Last Letter from Africa

This post marks the time Angie and I leave the continent that has been our home for the past two and a half years. It is a time of mixed emotions, as we leave those things that have become comfortable, even like home..

We have lived and traveled in extraordinary places. We have made good friends and formed lifelong memories. We have built a home. Futhermore, We have gained insights into ourselves and the greater world.

We have learned:

– There are no easy solutions to the world’s social problems. Anyone who thinks they have the answer hasn’t glimpsed the complex web of cause and effect. The longer we are in Africa, the less clear things become.

– There are good people and bad people everywhere you go. We have been happily surprised to find kind, generous, and welcoming people in every place we have travelled. We have not been surprised to find rude ones.

– Cultures vary widely, but children everywhere are basically the same. Sometimes cute, sometimes obnoxious, they usually just want your attention. If you give it to them, you will have a loyal friend.

– Living without electricity and running water is not difficult. It is nothing compared to living in a bewildering culture.

– Rice is a habit-forming substance. Two days without it will put you in withdrawal!

Right now we are traveling and having a great time. And while we are seeing fun and interesting places, we find ourselves caught between two worlds, worlds in which we are heavily invested and yet helpless. As for Liberia, we can only watch the news reports and get information from infrequent phone calls and emails. At home in the States, we hear the updates from friends and family, but here again we are just observers. We are unable to make a significant impact with those we care about.

We leave Africa with a sense of sorrow as we depart from our beloved friends and our second home. We feel particular grief to be leaving at this time, when the Ebola crisis in Liberia is worsening. It feels as if we are leaving our people behind – people who did so much for us and loved us like their own. It is true that we completed our contract and left Liberia according to our original schedule, but that doesn’t change the feeling of abandonment. It is not clear what we could do to help, but it is hard knowing that our struggle is over and theirs continues.

Last week we learned that one of our students, a young man who just graduated in June, died from the Ebola virus. Suddenly the crisis has become much more real for us. We feel great sadness at what he went through, and we fear for who might be next. The people of Liberia and West Africa are in our thoughts and prayers. Please keep them in yours.

Even though we are sad to leave, we are filled with gratitude. We were treated like family in Liberia and we received so much from its people. We miss them already. We are likewise grateful to our friends and family and blog readers who have stayed in close contact with us. They were, and continue to be, a lifeline in trying times. The Peace Corps staff in Liberia also has done brilliantly for us. We have had a incredibly fulfilling experience thanks to the continuous support we have received.

On our travels across the continent we had countless experiences, from grand adventures to the tiniest moments. At every turn, we encountered kind and generous people. Africa welcomed us, embraced us, and cared for us. It gave so much to us. For now, all we can offer in return is our sincerest thanks.

Thank you, Peace Corps.  Thank you, friends and family.  Thank you, Liberia.

Thank you, Africa.

Karibu Zanzibar!

After our safari we bid farewell to mainland Africa and sailed to Zanzibar for one final fling with Africa. Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania. It lies at the cross-current of three distinct cultures – Arab, Indian, and African. The local food, architecture, clothing, and overall character of the island reflect elements of these three cultures. We enjoyed ten days of delicious food, fresh spices, traditional Taarab music, and the beautiful beaches along the Indian Ocean.

Here are some photos from our last days in Africa (wrap-up post to follow).

Karibu Zanzibar! (Welcome)

Architectural fusion

Indo-Arab influences

One of the the doors of Zanzibar

The turquoise waters are stunning

Feeding 150-year old tortoises

Posing with some Jackfruit on our spice tour

Nutmeg, au natural

A sampling of spices – cinnamon, lemongrass, pepper…

Zanzibar is the spice island

A million shades of color

A traditional dhow sailing boat

snorkeling on the reef

A woman collects seaweed

The morning routine, fishing and seaweed harvesting

Angie’s inspired henna: Thanks, Africa

Following Africa is a tour of India and some short-term volunteering for Angie. We both plan to be home by Thanksgiving, where we close an incredible chapter in our lives, and start a new one. Stayed tuned for one more post where we sum everything up as best as we can.

