TRAVEL

Liberia’s Tourism Development

Liberia will be home to a four-star, luxury beachfront resort, in capital city Monrovia, built by Black Entertainment Television founder-turned-billionaire developer Bob Johnson.  Johnson hopes this project, scheduled to open in March 2009, will help improve the country's global image. 

RLJ Kendeja Resorts & Villas will be an $8 million, 85-room resort with restaurant, tennis courts, a spa, health club and pool. Security measures include infrared motion detectors and bulletproof glass. Rates will be in the $150-$200 range and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is expected to host the first guests. 

Also eyeing Liberia’s development, Illinois Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. is proposing legislation earmarking $225 million for a five year “Liberia Seeds Act.”  The funds would provide critical assistance to Liberia in a couple of areas, particularly in post-conflict resolution and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.  The funds also help ex-combatants and war affected youth, most of who are unemployed and lack skills.

The African Times wishes to share this delightful "true" story written as a school “biographical narrative” by a 14 year old niece of an ATA (African Travel Association) member, Pat Walker, who sells highly specialized cultural tours to Africa.

Let the Elephant Sniff Your Arm

By Allison Meiners

I have never considered myself very adventurous, but I know someone who is. My aunt Pat is the most adventurous and outgoing person I have ever met. She is constantly trying new things, meeting new people, and going new places. Her passion is traveling; she visits unique places all over the world, and always comes home with a story. Her all time favorite place to travel is Africa because the wild animals are magical and the people and cultures are so unique.

About ten years ago Pat decided she wanted to go on a safari in Africa. She told me that she had heard so much about Botswana and its amazing array of wildlife and beautiful landscapes that she wanted to go there. She found a local tour agency in Botswana; she called them up and told them she was interested in going on a safari. She only had one requirement; she wanted to sleep in a camp that elephants walked through. Pat smiled and told me that the woman with the agency laughed at her and said they had just the camp for her.

Pat flew to Botswana in a small four seater Cessna and upon arriving was taken to her lodge in Kakanaxa. She was in awe at the beauty of the country. She described to me the savannah-like climate and the landscape with huge fields of beige grass, scattered scraggly looking trees, and the beautiful lakes and rivers. The luxury lodge where she stayed was not a regular lodge; it was actually a group of ten large tents with a central outdoor eating area and cozy fire pit. Pat’s tent was a large tent with two cots, dressers, and a large wooden deck. Pat grinned as she told me the reason it was considered luxury; it had a gorgeous bathroom connected to the back of the tent, definitely not your average camping tent.

After meeting each other, Pat and her fellow safari mates sat down to dinner under the stars. A few minutes passed as everyone ate, relaxed, and took in all of the scenery. All of the sudden Pat heard a strange noise and crackling of twigs, she looked around and much to her surprise; she saw an enormous elephant walking straight towards the group. As we talked, she told me of the amazement she felt as she saw an elephant up close for the first time; she also confessed that she started panicking a bit. The elephant proceeded to stomp through the camp and paid the people absolutely no attention. Pat informed her group, with a bit of humor, that she had asked for a camp that elephants walked through and that was just what she got. She told me that she learned that you should always be careful what you wish for because you may just get it.

Later that night after everyone trudged off to their tents to go to bed; Pat got into her cot and unzipped her window hoping to enjoy the fresh air outside. She quickly found out however, that with the fresh air came the chirping of crickets, the songs of night birds, the murmur of hippos, and the heat of the night. She sounded annoyed as she told me how she tossed and turned trying desperately to get to sleep. Finally, an uneasy sleep came over her and she slept for a few hours. Around midnight, she heard a low rumbling gurgle that woke her up with a start. She looked out her window and all she could see was the shadow of a huge animal about ten feet away. Fear paralyzed her as she realized it was an elephant and the grumbling was coming from the animal’s stomach. It was digesting some previously eaten food. She panicked even more as she realized that the only thing separating her from this massive creature was a thin sheet of mesh covering the window. She was serious as she told me that she felt like she had stopped breathing and she could not stop looking at the glimmer of the elephant’s huge white tusks in the moonlight. It was only then that she realized her tent was situated under a marula tree.

Elephants love the berries of the marula tree and this elephant had just come by for a little midnight snack. The elephant curled its trunk around the base of the tree and shook it hard. The berries cascaded down the roof of her tent and onto the ground in all directions. The elephant was very excited and started flapping its enormous ears and snorting. Pat was truly traumatized. She told me that as she laid scared stiff in her cot she wondered if elephants could smell fear. She was sure that if they could it would only be a matter of minutes before this one killed her. Lucky for her, and for me, elephants are not aggressive animals unless they are provoked. The elephant munched on marula berries for hours and hours, occasionally shaking the tree to get more berries to come down. Pat wished over and over that the elephant would go away and that it would stop making berries flow down the sides of her tent. Eventually, the elephant stumbled away and she was able to fall back into the uneasy sleep she experienced before.

A few days later into her safari Pat moved to a different camp, Lloyds Camp. This was not a luxury camp; it was much more rustic. There was no running water, no electricity, and no luxury bathrooms. One very hot afternoon the guide asked the group if they would like to go down to the watering hole and see some animals up close. Being adventurous, Pat was the only one willing to go. They arrived at the watering hole and sat down to observe the animals coming to drink Pat began to smile as she said to me, “There were six male elephants that were all pretty good sized. They were splashing and teasing each other and I swear it was as if they were talking to each other, because they were snorting and stomping up a storm. They looked like a bunch of rowdy boys in a bar!” Her guide asked her how brave she thought she was and she replied that she thought she was pretty brave. The guide pointed out to her that there was an elephant a little ways away that was coming right for them. He told her that the elephant would keep coming until he was right to them and that if she thought she could handle it she should not run. She braced herself as the elephant came closer and closer. She could tell each time he put his foot down because there would be a loud thump and the ground would shake. The elephant got so close to her that all she could see was his huge saggy knees, with gray folds and wrinkles. Suddenly, fear consumed her and she whispered to her guide that she had to run. They ran back to their Land Rover and the elephant looked startled but continued walking towards the water.

On the way back to their camp the guide told Pat that he was sorry she felt she had to run because she missed out on a once in a life time experience. She asked him what would have happened if she had stayed. He informed her that the elephant would have sniffed her by running his trunk up and down her arm to see if he could trust her. He would have then moved on to join the other elephants. Hearing that Pat was devastated, I could sense the regret in her voice as she told me that she went back to camp and resolved to never let fear get the best of her. She told me that she wondered how many times she had not “let the elephant sniff her arm” and how much she had missed out on because of it.

My aunt went to Africa looking for some great adventures and she definitely had some. She experienced a safari with extremely beautiful landscapes, and got up close and personal with some of Africa’s most wild and wonderful animals. She experienced things that most people will only ever imagine. However, what is more important are the lessons she came away with. Her safari taught her to live life to the fullest and never let fear get the best of her, which is a life lesson that everyone should learn.

For any Africa, Caribbean, U.S. or world travel questions - ask the Travel Editor, either by fax (818) 760-8403 or write: The African Times/Travel Editor 5515 West Rosecrans Ave., Suite 213, Hawthorne, California 90250 or email: trvleditor@aol.com