Torpedo, Mule Ride

Our guide Masresha took us to dinner at Ben Abeba -- this is a massive restaurant described as "Dali-esque" in our guidebook. We started out sitting in the corner on the top floor on what I would describe as a martini glass platform. Strong winds (i.e. knocked over glasses strong) moved us to the basement, covered area pretty quickly. The food was good and it was nice to socialize with Mas rather than talk history. He also brought his buddy (I need to get his name again!). We then walked, uninterrupted to city center and went to a traditional nightclub called Torpedo. Getting there was a walk through the classic dark alleyway, although this was dirt and straw and the openings were very narrow. The nightclub was low-ceilinged and decorated with animal skins, wall paintings reminiscent of the churches, scarves, baskets, and so on. The waitresses were dressed in typical country garb...colorful calico dresses with scarves -- very very long scarves -- tied around their waists. 

Mas ordered us three kinds of Tej - special, medium, and strong. We tried each one and each was delicious! Scary delicious. There was a taste of apricots, or is that mango, and a slightly smokey aftertaste. All were delicious, the strong version slightly less sweet.

A drummer, singer, and two dancers arrived and the show began with the singer, playing a stringed instrument, began his song, which apparently had religious overtones, thanking the Maker for allowing him to perform. 

Then the drumming and dancing began. There was a male and female dancer who did the local version of the shoulder shake dance. It is quite impressive .... these folks are talented! Unfortunately all three of us were called on to dance...I think this was pre-arranged by our guide. Very embarassing to be unable to keep up with the dancer --I think I matched 1 out of 5 of his moves.

On Friday morning we had to get up early (again) to take a mule ride up to Asheton Monestary. This monastery sits high atop the mountain overlooking Lalibela. My GPS recorded it as 5 miles..up up up. I felt very sorry for the donkies having to carry my hefty weight. We each had a muleer to help encourage and guide the mules. The scenery as you went up the summit was truly amazing, with villages, goats, farmers, and of course the spectacular view of the mountains. The monastery itself was okay...we kind of overdosed on monasteries and churches after four days worth!

The Churches and Monasteries of Lalibela

I am sitting in a covered area of our hotel looking out over Lalibela. You can almost see the churches...I know they are directly in front of me, but hard to know. It is a perfect 72 degrees and the birds are singing. The birds here are enough to make me a birder...many, many beautiful birds both large and small.

Asneka has just brought me coffee and bread with raw honey. 

We've spent the last three days touring churches and monasteries and we are a bit weary of it, although they are of course stunning and interesting. I may know more about Ethiopian Orthodox than I do any other at this point!

I really love the situation of Lalibela with the mountains all around and the sounds of nature. The countryside, too, is remarkable for its round thatched huts and farmlands nestled in the hills. It is storybook beautiful.

Yesterday we started with the south(?) collection of churches and ended with the stunning St. George church, which is shaped like a cross (cruciform!) and is carved out of the rock as a monolith.  It is not covered for protection as the other churches, so is more enjoyiable to look at.

Yesterday we went in and today we got up early to observe the worshipers outside the church -- today is St. George Saint's Day. The worshipers were mostly covered in the white scarves so prevalent here. They are very gauzy and almost seem like shrouds. The mean and women were mostly in separate sections, but due to the hilly landscape, there were folks stationed everywhere. Many of the people carried staffs -- a lot the Bible. I actually said to Peggy the other day that you have to love a country where people dress like Jesus and Mary in the countryside.

There was a sermon being preached and the throngs listened. A bit later they did a call and response at which everyone bowed (somewhat like davening) when it was time for the response.

Many of the men carried staffs, again a la Jesus. I asked Masresha and he told me that the staffs are used to lean on during long, standing prayers.

One thing that alarms me about all of the churches is the general condition of the insides..paintings on canvas, wall paintings, books, kept in damp, humid conditions with many people touching them. I guess this is consistent with the openness and friendliness of the place, but it is not good for the artifacts. Mas says that some people have tried to restore some of the insides, but have botched it...scary!

Lalibela!

The air here, aside from smokey  cooking

 fires, is very clean and we have a  spectacular view from our room of the town, and mountain ranges. 

Yesterday we toured the first set of six rock-hewn churches. Quite amazing, apparently the idea came from a dream that Lalibela himself had back in the day. The churches are all connected by passageways and steps. Apparently he was trying to create a "new Jerusalem" in creating the layout of the churches. Today we visit the second set of churches which are many kilometers away.

