Yesterday marked the first full month of being in Liberia for me and my housemates. Coincidentally, we chose to have dinner at the restaurant where we had our first meal here but hadn’t been since: The Mamba Point Hotel. There are actually three restaurants at the hotel, one that has themed food nights, another that serves sushi, and a third that has a full menu (our choice last night).
The hotel is one of the few spots in Monrovia that doesn’t actually scream Liberia. The crowd it attracts could be found in many cities around the world. They have wireless internet and many people head over to get work done, send emails, or simply to sit outside and enjoy a meal or drink on the terrace. They have fans going outside to keep the people who brave the humid air comfortable (quite a luxury, I must say, this artificial breeze).
Mamba Point is an interesting place with a unique history. On one trip around town with our driver Bill, he told us that he used to drive international reporters around during the war, often directly into conflict areas or danger zones so they could get the interviews or quotes they needed for their stories. Most of the people who hired him were staying at the Hotel, as it was the only hotel in operation during the war. It sort of conjures up this romantic image of gritty international journalists swapping stories over dinner or meeting in the morning to round up drivers to take them around the city. With limited or no electricity, a capacity crowd, and a civil war raging, I’m willing to bet it may not have been exactly as I’ve just envisioned it.
While dinner at the Hotel is admittedly not an authentic local experience, something about the atmosphere and the history help forge a connection with the recent past. Another comfortable hotel here, the Crystal Ocean View, is the current home of Charles Taylor’s former dog (an energetic little poodle – totally unexpected, no?), which, as fun facts go, is pretty good, but its hard to beat the richer history of Mamba Point.
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Hi Alexis, When I was in VISTA in Guam, President Nixon came through on his way to somewhere ( I can't remember where) and although there were many many people who did not particularly like him, the crowd at the airport was huge...it seemed like more people that the island could hold. For some reason we all wanted to see the President of the US. Probably for better or worse there was both a celebrity draw and also honoring the office of the President no matter what we felt about the person who held that office..Love Cathy Shannon
OK, I can't resist. What's the story with Charles Taylor's poodle? Why'd he get left behind and who's footing the hotel bill?
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