Safari Sana

A safari is much more than a reason to buy a pith helmet and a bunch of khaki clothing. A safari lets you catch a glimpse of some of the few remaining places where the cycle of life is happening in much the same way as it has for millennia. On a safari, you get to see a new side of nature, one that is genuine, unspoiled, and wild.

Safaris can range in budget from the shoestring to the extravagant. We were part of a budget camping safari, which meant sleeping in a nylon tent in the actual national park. We weren’t sure what to expect at this price level, but we jumped in with one other tourist, a cook, and an expert guide.

On our five-day safari, we visited four distinct national parks in Tanzania.

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Arusha National Park

Tanzania’s second-highest mountain is Mount Meru, a volcano that blew its top and is now shaped like a crescent moon. On its slope are the forests and prairies of Arusha National Park.

Highlights from Arusha National Park:

• Walking safari with an armed guide, seeing giraffes and massive buffalo at eye level
• Creeping through a troupe of lounging baboons
• Decoding Lion King vocabulary: Poomba = warthog, Rafiki = friend, Simba = lion

Lake Manyara National Park

This relatively small park is known for its large salt lake and the millions of flamingoes living there. The park is situated at the edge of the Great Rift Valley, a huge crack in the African continent running from the Red Sea to Mozambique.

Highlights from Lake Manyara:

• Looking back in geological time at the famous Great Rift
• Boabab trees, with their iconic silhouette, standing stalwart against time
• Our first close encounter with a peaceful pachyderm

Serengeti National Park

From horizon to horizon, the vast Serengeti stretches across flat, open grassland. It is seemingly endless. Indeed, in the Maasai language, the word Serengeti means “endless plain.” Serengeti is full of animals, but when you first enter the Serengeti, you are struck with how empty it is. Mostly treeless, with only short, dry grass, you wonder how this area could support much life. But with patience, a good guide, and some binoculars, you will be astonished.

Hiding within the park’s immensity is every African animal you have ever seen on the Discovery Channel. Lions, hippos, elephants, cheetahs, baboons, hyenas, leopards, zebras, wildebeest, and on and on. With the skill of our expert guide, we were lucky to see all of them.

Highlights from Serengeti:

• Lying in our tent after nightfall, listening to hyenas and other animals roaming through our camp
• Entering the lions’ inner sanctum, with prides napping, pairs mating, and cubs suckling their mother
• Staring awestruck as one hundred huge elephants noiselessly travelled past our vehicle
• Witnessing a tense drama unfold as a stalking leopard preyed upon a cheetah cub

Ngorongoro Crater

Years ago, the earth created a huge bubble of molten rock. When that bubble popped, the ground collapsed upon itself and formed Ngorongoro Crater. The crater looks like a big bowl ten miles wide and a thousand feet deep. Standing on one rim, you can just make out the ridgeline on the other side. The crater floor is covered with grassland which attracts grazers which attract predators which attract scavengers, creating a fantastical experience.

Highlights from Ngorongoro:

• Nighttime visit by an enormous bull elephant to drink from the water tank at our campsite
• Seeing the grassland undulate with thousands-strong herds of zebra and wildebeest
• Having our guide watch for predators while we “answered the call of nature” outside the jeep

Being on a budget, we weren’t sure what to expect. But in the end, the experience was better than we could have imagined. It was incredible to be in a place so natural, wild, and, frankly, dangerous. Truly, you wouldn’t last an hour without the protection of a jeep, a tent, or a weapon.

Our safari literally gave us a walk on the wild side. More than any other time or place, we were witness to the raw power and beauty of nature. It really is a beautiful circle of life. Even more beautifully, the circle continues.

At the Feet of Kilimanjaro

After a quick night in Kigale, Rwanda, we found ourselves in the plains surrounding Mount Kilimanjaro. The mountain straddles the border between northeastern Tanzania and Kenya. Nearby is the town of Moshi, where the residents look on the mountain with reverence. Kilimanjaro is the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, and we were lucky to witness it emerging from a veil of cloud.