Last night we walked a few meters to a neighboring hotel for dinner--the Mountain View. Wow! and what a view it is spanning a huge expanse of relatively untouched land. Our chef came out to speak with us....he is Jamaican and he came to Ethiopia with his Rasta family! That was pretty darned interesting. He was very funny and the food was good.

I love our hotel...we are squeezed into a little family room, but the price is very good and we have a view and breakfast, quite remarkable. And hot water! 

Photo of Julie with donkies in the Rift Valley. Donkies are everywhere, mostly working very hard pulling carts loaded with everything from straw to rocks.

and 

General Impressions

The police appear to be everywhere, but particularly on the road. They stop vehicles regularly to find out where they're going. 

However, in and around lalibela, there don't appear to be police checkpoints. Our guide Mas said that because this is a tourist area, perhaps they don't check as much? He didn't know, I don't think he drives.

Some homes have no windows and mud floors, others are concrete and tile. Everywhere children follow us. At the market, they say "you, you, you," the only English word they know, apparently. The kids and some adults have a gesture where they put their hands to their mouths to indicate they are hungry.  Creepy. Apparently I have the hardest heart in the world because I do walk by and put on my best Philly hard shell and don't think of how physically miserable their lives are. 

Hospitality and overfeeding is routine, in spite of the poor economy.

The diet is starchy. You cannot eat a traditional meal without consuming large amounts of injera...it is your knife, fork, and spoon. For this reason, and because of the enormous quantities of bread of various types at each meal, it's pudgy going here and diet time when I get home. Also, no butter so the diet is low fat, but also no fruit and vegetables. Okay, collards on the plate of injera, but then you need to eat bread along with them.

I am happy to be back in Addis for one night for the modern conveniences. I worry that Lalibela will be like Awassa in terms of plumbing and conveniences.

Religion

Ethiopia is remarkable for its religions. The ones I've encountered (Orthodox, Evangelist, Islam) all take their lead from ancient Abrahamic law....they follow customs from thousands of years ago. Among them are:

1. separating men and women at worship

2. head covering for married women (this now practiced only in the country)

3. no pork, snakes, insects, etc. -- see Jewish and Islamic law for the restrictions, but they hold

4. no horse meat (?? not sure if this is religious law or the need to not eat your transportation)

5. Davening during prayers....we saw it today

Female Genital Mutilation -- 98% Really? Really? All those women? It has been outlawed, but is a tradition across protestant, Catholic, Jew Islam. I think I deludedly thought it was only Islam. I did a little reading on my tiny phone....it was made illegal around 1994. There are charts showing prevalence in age groups and there are fewer in the 1-15 age range consistent with policy, but it is still common. I also read that  sometimes it is done in childhood similar to boys, and at other times it is done at adolescence and still others before marriage, but the absolute must is before childbirth!  I know that I hate the thought of it, but at the same time I was very upset with reactions to an Atlantic article (Q&A with an anthropologist who studies it) where they condemned all the people who practice it. You know it is promoted by women as the ultimate femininity. I am also curious, and can probably assume that many of the girls and women I met here were "circumcised."

At the cousin's house, the men (and us) ate while the women watched. We did not see this on the mother's side or at Etenesh's house...Pretty embarassing for us. Is it desert culture?

In Lalibela you could not walk the streets without being approached by young men who wanted to talk. Peggy and I both attracted several of these young men. Some were smoother than others...at the last day I had a line of 6 young men at the door of the hotel. I am so popular in my dotage!

1. Tam... a 23-year old high school student that our guide attached to us

2. Mas, our guide, 

3. Mas's friend

4. Young man I met on street who I promised to give Ethiopia guide book to, plus buy leather crosses

5. Young man's friend

6. Mas II, a junior guide that we took a liking to.

All got money except Mas's friend...

Right now it is 7:00 AM on our departure day. It has been a remarkable trip, somewhat luxurious, though not totally, and certainly educational.  I wonder what can be done to ease the burden of these remarkable people, and then wonder the impact. The people are generally beautiful, friendly, religious, tied to family and community. Do we want to end that? 

But the beggars and even the opportunistic beggars (ooh, white people in our neighborhood, please give us money). It's not right and it rarely happens in the U.S. YET.

