good place for me. -Camping?

OK? -Yes. Bathroom. I can sleep in a safe place again today. Heavy rain as expected. It’s been a great help. I was able to sleep safely and soundly without getting wet in the rain. breakfast. thank you. looks delicious. delicious! lever. It’s so delicious. Is that a plastic bag? -Yeah. This is a small gift from me. Soursop. You don’t have to do that. No, you should take it. For you and your family. Understood. thank you. Thank you for your help. You go. Will you come back here? someday. someday. I’ll be back someday. The rain has finally stopped. It’s already 2pm.

It was really helpful, thank you very much. I had my bicycle maintained three days ago. However, there is a problem again. Do you have a chain? For bicycles? Do not have. How about adjusting the chain here and going to town to buy a new one? yes. Remove one chain.

The chain is too old and is causing the phenomenon of tooth skipping. But the new chain isn’t here, it’s in a town 20km away. So I’m going to remove one piece of the chain here and shorten it. 300 Liberian dollars (1.6USD). I’ll tell you the results first. It didn’t get fixed here.

Please watch the video of the teeth flying. Even when I press the pedal, it doesn’t move much. The number one cause is the chain being too stretched. If you shorten it, it may be a temporary fix. But actually…the problem wasn’t there, it was somewhere else.

This is another big issue, so I’ll talk about it later. By the way, aren’t there too many people? I was always worried about my camera and never took videos like this. In situations like this, people often ask for money. You need to give me money for smoking and eating. I’m begging.

You don’t leave me for nothing. At least a small one. Give me something to eat. -No. I’m begging. you won’t die please. It’s not a joke, right? – No, seriously. I’m asking politely. -You are a very rude man. I hate you. Repairs are complete.

When I left there, they begged me for money…they were too persistent. No, not at all. It’s not fixed. Anyway, TOTOTA with 20km left. The chain isn’t working at all. This sound! Dangerous. It doesn’t move even when I pedal. So I will walk another 20km. Sunset is almost here. I’m camping somewhere.

The expense to adjust the chain was a waste of money. Palm wine? I wonder if I can camp here today? How much is it? price. I know the taste. How much is it? -100 Liberian dollars. Half a liter. this? – Yes, it feels like that. But how much is that?

50 Liberian dollars. -That’s a good price. I’ll get it. Not here. I feel like I’m not really welcomed. do you sleep here? Sorry, say it again. do you sleep here? yes. Actually, I’m looking for a place to camp. Do you want to sleep indoors? – No, I don’t have enough money.

So sleeping in a tent is okay for me. Under shelter if possible. Porch? Or down here. -Yes. Porch. It’s inside the porch. Like a gate? here? This space? -Yes. Are you ok? Camp here? -Yes. I’ll take this away and put it inside. Bring your bike here, camp, and go.

Actually, my bike broke today… the chain broke and I can’t pedal any more. So tomorrow I will walk to TOTOTA and have it repaired. good morning. I slept indoors yesterday too. It’s a building that looks like a storeroom. 9am. It’s still raining. The clouds are big and thick. Liberia’s rainy season is intense.

The chain has been broken since yesterday. I will walk another 15km to TOTOTA. I’m leaving. I arrived at the entrance to town. Excuse me. Where is the bicycle shop? I can’t understand most of the conversations. Liberian English is heavily accented. Anyway, on the right side. He said something like a police station. There’s something like a mechanic shop nearby. That’s enough information. 500 Liberian dollars. 500 Liberian dollars is approximately 2.6 USD.

Chains are usually parts that cost over 10 USD, so the price is a bit worrying. Comparing the two, it was definitely time to replace it, but this didn’t fix the problem. But after a few days, this chain gave me an even bigger problem. Chain replacement completed. The problem hasn’t been fixed.

I press the pedal hard… and it spins idly. Is this part called the sprocket not meshing? That’s not it. But sprockets are not sold here. Anyway, this is a bigger bicycle problem than I expected. Take a taxi or bus…? I don’t want to spend too much money. A bicycle shop owner said this.

“I’ll pay you, so go to GANTA.” I can take a taxi to GANTA. Honestly, I had just announced that I was going to walk and left. As I walked to the edge of town, a man on a motorcycle chased me from behind. He said, “Wait, I’ll call a car.”

Thank you for your kindness. Not GANTA. I will go to the town at 70km point, half of that distance. Arrived. This is Gbarnga. It’s already sunset, 7 o’clock. It took about an hour to travel 70km by car.

There was a police station next to where I got off, so I went there to ask if I could camp tonight. “No problem” said the police. After pitching my tent, I headed into town for dinner. Locals call it “Cow-Sup,” a rice bowl of beef innards stew. This is seriously delicious.

Even in small villages, someone is always selling this dish. I ate it every day. Even when I searched for Liberian food, I couldn’t find it. Even in the capital I could not find it. Nor could it be found in neighboring countries Guinea and Ivory Coast.

So maybe this is a local dish only found in Liberia. good morning. In the morning, I was asked if I wanted to take a shower, so I borrowed it. I’m going to fix this problem today.