Kilimanjaro is beautiful and alluring. We did not climb Kili, however, as so many people endeavor to do. Instead of climbing it, we settled for a different kind of tall, cold one: a crisp Kilimanjaro Lager.

The Maasai

The Maasai people are a tribe known around the world. The Maasai are famous for their iconic images of bedangled warriors, spear-holding and dressed in red. The nomadic tribe lives in the hills and plains near Kilimanjaro and farther west into the African plains. We had a chance to visit one of their traditional bandas (villages) near the city of Arusha.

The Maasai are peaceful cow herders. Many of the people still adhere to traditional way of life, including dwelling and dress. The men are fearsome warriors, but only to defend their cattle against wild animals. The women make farms, raise the children, and build the villages. Young men and boys travel with the cows to find good grazing.

Cows are very important to the Maasai. Indeed, the relationship between bovine and man has developed to an incredible degree. The cows provide milk, meat, hides, and even fluid for drinking. Until recently, water was not available in Maasailand. Instead of drinking water, the people tapped blood from a living cow.

Coffee Beans and Waterfalls

The lands around Kilimanjaro are covered with verdant scenes of streams and fields. Coffee plantations cover much of the hills. Waterfalls spring forth in misty cascades. We toured the lush hillsides and plantations around the mountain, but we will spare you more photos of coffee beans and waterfalls.

From what we hear, the view from the top of Kilimanjaro might be the best in the world – unobstructed for hundreds of miles. From there, you can see one of Africa’s most famous habitats – the savannah. That’s where we set our sights for our next stop.

Angie on our whistle-stop tour of Rwanda.

Lake Bunyonyi

In the far southwest of Uganda, near the borders of the Congo and Rwanda, is one of the more beautiful panoramas we’ve seen. Lake Bunyonyi, a large lake nestled in the mountains, is actually a former valley that was dammed by a lava flow eons ago. The lake’s islands are the former hilltops. The hills now lie beneath the surface and form a beautiful collection of bays, islands, and channels. Bunyonyi is reportedly the second-deepest lake in Africa. Some say it reaches a depth of several hundred meters.

Lovely Lake Bunyonyi

 

Good views of the lake can be found all around its shores, and we had a particularly nice one from our safari tent at a lakeside lodge.

 

A brew with a view

“Safari” tent with king-sized bed and electricity

The best view, however, was from the top of a nearby hill which is reached after a one hour hike from the lakeside.

Farms cover the hillsides around the lake

 

Lake Bunyonyi plays a major role in the lives of the locals. It is used for transport from villages across the lake. It is also the source of the freshwater crayfish that are the area’s main export. Two days a week, the town’s lively market takes place on the jetty. Dugout canoes arrive from near and far carrying piles of beans, onions, potatoes, and more.

 

Boats bringing goods to market

The lake has more than twenty islands. Some of the islands have campsites or resorts. One island, however, has a darker past. Punishment Island is an tiny island in the middle of a large expanse of the lake. In recent centuries, the island was used a punishment for unwed mothers. Offenders were tied to the island’s solitary tree and left for dead. If she was lucky, though, a man who couldn’t afford a bridal dowry might come and claim her.

 

The ominous Punishment Island

Angie and I spent our time at Lake Bunyonyi hiking and paddling around the lake. The dugout canoe proved to be finicky and difficult to control. But two days of practice gave us the skill to maintain an even keel on this beautiful lake.

Literally a hollowed-out log

Lady of the Lake

Fort Portal

Our next destination was the western reaches of Uganda, where the Rwenzori mountains paint the horizon and volcanic craters dot the landscape.

The main city in western Uganda is Fort Portal, named after a British colonial army officer. The city is about 200 miles from the capital. It lies in the hills just northeast of the Rwenzori Mountains, which is the highest mountain range in Africa. On a clear day, one can catch glimpses of the Congo.

Crater Lakes

On one sunny morning, we set off on bicycles to see a series of crater lakes south of Fort Portal. The ride through the countryside was very enjoyable, including much downhill coasting.

We rode past massive tea plantations, where fine tea is produced and exported around the world. The green tea bushes formed vast emerald seas that stretched to the horizon. Crouching over the knee-high bushes, the locals pick the tea leaf by leaf to earn their daily wage.