What is the best way to support this place? What is the best way to help ease povery in the United States? There is certainly plenty of it, and hustling in the U.S. I just remembered a young boy who offered to transport my groceries at the local shop rite. I always say no to these kids, but the kid seemed so nice and I had tip money on me (always an issue you know?) At any rate, I ended up giving him a ride home...he asked for a ride because he had been ripped off on the way home recently and didn't want the incident repeated. I asked him how he knew I wouldn't hurt him....I guess he figured that out okay. So this kid wasn't hungry and has public education and a roof over his head. He is not a street child. But what future does he have really? I don't know the answer, just thinking about Philly's poverty.

And a last thought: here, the wealthy are a little overweight -- not a lot, but a little. The poor are rail thin. This really makes me re-think the "thin and rich" mythology of the U.S. and even question the "thin and rich" folks who deny their hunger for the sake of fashion. Is it a slap in the face of the people who earn their thinness by a constant level of hunger that they cannot control?

Hawassa to Addis

Our flight is at 8, but we were told to leave our hotel at 5:00 AM due to Obama's visit, plus general chaos. Instead of being dropped off at the terminal, security required that we get out of the car in a "dead" space and walk across to the airport to the terminal. Thinking this is Obama related and shudder to think of the chaos this would entail at 7:00 AM. The security line before entering the terminal was likewise chaotic with no space to move when removing one's shoes, etc. In spite of very few people, we were all crowded. Next, we pass through the waiting lounge where they have food and services (all closed) and go through second security to the gate where there are no services.

At 5:51 AM, we have two hours to wait!

Our hotel in Addis is a remarkable departure from typical Ethiopian ways because the manager/owner lived in the U.S.

In Hawassa we stayed in the best hotels they had. Even so, there were frequent power interruptions and slow or non-existent wifi. I never did manage a hot shower, or for that matter a shower which did not flood the bathroom, even flowing into adjacent rooms. I feel strongly that a good plumber could do very well here.

Traveling between Addis and Hawassa and beyond was another story. We were frequently stopped by police, who checked Abraham's "papers." He said most of the security checkpoints let him go because there were "Ferengi" (foreigners, ie us) in the car. Cows, donkeys, goats, and sheep roamed freely along the road and we saw multiple dead animals (hit by cars?) just left there to decompose...remember a donkey is a pretty big animal! 

Our driver stopped multiple times to pick up goods from the country to bring to his wife: charcoal (handmade, not like ours), onions, tomatoes, and dried chili peppers.

Etenesh and Deme

Okay, early on in our travels we stopped at Peggy's friend Saba's sister's house to pick up spices to go back to Ethiopia. Of course they insisted on overfeeding us: this time only with Doro Wat, beer (I tried, it was 8:00 AM), bread and of course coffee ceremony. They are very happy and properous people. They even have indoor plumbing!

Adanach's wealthier relatives -- the ones in cement homes with tile floors -- did not have indoor plumbing. They had a well in the frong yard to be used for washing, and then had to bring in water every day for drinking. The toilet is a pit out back. Adanach's cousin had a cow who stayed next to the privy (separated by a wall). I can imagine they have chamber pots because the trip out back was not short. 

Animal Preserve

On the way home we stopped at an animal preserve where gazelle's and warthogs made their homes. It was a bit small I think...there were fences separating the preserve from local farms. We were able to see the animals, ibises, termite mounds, and other birds that only Peggy knows.

We then drove to the Adbitjatta-Shaila National Park to visit the lake (same name). We found lots of pumice - never seen that before --and found at the lake is salty and therefore supports no fish. I find it shocking that no fish have figured out how to survive here and it makes me think the lake is new in geological time.

The views of the lake were stunning, and...lots of pink flamingos.

Wondo genet

Today our excursion took us to hot springs several miles out of Hawassa. The drive was quite interesting because it was a different tribal area than our previous trips to the countryside. We saw many very colorful cotton fabrics hanging out to dry or for sale at local markets. Also, the huts (which I didn't get due to fast moving van) were charming. They are round, thatched huts, but the sides were also thatched with three or four rows of shorter thatch making the hut look like a fancy haircut.

Of course there were the usual donkey carts, and cows and goats roaming everywhere. When we got the the hot springs (admission 30 birr (approx $1.50), we were approached by a tall man speaking English who offered to take us up to natural springs in the hill. We said yes and I'm happy we did.

His English was pretty good and he knew all the birds, animals, and plants along the trail. We saw a number of birds and got some plants id'd (prominent among them for me, the flame tree and also the ubiquitous wild eggplants which are not eaten but used for snakebite). We also saw a Colombo monkey in the wild! 

