The Most Strange Country in African Continent (LIBERIA )
She is telling me that she will arrest me because, I am using camera. This vehicle has been gifted by India to Liberia. Hey guys very good morning, welcome back to the new vlog. My name is Tourvashu. Currently, I am in capital of Liberia which is Monrovia.
In the previous video you have seen, I had come to Liberia from Sierra Leone. In the previous video, I was staying with Queen. Now, I am staying with different person. Before that I want to tell you about Liberia country.
Today, I am going to Ivory Coast and Ghana Embassy. Because I want to know whether I can continue my travel or not. I am also going to explore the local Places in Monrovia.
Liberia country has a connection with United States of America. Liberia country was founded in 1822 exactly 200 years back. 200 years back people who were living in North America and Caribbean, They founded this country. Liberia was a country and controlled by those black slave peoples. Many sources tell that there are only two countries in Africa which are Ethiopia and Liberia which were never colonized.
Many people also tell that black people from US had directly or indirectly colonized this place. These are the two theories observed in this countries. Liberia got independence in 1847.
Liberia is known as one of the oldest and the first country to get independence in Africa. Liberia country was doing good but civil war broke out for 14 years. From 1989 to 2003. In the Civil war, 8% of the total population in this country lost their life. 2,50,000 people were killed in the Civil War.
This country was founded by free slaves who came from USA. Layout and design of Liberia flag is copied from USA flag. This country did not have their own currency for more than 40 years.
This country was using US dollar as their currency. Today also, in this country US dollar is used along with the local currency. Somebody told me that Liberia is the only country which uses two currencies. Two currencies are used, they are local currency and US dollars. Approximately one US dollar is equal to 155 Liberian dollar.
If we compared to India 1 Indian rupees is equal to 2 Liberian dollar. Liberian Dollar currency is half than our currency. In Sierra Leone my friend Shaji is there. His friend lives in Monrovia, Liberia. He recommended me to come to his place but, he is not free to come on camera. So I am not showing him on camera. He is living in Liberia for more than 20 years.
He told when he came here, civil war broke out. Two years he was in this country when civil war was happening and there was no electricity in the entire country. Electricity was discovered in this country only 8 years back. He was in Liberia for more than 13 years without electricity. Can you imagine that was the lifestyle here 8 years back.
Today also if you go in the outskirts of the city there is no electricity. People have been dependent on solar power, coal and wood. Now also there is no electricity. I don't know when it will come.
Now, I will give you an update about my visa. I am stuck like, when I was stuck in Mali before going to Senegal. Now, I am in Liberia. Next I want to go to Ivory Coast and then Ghana after that I want to go to Togo and Benin. Last I want to travel to Nigeria if I can get the visa. International border of Ivory coast has been closed with Liberia.
Even after getting the visa for Ivory Coast I am not able to go there. I took visa for Ivory coast in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Visa for Ivory coast was $70 few years back But now fee for Ivory coast visa is $100. I took Ivory coast visa for $100 which is 8200 INR. Visa is valid for 3 months and it has multiple entry visa.
When I came to West Africa, Senegal is a Visa free country. After that each and every country visa is $100 or 8200 INR. If I visit 10 countries then 80,000 INR will go in just visa.
After going to Sierra Leone Embassy I got to know. Ivory coast International border is closed with Liberia. Distance is also more and the border is closed. Before going to Ivory coast, I also need up special permission along with visa.
I have to take it from Embassy so that I can go to the country The permission of that name is Laissez- Passer. I think this is a French word. I don't know how can I travel to Ivory coast. I was searching for flights, they are very expensive.
25000 is the flight cost price from Liberia to Ivory coast. I will go to the embassy and then I will try to tell my problem. Then I might find a solution. And the second problem is, After Ivory coast, I have to go to Ghana, When I went to Ghana Embassy, that told you can get Ghana visa only in the resident country. You cannot get the visa from outside as a tourist. I have to go to India to get Ghana visa.
And the second problem is, I am not able to go to Ghana because of visa. I don't have Ghana visa with me. I am not able to get the Ghana visa, I don't know whether I can travel to Ghana or not. This happened to me in Sierra Leone. Now I am in Liberia. I will go to Ghana Embassy and then find out whether I can get visa or not.
If the policy is same then I cannot take Ghana visa. I will try to tell my problem with them. These are the two things, stopping me to travel. If I am not able to travel to the next country, I will go to India from this country.