A lot of green

The destination of our ride was the self-proclaimed “Top of the World.” This hilltop, though nowhere near the top of the world, nor Africa, nor even the county, does, however, have beautiful 360-degree views of the surrounding hills and crater lakes.

The view from “The Top!

From the top of the hill, you can see a handful of the many crater lakes that speckle the valleys. These craters, formed through past volcanic activity, had since filled with water. They are incredibly deep, in the hundreds of meters. In fact, some have defied measurement by conventional instrumentation. From the viewpoint, we could see three: Nyamirina, Nyinabulitwa, and Nyabikere Crater Lakes. Nyamirina is home to a single, solitary hippopotamus. He used to have a mate, but now he swims alone.

The return ride to town was quite different from the ride to the lakes. It was nearly uphill the entire way, for about twenty miles. We should have guessed by all the leisurely coasting we did on the way out. Indeed, the “ride” back was more of a walk, and had us questioning if we could even reach town before dark. But, with determination, sweat, and the encouragement of the locals, we made it back to town with aching legs and dirt-smudged faces.

On a separate day-hike, we set off to the north of town to find a series of rarely-visited crater lakes, the main one being Lake Saka. Our hike carried us over country roads where long-horned cattle grazed and shackled prison inmates tended the fields. We found the lakes and hiked between charming villages along dirt paths overlooking the lakes and valleys.

Rwenzori Mini-Hike

One of the main draws of the Fort Portal area is trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains. To do this, however, you must commit a fair amount of time and money. It can cost several thousand dollars and several days to trek and summit the peaks. Limited by our volunteer financial status, Angie and I joined a “mini-hike” over one of the mountain passes.

Into the clouds

Our hike began in the village of Kazingo, about ten miles west of Fort Portal. The trail goes up the mountain from Kazingo and over the Bwamba Pass. On the opposite side, the trail descends gradually through bamboo forest before dropping sharply to the village of Bundibugyo. The hike includes a 900-meter ascent (~2700 feet) followed by a 1000-meter descent. From start to finish, the trip took about eight hours. And even though the climb up was steep, the slick mud trail made the descent much slower and more difficult.

After the ascent

Rain and mud make for a slippery descent

Today there is a road connecting Fort Portal with Bundibugyo, but at one time the Bwamba Pass was the only route between Fort Portal and the villages on the other side of the mountains, in the Semliki Valley. We struggled up and down the mountain on the one-way trip. As we did, we passed many local women who daily make the round-trip to sell in the market, go to church, or just get to their homes.

This village path is a 60-degree angle

Fort Portal is a place where the mountains serve as the border between modern life and one that is a bit more challenging, but also more beautiful.

Sipi Falls

On the eastern side of Uganda is Mount Elgon. It is a large and old volcano that straddles the border between Uganda and Kenya. Mount Elgon’s far-reaching slopes set the stage for a beautiful showcase of waterfalls and cascades. We travelled there to see the falls and do some hiking. To reach there, we rode the “Post Bus,” which primarily delivers mail and, secondarily, people across the East.

The Falls

The Sipi River rises on the upper slopes of Mount Elgon before cascading down the foothills over a distance of seven kilometers. The river tumbles and drops to form a series of four waterfalls known as Sipi Falls. A five hour hike leads up the hill to the first three waterfalls and then back down to the last, and biggest, waterfall. The falls range from sixty to one hundred meters and can be seen for miles from various vantage points in the valley and on its ridges.

The first of the falls

This is a waterfall

We also did a separate hike to a lesser-known waterfall called Chebonet Falls. On our walk, we renamed the trail “Hello Trail” in recognition of the hundreds of enthusiastic village children who greeted us relentlessly throughout our four-hour hike.

On one of our hikes, we passed some local houses. The residents were sitting around socializing and sharing a locally-brewed maize beer. They invited us to join. We sat a spell and took turns sipping the hot beer from the spout of a tea kettle. The beer was thick with pounded corn and was fermented naturally. Hot water is added to dilute it for long sipping sessions. Angie was also invited by the elders to drink the traditional way – through a very long, thin straw.

