a hint of things to come

MUD, MIRE & MUCK! .........  It's as easy as 1 + 1 = 2. If you have dirt roads and a rainy season, you're going to have mudholes. Liberia has everything you need for that kind of simple math equation. But, there is nothing simple about getting through the mud. Motorcycles can get pushed through the muck. Four-wheel drive vehicles manage just fine. But, anything else on wheels is game for mudholes that catch cars for sport.

I had a minor delay with a mudhole on the way to River Gee County. Fortunately, my driver had ropes and a four-wheel drive vehicle showed up from the opposite direction to pull us out. It's a good story.

But, the mother of all Liberian mudholes is in Nimba County between Tappita and Saclepea. It's just a monster. And, when the rainy season gets into full gear, the road is impassable for supply trucks for two or three months. Since I traveled in a 4x4 vehicle on my recent trip, I wanted lots of rain and mud in my photographs. It really didn't happen. We were blessed with a beautiful day for travel. The Nimba County photos were from just a little rain on the day before.

The last photo is from my Peace Corps days. There was nothing peaceful about travel on that particular day.