Liberia Shopping

No named shops: "Charlies"

by melosh

Even though there are essentially no tourists going to Liberia there are four concentrations of craft shops in Monrovia. They apparently live on the trade from embassy, aid group and UN employees. The largest was on Mamba Point near the US embassy, but it has shrunk during the last year due to construction and government clearance of illegal occupancy, another is four or five blocks away in front of a hotel where some permanent structures were built for crafts shops, and the third and fourth are to be found on a couple of the streets downtown. There are all actually within walking distance. You will also find a scattering of stands usually with carvings but also some with baskets, along the main roads in and out of Monrovia. Traditionally the Charlies were traders most often of the Mandingo tribe. The people involved are more varied at this time. Still most of the people you will see are...