Coffee Production Tour

As steep as they are, the hillsides around Sipi are fully cultivated. The hills are a patchwork of fields producing bananas, potatoes, beans, greens, eucalyptus, and various fruits. The main cash crop, however, is coffee.

Some of the best Arabica coffee in the world is produced on the cool, damp slopes of Mount Elgon. We got a chance to see and have a hand in how the beans are cultivated, picked, dried, shelled, roasted, ground, and brewed into delicious, piping hot coffee.

Roasting the beans over a coal fire

A fine roast

“Grinding” the beans with a mortar and pestle

Sipi Falls is a beautiful and tranquil place. It is a place where you can hike every day in the green hillsides and dine nightly overlooking the scenic falls. Just be sure to bring your knit sweater as it gets quite chilly at the high altitude.

The biggest falls, over 100 meters

The Source of the Nile

Our first trip out of Kampala was to Jinja, which is the second largest city in Uganda. The area is most famous for being at the reputed source of the Nile River. We visited Jinja with the intention of visiting the Nile’s source and rafting down some of its frothing white water.

 

Angie near the official source of the Nile River

White-water Rafting 

The main attraction of our trip to Jinja was rafting the Nile River. I never associated the Nile with rapids, but the river has some mean ones. Going through a really good company, we rafted Category 4 and 5 rapids. The rapids were big and exciting. The raft flipped a few times (intentionally, I think). But true to the words of our safety instructor, we were never under water for more than ten seconds. We had a blast. And while we weren’t able to take any actual pictures, here’s something from the company’s website that gives a little taste of the action.

 

The calm before the flip.

The rafting company has a really great river camp where we stayed for a few nights. You can rent “safari tents” which are permanently-standing canvas tents. Ours had two twin beds, a small table, and two small chairs. And the tent opened up to a lovely view of the Nile River.

 

Lending a Hand

 While rafting, we met a Canadian couple who was volunteering at a local school. They were helping to build some playground equipment for the kids. We had an extra couple days, so we joined them for their last day. The school is in a remote village that is inaccessible except for by boat. To get there, we rode in a local motorboat for an hour across Lake Victoria.

Once we reached the village, we spent the day digging, drilling, and painting. Our group was able to erect chin-up bars and teeter-totters (seesaws) for the school children. Fun times are ahead for these kids!

 

No power tools here, kids

Bicycle Tour 

Angie and I rented bikes and tootled around one of the local villages. We met friendly locals and flocks of excited children. They loved to run with us as we pedaled past their houses. Some even helped propel us along!

Ugandan Food & Beverage

Ugandan food consists of a lot of beans and meat and a lot of starches. A typical meal consists of one protein and up to five starchy sides: rice, posho (corn mush), matoke (mashed boiled banana), potatoes, and cassava. The food is seasoned simply, which has led Angie to start carrying her own bottle of local chili sauce!

The typical Ugandan breakfast food is called Rolex. It consists of eggs fried into an omelette, and then rolled inside chapatti bread. Rolled eggs = Rolex = High class!

Charcoal burner ideal for perfect chapattis and omelettes

Ben and his daily Rolex

And of course, one can’t visit the Nile River without trying a bottle of the local brew: Nile Special from Nile River Brewery ($1.50 for a generous 500mL bottle).

 

A Nile overlooking the Nile

Until next time, cheers!

The Next Chapter

This week marks the official end of our Peace Corps Service of 27 months. It is a mixture of emotions as we prepare to depart Mama Liberia. Obviously we are looking forward to seeing our friends and family back home in Minnesota, and yet the idea of leaving Liberia is not an easy one.

This past Sunday (July 27) we moved out of our house in Buchanan and said goodbye to all our friends and loved ones there. It was a very emotional day. And while it was hard to leave our family in Minnesota 2 years ago, we also knew that we would see them again soon. Unfortunately, we are not confident of when (or if) we’ll ever return to Liberia, so the goodbyes seemed much more definite and therefore difficult. We are especially thankful for our generous and kind neighbors and students who helped us celebrate our last day in Buchanan by sharing a massive bowl of fufu and dancing the day away.