If I can find a solution, I will continue the journey. I have come out of the house it is drizzling. It was raining before. This is the colony, people are living in this Colony. There is a water body here, this is actually a river.
This is the river in Monrovia and there is Atlantic Ocean. This river goes and meets Atlantic Ocean. In West Africa almost all the countries capital are located on the Atlantic ocean coast. This is the colony, I am living on the upper floor. Look at the area here.
There are many houses which are made for temporary but are covered by floods. We have come upstairs, people are drying their clothes like this. These are all the clothes of local people there is no shop here. I am going out of the area. The name of this area is water side.
The name of this area is water side and people are telling me that, As soon as I go out, people will snatch my camera. Local people also told me the same and even the Indian host told the same. I don't know how I will be able to do vlog outside. I don't know how can I vlog outside. I will try my level best.
People are trying to scare me here in Liberia. I am going out, this is the gate. The name of this street is water Street. Water logging is observed everywhere. I don't know what people are telling. I have come out.
The name of this street is water Street. There is water logging everywhere on the street. I will go some distance and take a taxi to go to Embassy. This is the market. Shoes are being sold here.
I can only see black and white shoes everywhere. I can see only some shining shoes. As the name suggests, the place is same. This is the local place with local people. People are shopping. Everybody are buying shoes.
There is water logging everywhere, how can I cross this. This is the Police vehicle. The population of Liberia country is 5 Million. More than 50 lakh people are living in this country .
10 to 12 lack of people that is 20 to 25% of the people live in the capital of Liberia which is Monrovia. Liberia is a Christian majority country. More than 85% of the people follow Christianity. In today's time more than 80% of the population in Liberia fall under the power line.
Liberia government is founded, based on the United States Government. The first female President was elected in Liberia 2005. In World War 2 Liberia supported USA. Liberia got many American Investments to develop the infrastructure. This is the footpath. People are polishing shoes. You find this chips in Liberia and all the neighboring countries. This is banana chips.
This is potato chips. This is mixed of potato and banana chips. This is 25 INR which is 50 Liberty. I have taken this chips for 50 Liberty. She took the hundred note and give back 50 note. This is 50 Liberty note.
Biscuit are sold here. This is Liberia flag. What is this? It looks very weird. I don't know what she is saying. Even in this modern generation CD and DVD are very common. People watch movies through this DVD.
Technology is not updated in Africa. This country needs to be updated in the terms of Technology. These people are seeing the electricity only from past 10 years.
Queen has her shop in this area. I have called her she is on her way. She will guide me so that I can go to the embassy. I am going to Ghana Embassy from Moto. It is very far from here, I guess it is 8 to 10 km. For 8 km he is charging me 250 liberty which is 130 INR.
This umbrella has been put on the vehicle, so if it's rains there is no problem. They are not driving the vehicles in a good way. The roads are wet. I hope I don't fall All the taxis here are yellow in color. Even though this country is one of the poorest country in the world and in West Africa, but the city center is very modern. Roads are very well developed. I can also see many modern cars. This is Ghana Embassy, I can Ghana flag on the top.
This is Ghana Embassy, there is Ghana flag on the top. I will go inside the embassy and tell them. This is the timing of the embassy.
It is evening and I have come back to water street area from where I took the taxi. I am going to a very interesting area. It is a very famous location. It is very famous in the whole of Liberia not only in Monrovia.
He is Queen's brother. He is going to take me to the location. I don't know how he will take me.
You can see super market everywhere. There is fruit and vegetable market. I have to give update about the embassy. I will go to the place where I wanted to go, otherwise it will become dark. I can only see TVS auto rickshaw everywhere.
We are going through this bike to our destination. It is the highest point in the whole of Monrovia. Up hill climbing. We are going up the hill.
The condition of the road is very bad. You can see the city and Atlantic Ocean from here. We have come to the one of the historic places in Liberia.
I told you that this country was founded 200 before. This was the time when black slaves came from USA. Monrovia city is named after the 5th President of USA.
James Monroe was his name. The fifth president was in the favor of Africans. He wanted the black slaves to come to Africa and lead a life which they wanted.
When they were in US, discrimination was done. These are the native people who used to live here before. These are the people who arrived. They had their native language and these people were speaking English. First President of Liberia, Joseph Jenkins Roberts. This is Ducor Hotel which is one of the luxurious and famous hotel of Liberia which is now abandoned.
