Friday 21 November 2008

Quick Relaxation Motel

After spending more than 12 hours on the road from Bo town in Sierra Leone to Monrovia, Liberia, we arrived around 9:30pm and for some reason we couldn’t get in touch with our host. Apparently she had misplaced her phone and there was no way for us to reach her. So, we decide to check into a motel in the suburbs of Monrovia for the night. As I walked up to the receptionist for a room she looked at me weirdly and asked ‘is it for sleeping?’ The question seemed a little dumb and I laughed sarcastically, ‘of course it’s for sleeping’ I said. I later found out that the joke was on me.

As we checked into the room, the first thing I noticed was the pile of condoms on the side table, the second thing was the porter switching off the TV set. Curious as to why he switched off the TV, immediately he left the room, Oluchi switched it on and switched it off the next second. Then we burst out in laughter.

It dawned on us that we had just checked into what we call a ‘short-time’ motel or ‘slaughter-house’ in Nigeria. That is, a motel designed strictly for quick discreet sexual escapades. To set the mood, the motel had graciously provided some light entertainment on TV by way of a fully dedicated pornography channel and a dozen pack of condoms. Also the only identification needed to check-in is your money. Talk about being discreet.

We had a good laugh and we had to acknowledge that someone has to provide these services and it looked like they were doing a good job. As we left the next morning, we noticed the motel sign – Y Motel, for quick relaxation- that had us laughing all over again. If you’re ever looking for ‘quick’ relaxation in Monrovia, check out Y motel.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am Liberian living in the New Jersey, USA and I do agree with you that someone has to provide those services. Sometimes people turn to sex to alleviate all the hardship and frustrations they undergo especially in a country like Liberia.I do know there are good thing in Africa thou. Please continue the good work. I am following your whole trip since I herd of it.
Thanks for thought and efforts.

Anonymous said...

I disagree that "someone has to provide these services". I believe that is part of the problem, that sexual escapades are encouraged rather than moral decency. It also contributes to the spread of diseases (with or without a condom) who really wants to trust their life and health to a piece of rubber?

The 2nd Saviour said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

"I disagree that 'someone has to provide these services'. I believe that is part of the problem, that sexual escapades are encouraged rather than moral decency. It also contributes to the spread of diseases (with or without a condom) who really wants to trust their life and health to a piece of rubber?"

In Japan similar hotels exist and many of the couples who use them are married couples who live in very small apartments. Is it a sexual escapade instead of moral decency when a man and woman who are married to each other have sex in a hotel room and use condoms instead of staying celibate or having sex in front of their child who sleeps in their bedroom at home and conceiving another child to raise in that already-cramped apartment?