Although our service ends this week, our world travels continue. We will be departing Liberia on Sunday via a 35-hour plane trip to begin a whirlwind journey to East Africa and India, and eventually returning back to Minnesota in the Fall. We plan to continue updating our blog sporadically with our travels, but we thought we would give everyone a little insight into our future whereabouts.

Uganda: 3 weeks
We arrive in Kampala, Uganda on August 5th after overnighting in Banjul, Gambia and Dakar, Senegal to begin our adventure. Uganda is an outdoor enthusiast’s wonderland. Another wonderful aspect of Uganda is that while there is tourism and development, Uganda is not yet swarmed with tourists and all the negative aspects that come with it such as chintzy gifts, mega hotels, and annoying touts. During our 3 weeks in Uganda we plan to go white water rafting on the Nile River, hike in Murchinson Falls National Park to admire one of the most amazing sights in East Africa, hike to villages in the Rwenzori Mountains, and admire the beautiful views of the Great Rift Valley stretching throughout East Africa.

Tanzania: 3 weeks
Late August we board a bus in Uganda heading for northwestern Tanzania. We will cross the border into Tanzania at Mutukula and continue on towards Bukoba on the edge of Lake Victoria. From Bukoba we will take an overnight ferry across Lake Victoria to begin our safari adventure in Tanzania. To celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary, we have pre-booked a 5 day safari visiting Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater; we are super excited! In addition we also plan to admire the wonders of Mt. Kilimanjaro (lazily on a rooftop patio… not by climbing it!), hike around in Mt. Meru National Park, and stroll around the capital city of Dar es Salaam. Eventually we’ll board a ferry and cross the Indian Ocean waters to the island of Zanzibar. In Zanzibar we hope to walk around the historic alleys of Stonetown and also relax a few days on the beach with some snorkeling.

India: 5 weeks
Mid-September we board an airplane in Zanzibar to begin phase 2 of our trip: INDIA! The details of India aren’t quite ironed out yet, but we plan to stay primarily in what’s known as the “Golden Triangle”. This involves hitting major cities and sights such as: New Delhi, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the holy city of Varanasi on the Ganges River, and the many temples and palaces in Jaipur and Udaipur. If time and money allows, we’ll also try to make it north to Darjeeling to roam the tea plantations and catch a glimpse of Mt. Everest from afar.

Check back often for travel updates and pictures!

Baking with Mama Liberia

Back in Minnesota I wasn’t much of a baker. While I’ve always enjoyed baking, my work and social life two years ago didn’t really allow for time consuming baking projects. Upon arriving in Liberia, I began hearing rumors about how some volunteers had managed to bake delicious treats using their coal pots. I thought it sounded like something fun to try, and soon discovered one of my favorite hobbies in Liberia.

Baking in Liberia tends to be a full day project. There are no “just add water & egg” cake mixes; everything must be made from scratch. So, for me, part of the baking enjoyment is the market “scavenger hunt” to find the necessary ingredients. As Ben mentioned in a previous post, everything in Liberia is sold in small quantities. Flour, sugar, butter and eggs are sold in single serving sizes. Liberians do not use standard units of measure or recipes when it comes to baking or cooking (no measuring cups/teaspoons/tablespoons), instead Liberians speak and buy according to price. For example, to bake bread a Liberian would suggest buying: 50LD flour, 25LD sugar, 5LD baking powder, and 40LD oil; where an American would state the measurements: 2 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp baking powder and ½ cup oil. Therefore, in order to master Liberian baking one must learn the market trade of “tin can” measuring.

Flour is sold in 2 different tin measurements

Different sizes of sugar. The largest is about 2 cups.

Liberia butter – the taste is as strange as the yellow color

Oil is sold in used water bottles

Eggs are sold individually. The brown eggs are imported from India.

