Rainy Season Dry Season

I know some of you said you didn't want to see this but here is the river after the rainy season when I was in Ethiopia trying to get to Almehal last year - in October...

And here it is on this trip when I was there at the end of the dry season.

This isn't really an effect of climate change although it is causing serious problems for farmers in this area. This just happens to be just another challenge of living in this area. During the rainy season we saw a passenger bus heading this way and they had to turn back because the water levels were too high to cross. It means this area can be cut off from certain services during the rainy season. In the dry season, it means water is a serious challenge, more so than usual. It's a question that always gets asked and things often come back to - without water, how can we wash our hands, water our crops to grow our food, hydrate ourselves when working in the fields and so on. As always, I have nothing useful to reply. 

Street Work

In and around Ethiopia, mainly in cities and large towns, it's not uncommon to get asked for money. In downtown Addis begging is very prevalent. As it does here in Toronto, it always makes me uncomfortable. I wouldn't say I'm more of a target because I'm a foreigner, I think most people walking around get asked for money. I do seem to get noticed more but I've seen plenty of Ethiopians give change or small bills. For the most part, I think to myself that I won't do it, I don't do it here (not often) so let me just not do it there. This will be my principle.

It seems easier to support someone with a small trade rather than just begging. I'll outline a few of the different options.

It seems that if you are a boy or girl between the ages of 5-10, you might sell gum (knock off Juicy Fruit called Banana mainly - yes, it's juicy fruit is banana flavoured...it is, I'm telling you it is), and kleenex packets. You may also sell groundnuts, in packets or loose, or other nuts and beans. These goods, I succumb to purchasing from time to time. You can buy a pack of gum or just a stick. I bought 2 packs for 50 cents from a young girl and well, I guess it was a big sale.

Once you move up from selling gum, it seems the boys at least, graduate to shoe shining. I actually have no idea if this is a real progression, this is just my observation based on age and the types of street work I see. I am a sucker for a good shoe shine in Ethiopia. Never have I ever had my shoes shined in Canada, but they do an amazing job in Ethiopia, it's very cheap, and well, when you have dirty shoes, it's kind of disrespectful. I usually overpay because 25 cents for a shoe shine really doesn't seem fair. I got my boots and my running shoes cleaned up and they are like new. I was disproportionately happy about the job done on my high tops, I actually jumped into the air.

Somewhere in between is the mother-child combination, which is for kids too young to sell gum. It's pretty heartbreaking. The mother will ask first and if you decline, the young child usually follows you for quite some time. I am spared seeing too much of this when I get driven around but when I am out for a walk, it is hard to ignore. If you're driving in downtown Addis though, traffic is often at a standstill and people asking for money are very common. Many of the people begging have physical disabilities - for anyone who is under the impression that polio has been eradicated, come to Addis and you will see that is entirely not true.

If you're passing through a commuter town, where buses go through, you will also see mostly women selling kolo - a sort of roasted barley, peanut, chick pea mix that is quite delicious. You can buy it buy the scoopful - like groundnuts as well. Sometimes other fruit and food items are sold but it depends on the season. Perhaps the women who were selling gum but do not become shoe shiners (I've never seen a female shoe shiner) become women who serve in small restaurants or sell coffee. You can get coffee everywhere, come to think of it, just about as common to see a small coffee stand as it is to see an opportunity for a shoe shine.

Of course, there is also the more, um, well traditional street work. After having dinner with my old boss, we were in a taxi heading home and he said "Ah we're in Chechenya" and I said "What? We are? How do you know?" and he said "The prostitutes, don't you see them everywhere?" I replied, "Um no." and then he said "There, there, there, there" - "Stop stop stop, yes I see them okay, yes... Oh there's that pizza place we ate at a few trips ago."

There are lots of things to take in and observe, and ignore and try to forget. Ethiopia is not a place where you feel taken advantage of in a way I have in other places. The foreigner price doesn't often exist (exception is private taxis) - but for a shoe shine, or a pack of gum, where I personally think they should jack up the price for me at least a little, they don't.

Sorry if this post is well, I don't know what it is. It feels scattered and I'm not sure what I'm trying to say. I don't think I have a point, other than to share.

Here is evidence of the shoe shining handy work.

Before

After

Return of the Mac....or Waiting in Vain...or Hold On, We're Going Home

As many of you may already know, I have decided to cut my trip short and come home. I'm actually en route right now. Stuck in Rome actually. Apparently there were mechanical issues that they thought they could fix quickly but after 3 hours waiting in the plane, they finally let us off. This was mostly good but required a lot of to and fro, security check, this gate, that gate, no food vouchers. I scored free hot water so made one of my Starbucks instant coffees. It's the only time Starbucks will do.

Anyway, the long work hours, tough travel, extreme heat, and on again off again sickness made me decide to cut Tanzania out. It would have been useful to be there but may have pushed me over the edge. Plus, I couldn't stop thinking about the ice cream cake in my freezer.

I actually felt so happy making the decision to come home so I know it's the right one. I hope I can find a way to work with the Tz team and maybe go there another time. I wouldn't have been able to give them my best if o went now.

I'll try to write a few more posts if I can maintain readership. I am always composing entries in my mind but they don't always wind up getting typed. Or you can ask me questions when you see me.

Let me try to post a picture. We may get to board soon.... But then again they've been saying that for over an hour. Just another 8 hour and 50 minute flight and I'll be there!

Classic butcher...no refrigeration. Yes that's beef hanging out in there.

Backdrop for coffee at a stop in the drive back to Addis. Endris, the best driver ever AMD coffee connoisseur, was not impressed with the weak-ish/thin coffee served up.

Street scene from my hotel in Addis

Ethio Star Hotel in Bahir dar (where I stayed)

Cool tree in Bahir dar

Amazing road conditions to and from Guba

Back in Addis

So it's pretty awkward when you're spending the day in your room working and the staff come to clean your room and when you try to say it's okay, you don't have to, well you fail to communicate effectively so they just clean around you.

Just sayin'

I did have this great macchiato and this fine pancake for breakfast though so it's not ALL awkward moments.

And also, for any long time readers, I believe in the past I have mentioned the Bob Marley monument that was near my hotel. I NEVER understood it because well up until this visit the actual Bob Marley statue part wasn't there. I think I posted a photo of the black part that he is standing on - it says One Love in English, French, Amharic and I'm betting on Mandarin. Anyway, there he is at last in all his glory. Makes way more sense now. 

You know the history here yes? The Rastafari movement emerged in Jamaica but following the coronation of the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. Ras coming from his title and Tafari coming from Haile Selassie's original name - Tafari Makonnen. There is loads more info out there if you like but anyway, that's my coles notes wikipedia version. Bob Marley and Reggae are reasonably big here, especially when you consider the typical lack of interest in non-Ethiopian culture (There is WAY less American pop music and tv here than say in Lesotho or Tanzania or South Africa.) 

Some photos

Big sky

The roads were packed - Saturday is a common market day so everyone was headed out to buy or sell!

Snapping pics from the car - home by the side of the road.

Hit the road early - the sun cast a nice shadow

Lake Tana - Panorama

No Horning!

Lake Tana - Bahir Dar

GUBA!!