I heard that there is a bicycle shop in this city as well, so I will go there first. If it doesn’t get fixed there, I’ll have to go to GANTA. FUFU. Cassava! Can I see it? fish soup. Breakfast before going to the bicycle shop.

This is a food made from processed potatoes such as cassava and yams. This type of “potato mochi” is found in each African country, and each has a different name. It’s called FUFU here. Food made from cassava. Cassava is the raw material for tapioca, so this is a giant tapioca. delicious!

The soup stock is very rich. 100 Liberian dollars (0.5USD). Best breakfast. Bicycle shop! This signboard has a design that makes it look like they also sell sprockets. But even if I replace it, I don’t know if this problem will be fixed. no. This is a part called sprocket. This is a 7 speed.

Only 6 speeds are sold here. Ganta, Liberia’s second largest city, is 70 km from here. The fare for a shared taxi is 1000 Liberian dollars (5 USD). But Ganta is a town just before the border. I want to enjoy Liberia more. That’s why I’m going on a 70km walking trip.

I’m walking and pushing my bicycle. Some people stop and say in a gentle voice, “Are you okay?” i’m good. I love walking. Is this 5? No $5 change. Take another one. 5 Liberian dollars (0.02 USD) per piece. This bag water is the cheapest in West Africa.

I started walking at 11am and it’s now 2:30am. 15km in 3 hours. Take a break in this town. Palm wine! let’s go. Want to try it? – Just a little bit. I’m just curious. Because this is wood, right? leaf? -This is Wood. I put some palm wine in this.

But what about the price difference? – No, it’s the same. With this cup? -80 Liberian dollars. Yes, please. Liberians called it “Bonbon Tree.” It’s some kind of tree, but I don’t know the details. Is it malaria prevention or malaria treatment? Anyway, it seems to be effective against malaria. You can take a seat.

The taste of palm wine is too sharp, but this one is mild. It’s rainy season now, right? It’s raining heavily! today’s weather is good. But in Monrovia it rains like waterfalls. It rains more on the coast. On the coast side, the rain is like a waterfall.

I welcome you. This is our country. This is where we drink here. Is there a place like this in Japan? No palm wine. But Japan has original alcohol. It’s called “SAKE” and is made from rice. alcohol? -Yes! It’s made through rice. What do you call it? “SAKE” tastes like rice wine.

It’s very delicious. it was fun! I’m hungry. Let’s go eat something. I want to eat here. Sit here. 200 Liberian dollars (1.1USD). Rice bowl with beef offal stew. So delicious! It’s delicious… It started raining heavily during lunch, and it’s now 6 o’clock. I’ll be walking for about an hour.

I’m going to Ganta. By walking. Maybe tomorrow. Today I will sleep here in the camp. You can sleep at Tomato Camp, so talk to them. I’ll ask if camping is allowed. Good Luck! -Thank you. Have a nice day. Are you okay? He called out to me. thank you. it’s okay.

I will ask if I can camp at a village called Tomato Camp. The name of the village sounds like a campsite. I want to eat tomatoes. This bench will come off. lift this up. thank you. I’ll do it. I was able to borrow a fire today, so I cooked for myself. good morning.

It’s 8am now. Walking towards Ganta. I can’t pedal, but I can ride a bicycle downhill. The uphill slope is just around the corner. Finally arrived. I hope they have bicycle parts. This area is the center of Ganta. It is the second largest town in the country. I like it on this scale.

He said he had a 7 speed sprocket. Oh, this is a 6 speed. Do you only have 6? -Yes. Are you looking for 7? -Yes. Another shop? I can definitely find a 7-speed sprocket in this city! At another shop… 7 speed sprocket. -No. Only 6? -Yes. disappointing.

There is no other bicycle parts store in Ganta. So he made a suggestion. “It’s an internal problem with the sprocket, so if you disassemble it and fix it, you can still use it.” I couldn’t understand that, so I decided to request a repair to learn more. can you replace this? -Yes.

If it can be fixed completely, I will pay 600 Liberian dollars. But I still don’t know what this is. After disassembling it this way, I finally found the cause of this. Originally, the pawl-like parts inside the sprocket must always be caught.

But for some reason it wasn’t working, so when I pedaled it was spinning. Maybe it can be fixed. But in the end it didn’t fix it. So a used 6 speed was installed instead of the 7 speed. Here is the dinner I had after this. It tasted like bean curry.

But I can’t be satisfied without this. Rice bowl with beef offal stew. I eat this every day even if it hurts from eating too much. good morning. This is Ganta, Liberia. I arrived here yesterday. The shop where I repaired my bicycle is right there.

The repairs were completed in a condition where the pedals could be pedaled. There is a possibility that it will break easily after cycling 10km or 20km. My bike has a 7 speed, but in its current state I can only use a 6 speed.

So I need to change to a 7 speed sprocket as soon as possible in Ivory Coast. Police station behind the bicycle shop.Police station behind the bicycle shop. . I talked to them yesterday and they said, “You can go camping.” By the way, that’s the chief’s office.