Once all the ingredients have been purchased, it’s time to head home and begin the fun. There are a few additional steps required in Liberian baking. First, flour purchased in the market must be sifted. Flour, cornmeal, beans and other dry goods are sold out of bags along the road. Therefore, it’s likely that dirt, rocks and bugs are nestled inside. This is where the sifter comes in handy. I like to sift my flour 2 times, since finding a weevil in my banana bread tends to ruin the appetite. Another precautionary step must be taken with eggs. I have learned that in the rainy season I need to buy 1 extra egg and in the dry season 2 extra eggs beyond my recipe. Why the bonus eggs? There is no refrigeration in Liberia, so eggs are sold at room temperature and sometimes under the blazing hot sun. It is not uncommon to encounter an egg that smells a little funky or downright rotten when cracking them, so we have learned to have a bonus one on hand. Finally, butter in Liberia isn’t exactly butter as we know it. Actually, it’s not butter at all… remember, no refrigeration. All “butter” in Liberia is actually some form of margarine that is able to withstand the African hot sun without melting; Ben likes to call it the “equatorial formula”. Due to its resiliency, extra time must be put into creaming and whipping the butter and sugar together, otherwise one risks baking a delicious bread…. containing a waxy texture.

Now that the batter has been prepped, it’s time to get the oven heated. There are no electric or gas ovens around, so in order to bake Liberians create a “dutch oven” using the coal pot. To create my dutch oven I use our largest pot with a lid as my “oven”, and a small pot or metal bowl to serve as my baking dish. Inside the large pot I put either 3 small rocks or 3 small tomato paste cans to elevate the smaller baking dish. This allows the heat to circulate all around the baking dish for even cooking. In order to preheat the oven, I place the large pot on the coal for about 10 minutes to get warm. Once it’s warm, the baking dish is placed inside the big pot on top of the rocks and voila, we’re baking! If cookies or scones are desired, then instead of using a baking dish I use a smaller pot lid turned upside down inside the large pot to create a flat surface. Once the goodies are in the oven, constant observation is required. There is no way to control the heat and exact temperature of the oven, so cookies can easily burn if the fire is too hot, similarly cakes and breads can be doughy inside it the fire is not hot enough.

The key to a hot fire is all in the fanning (with a used Frisbee)!

A hot fire ready to bake

The dutch oven

old tomato paste cans help the air circulate around the baking dish

Apple cider sugar cookies

In general, most Liberians do not bake, and I’ve found that many of my neighbors are intrigued that I know the baking trade. For the small percentage of people who do bake, they use it as an income generator for their family. Every morning there are women on the road selling shortbread, cornbread, and sugar cookies. These are the three most popular items. And while they are delicious, the selection and variety are limited due to the lack of spices and flavoring available in the country. In my baking I love to incorporate the seasonal fruits such as banana bread, mango scones or pineapple cake; and the goodie recipient always seems blown away that I incorporated fruits somehow into the bread; its just not common here. Many of our loved ones back home have also mailed us generous packages containing useful baking ingredients such as vanilla and maple extract, and also hot chocolate and apple cider packets. I have learned that hot chocolate mix can be used in almost any recipe that calls for cocoa powder and apple cider packets add a new flavor to sugar cookies that Liberians have never tasted (apples are not found here).

Birthday cake made from hot chocolate packets

Mango scones were a huge hit!

Ben’s Thanksgiving pumpkin pie

Whenever I have a baking day our neighbors get excited. They can smell the aromas of sweet cookies from our outdoor kitchen, and they know that they will surely get some of the finished product. Kids also tend to linger around the house a little longer on baking days, just hoping to get a little morsel of sweetness. Since there is no refrigeration and the temperature and humidity are high, baked goods are quick to mold and spoil. Breads and cakes can only last 2 days before molding, so one can either share the goods or eat cake for their 3 daily meals! For me, sharing the baked goods that I just spent hours preparing is a way for me to thank people in our community who have been so very generous to us. I can’t heal their sickness or solve their family issue or pay their child’s school fees, but I hope that by giving them a few slices of my mango bread, they will know they are appreciated, loved and that hope exists.

My final baking project in Liberia: cookies for our neighbors to say farewell!