This hotel was made 70 years back. This hotel was constructed in 1960. There are more than hundred rooms and this is a eight story building. Dakor Hotel is located on the Dakor Hill.
It is the highest point in Monrovia. This hotel was constructed by an Israeli Industrialist. This was the first five star hotel in Liberia.
This used to be one of the 5 star hotel in the whole of Africa. Many important meetings have also been conducted in this hotel. In 1989 due to political instability and civil war this hotel was shut down. For more than 30 years this hotel is still abandoned.
After that, Libya Government wanted to renovate and open this hotel. But due to librarian civil war it couldn't happen. I went to visit the hotel but you need special permission to visit that Hotel.
I couldn't get the permission on the same day so they called me on the next day . Next day I was not able to go. That is why I am only showing you from outside.
We have came back to the town. Now, I am going to the supermarket. I will show you the supermarket. This is the Mosque which you can see here. I had come here to the ATM to withdraw some money. I got two options, whether I need local currency or US dollar.
Both the currencies work here but the problem here is, per transaction $8 was charged. Which is around 650 to 700 INR. I couldn't find any other option. I will find another ATM. She told that she will arrest me because I am shooting a video. She told it just for fun.
There are two supermarkets. I am inside the supermarket it is just like other West African countries. There are many Indian products which are available here.
You get Haldiram Namkeen. I think we get almost all type of Haldiram Namkeen. The price is 2-3 dollars per pack. Excluding that there are also Darbar, Himalaya and Parle G products.
There is a Parle G biscuit. It is 1.5 dollar which is 50 INR. In India we get it for 20 INR. All the products here are mentioned in dollars. Prices are not written in local currency. I will show you what all I have purchased.
I have taken this namkeen for 2.6 dollar. This Moong dal this is also for 2 dollar I have also taken this yoghurt for 2 dollar. I have taken this Mixed fruit juice for 1.6 dollar. This is soya milk drink for 1.5 dollar. This is three in one mix coffee. I don't know the price, it not mentioned on this.
Is vanilla flavored milk drink for 2.1 dollars. Milk is 2.1$ for 1 liter. Which is 180 INR for 1 liter of milk no matter it is full cream or skin milk. If you compare the prices to India, it is 3 times more than Indian price.
Everything was very expensive in Guinea. I met Indian Ambassador, he told me in some of the countries the prices are equivalent to European prices. People don't have money but the items are very expensive. People eat only normal products like rice and fish. Supermarket items are very expensive, only rich people can afford.
Only rich people purchase here, local people will not even come here. The total item his ear around 15 Dollar. Extra was not charged. It is 15.6 dollars. It is also there in local currency which is 2400 Liberty.
I didn't knew that we can also make payments through card. It is raining outside. We have to wait so that the rain stops.
I was going back to the house, I saw this fire brigade vehicle which is gifted from India. It is gifted to the librarian Government and people of Liberia. My host told that there are many buses, ambulance and cars which are given by Indian government to Liberia.
Many amenities have been donated to Liberia. I am seeing this for the first time. This is a snail. I think they are alive. People of Liberia eat this. It is still alive.
I couldn't complete this video, so I want to give you and update regarding the visa. So, that I can continue my journey in my next video. Today, I went to Ghana Embassy and Ivory coast Embassy.
The border between Liberia and Ivory coast is closed. I took an official confirmation letter to cross the border. They have taken an extra of $20 to give me the confirmation letter. They have given me a letter in French stating you can cross the border through this letter. But crossing the border is not easy. You will get to know about this in the next video.
We have many problems to cross the border. When I went to Ghana Embassy, they told that same reason which I got to hear in Sierra Leone, Ghana Embassy. I can only apply visa to Ghana from my resident country.
If you are working here then you can apply. If you are a tourist you have to apply from India. I told them that I am travelling from Morocco and I want to go till Nigeria in this trip. I am traveling only through land border this is my mission and motive. At the end they were convinced and agreed to give visa. They agreed to give the visa, so I have applied for the visa.
That took $70 fee for the visa they took 4 passport size photo, hotel booking and passport Xerox. The told me to come after two days to get the Ghana visa. I hope I get the Ghana visa, so that I can continue the journey. They just told me to come after 2 days. I am not sure whether I will get the visa or not.
This was the update, I will end this video here. I will meet you all in the new video, bye bye take care.
2022-12-23 07:09