The trail took us up and up to one hot spring with 185 degree water -- hot enough to boil eggs or cook potatoes. I remembered the springs in Thailand where they sold eggs boiled in the springs. Up a little higher was the Haile Selassie (jamaica) waterfall -- a small pond and waterfall used once by the emperor. Tomasyn and Abraham both took showers in the warm spring. Us women...it appeared that modesty standards may have made this verboten, at least for Adanach, although I did see an older woman (i.e. my age) naked in a cold pond earlier on the trail. Naked young boys and older women, no girls. 

Back in Hawassa, we took the crew to lunch at the Time Caffe, where the internet worked consistently and the club sandwich was a site to behold. 

Although stuffed from our lunch, we sent Adanach and her brothers off with Abraham to visit the youngest Aunt on mother's side and we took a bijaj to La Dolce Vita, the best Italian restaurant in all of Ethiopia.

We tried the local wine...not terrible, not great, and shared a pizza (same as wine).

Our bijaj driver was a very sweet business student at Hawassa university. Unfortunately he ran out of gas in the middle of the road and had to stop traffic to refill the tank.

Awassa - day 2

Today is Friday, July 24, and we've been here nearly a week already. That week has been jam packed with family visits with a little sightseeing in between. The family drama unfolds as we see more and more of this fabulous country.

The initial reunion was followed by a day when Adanach was sick. On that day we moved to Lewi resort which sits on Lake Awassa. The property is filled with monkeys...Columbo and one other. A Colombo monkey jumped on top of a patron's table to retrieve french fries, causing quite a stir.

We ended up meeting some family, including the half brother who works to the west of Awassa, and his wife, several hours drive (more later), Senait, and Thomasyn (sp). We sat around the table at the Lewi Piazza for hours discussing family affairs and relationships.

Awassa - many days of family gatherings

On Tuesday we went to a Family reunion at home of Uncle T. Many people were gathered from Adanach's Mother's side along with her Aunt from her Father's side.

The family is protestant, so no alcohol is served (and supposedly no dancing, although we saw evidence to the contrary). The typical greeting is kiss to one side of cheek, kiss to the other, and then a third for good measure followed by a sturdy hand shake. Lots and lots of germs, the good kind!

The aunties set out a loaf of the giant, round homemade bread containing the as yet unidentified seeds. Also set out were injera, potatoes, vegetables, salad, a wat and more. Again we ate until full and beyond on the mostly starchy food. 

Hawassa and the Way to Hawassa

We are in North Africa where many people still dress in Biblical clothing and goats and pack animals share the road with cars and trucks. 

Our journey from Addis to Hawassa was slow going with many detours and traffic issues (read: donkeys, goats, cows in the road). People pretty much live outside and the landscape is filled with farms (lots of corn), children, fields being plowed with the help of brahma bulls, and so on.

We stopped outside of Awassa at Peggy's friend Saba sister's house (did I get the punctuation right?) They live in a solid concrete house with tile floors -- they are wealthy Ethiopians because he is a pharmacist and she is a nurse.

They immediately plied us with St. George beer and soft drinks. As soon as your class was only half full, they opened another beer....happy happy!

They then served an Ethiopian meal with injera, false palm bread, and a huge homemade Ethiopian bread made from wheat and seeds (need to look up name of seed). 

Peggy had dropped off a suitcase and given Etenesh and Deme money and in exchange Peggy will be bringing 15 kilos of spices back to Seattle. That's a lot of spices! After a few hours we waddled into the car and made our way to the resort...started by two Olympiads. 

Reunion of Adanech's Family

 Today I was a voyeur to a family reunion. Abraham picked us up at 10 to begin the search for Adanech's family. Truthfully I was skeptical...Peggy had a full report from a PI that they commissioned 10 years ago, I must say I was skeptical....a needle in a haystack. 

But no, thankfully I was wrong, Ninety minutes in, working with the detective's papers, the family was found and Adanech was united with her Aunt Senayt. 

How can this be? Senayt kept saying Thank you Jesus, they had tried to find her, the family had been thinking of her, but they had no news. 

We were very curious why the detective hadn't provided the family with Peggy's information, or provided Peggy with theirs, but it turns out that the government (or AAI?) discouraged contact between birth families and adoptees. 

Later that day all the family members that could be gathered on short notice (11) came to our hotel for a late lunch. I took names and pictures...hopefully I can put them together.

Later, we drove back to Shashomene where her little brother lived. We went to the restaurant that his aunt owned. All the neighbors dropped by to see the miracle. 

Even later we went to see the house Adanech was born in and the grandmother's house.