My arrival in Gbagulazu, BA for short. We walked for 5 hours (including 1 hour detour for getting lost!!). This town can only be accessed by this track, there is no road. Everyone was so surprised that I could walk there...they didn't think i would be strong enough!!!
As you can see from the photo I received a very warm welcome.
There is always many jobs to be done, here I am helping to process peanuts with Korpo, our host.
She was very kind, she gave up her room for us, cooked and looked after us. Unfortunately her house was infested with rats, so sleeping proved difficult through the noise and the fear they might run accross me!!
Here the women are sharing the famous food from the area Torbugi, can't really explain what it is as it seems to describe a lot of different dishes.
This is a traditional kitchen, and the view from the porch of the house I was staying in.
To cross one of the rivers to reach the town we had to cross this bridge....not for the faint hearted!!
Mesco collecting palm wine, African beer...I was told several times!! If palm wine is mentioned someone will always say"from god to man". Its obligatory to drink as much as possible, "small more" was a continual instruction I heard.
This is torbugi oil production, (the special palm oil used for making food) extremely labour intensive. This is favoured kind of oil used to cook here.
Everyone has to work hard here to survive, from small children to the old, it is humbling.
Here I am trying to do my part...haven't quite mastered carrying things on my head yet so I had to carry the log like the children do on their shoulder. This caused much entertainment.
Another job to be done is processing rice, this is a staple food all over Liberia. Even with a baby the work needs to be done.
The meat everyone eats is referred to as 'bush meat', that basically describes anything that moves and can be hunted. Obviously there is no electricity so things have to be preserved by drying so they can be kept.
Not exactly sure what this animal is....but it is pretty dead!
The children of BA, always wanting to play and fascinated by appearance in their town. I was never far away from a child looking and wanting to be in contact.
Here we are back in the main town in the area called ZorZor. This is an African pub.....palm wine for 25 pence for about 2 pints, food for sale and plastic bowls. Great fun.