I was able to greet the morning safely. Thank you, police station. I left Ganta. 80km to the border. My bicycle is in a state where parts need to be replaced soon. Bicycle parts are easier to get in Ivory Coast than here. Oh my god! Chain broke!

It’s only been 4 days since I bought the chain. This happens partly because of the cheap quality, but also because the work is too sloppy. No one anywhere had special tools for chains, so they had to do it by force, hitting and twisting. But I also don’t have the tools.

I connected the chain myself like they did, but it broke again after a few minutes. The chain broke twice and was repaired twice. I’m pedaling carefully so it doesn’t happen a third time. I was a little tired so I took a break. Palm wine!

If you can drink it, I would like to serve it in a large cup. I don’t drink full size. This palm wine has a completely different taste. odor. Break is over. restart. I never thought there was a railway in Liberia.

They said you could hop on it like on the Mauritanian Railway, but no one was on it. Actually, I wanted to go to a more rural area of ​​Liberia with a strong ethnic color.

But now that we’re in the middle of the rainy season, I heard it’s almost impossible to cycle on unpaved roads. So I gave up on visiting. I want to come to Liberia next during the dry season.

At that time, I don’t know if I will be able to ride that train, but it seems interesting just to try negotiating. I arrived at Sanniquellie. Late lunch. Simple Attiéké. 100 Liberian dollars (0.5USD). Consistently delicious. Leaving Sanniquellie. Start of dirt road. 70km to the border. Tomorrow we will cross the border.

Dinner that day was, of course, a rice bowl of beef innards stew. A popular Liberian dish that can be eaten even in small villages. I won’t be able to eat any more once I leave Liberia, so today may be my last day. thank you very much. 60km to the border.

I went camping in this village yesterday. Shortly after starting, the chain broke. I really hate this cheap chain! What poor quality! Is it new? Shit! I connected the chain. But the problem is the quality. In any case, the moment the chain breaks is when changing gears. again. Oh my god!

This place is gone! What quality! Is this it? It wasn’t time to change gears. I was just pushing hard to climb the slope. That’s all it took for the chain to break. I hate this setting! Is this African quality? No, it’s not Africa’s fault. What country is this made in?

Please don’t make something like this. I will repair it. Complete. restart. The chain is no longer good. ice cream? The chain is still working. This is Kahnple. The last large town in Liberia. 20km to the border. Lunch here. They were already sold out, but they offered me the leftover meat. It’s so delicious.

Lunch was delicious. I’m leaving. I remember that it was 20km to the border, and it was such an unpaved and bumpy road. 20km is the distance that can be covered by cycling in 2 hours. But it actually took 3 days. This part was the toughest border crossing to date.

It’s still bright today, but I’ll stop here. It started to rain. This is an abandoned school. Let’s camp here. Furthermore, the rear tire went flat. Full of mud. good morning. Not feeling well. I have had non-stop diarrhea since early morning. Diarrhea once every 2 hours.

I have a slight headache and a slight fever, so I am lying down. I have already defecated 5 times. It’s mostly water. Some kind of food poisoning? Palm wine? Soursop? Maybe both. It’s okay if you sleep anyway. I’m going to lie down for a little while. good morning. I slept all day yesterday.

I don’t know how many times I had diarrhea. I’m very well now. I said it was a school in ruins, but the date here is July 13, 2023. It might be summer vacation now. It reminded me of a story in African schools where each child carries a chair to school.

As a theft prevention. 10km to the border. no way. What’s the situation? I heard it’s going to be even worse. Is it worse than this? Will the car be buried? Sandals don’t work. The mud is so sticky that the sandals get buried and fall off.

But the stones hurt a lot when I walked barefoot. Oh my god. Toughest ever. This is terrible. The mud sticks to the tires and grows like a snowball, getting stuck in the gaps and making the bike unable to move. It felt like I was just dragging a 60kg weight. A terrible road. seriously.

The same was true for Guinea and Sierra Leone. The 20km road near the border looks like this. Truly an adventure. I finally felt a little better. I was only able to travel 5km in 2 hours. This is a village just before the border. 2 weeks ago. I was here.

I bought a SIM card here. he is the same person. Were there so few shops near the border? Anyway, I’m hungry. Let’s have a meal. In the villages near the border, there were no rice bowls with cow entrails stew.

I will end my trip to Liberia with a dish called potato greens that I ate on the first day. I’m pretty hungry, because I didn’t eat anything yesterday. That’s 300 Liberian dollars (1.6 USD). It’s a good deal for 1.6 USD because it contains one large piece of chicken. I’m full.

I’m leaving the country. Goodbye Liberia. Thank you for watching this for so long. How was Liberia? Please leave a comment if you have any thoughts. Next time, Chapter 2 on Ivory Coast. A plan that could not be carried out because the flight time was approaching last time. We entered the Ivory Coast

, a tribe famous for its dance . First of all, this. Please subscribe to the channel and look forward to it! See you in the next video! good bye!

首都の水上スラム。
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