Traditional Ethiopian food with Injira and Lamb Tibs

                                            Castles in Gondar, right across from our hotel

                                               Colobus monkeys in Simeon Mountains

                                         One of the (many) rock hewn churches in Lalibela

                                                    Blue Nile falls in Bahar Dar

                                                          Hippo at mouth of Nile

                        One of our charming locar hotels (this one across street from castles in Gondar)

                   Baboons in the Mist (fog rolled in in Simeon Mts which is probably why we got this close)

We’ve just returned from Ethiopia. I have a cold, sore throat, messy couph and very sore knees. BUT!  I had a fabulous time and saw a little bit of a country with a very rich history and culture, not to mention delicious food!  (Yes!  no foo-foo and various other forms of goo, dried fish and rat soaked in Palm Oil.) The main traditional meal there is made up of Injira (a type of very thin bread product, that you use to scoop up a variety of tasty vegetable based treats (more like sauces) and sometimes meats (tibs, bits of tasty lamb or beef)  when it is not fasting season which is not very often.  This is an ancient christian civilization with it’s very own form of christianity that includes the bible complete with hidden books not known in other civilizations. There are calls to prayer there much like you would find in a Muslim culture and much public prayer. St George is a huge figure there, a great hero known for slaying the dragon to whom the Romans were sacrificing the christians, but who also reappeared later to ward off the Italians in their (failed) attempt to colonize Ethiopia. (Oh those Italians). BUT, they (the Italians) did influence Ethiopia a great deal in that you can find wonderful pastas and pizzas most everywhere!!!  (Yes!!!!) and the Ehtiopians say “Ciao” a lot. 

Among many other things, we saw (12th century churches hand- carved out of or into the sides of mountains (Lalibela) high up in the mountains, castles of various Emperors in Gondar, monastaires built on the islands of Lake Tana (Bahir Dar) which is also the mouth of the Blue Nile River (one of the 2 major tributaries of the Nile River, the other being the White Nile) which leads into the spectatcular Blue Nile falls.  We were lucky enough to to come upon two Hippos (wow!) swimming along there (at the mouth).  Also in the Gondar area (where some Peace Corps volunteers live who took us to great restaurants), we hiked into the Simeon Mountains in search of the baboons that reside there.  Yes, we found them and got very close in fact...a great thrill.  We were also treated to a sighting of Colobus monkeys with their white faces staring back at us.

The people are friendly and elegant looking, small and fine-boned. The country is more developed than Cameroon with many paved roads, nice local restaurants, COLD drinks and even movie theatres and spas in Addis Ababa (the capital). We saw 3 movies (hey, it’s been over a year) in an actual theatre, and treated ourselves to messages and facials (oh, the joy) the day before departing back to Cameroon. One thing I will say in defense of Cameroon is that there are no street beggars.  Families take care of their own.  In Ethiopia, you can see abject poverty along with many, many street beggars (from the countryside, we were told), most of them women and children.  This in the mist of educated and well to do Ethiopians….a sad and strange site. 

Why the cold and sore knees you may ask?  Well, it was cold and rainy and muddy most of the time.  I couldn’t seem to get enough layers on to really stay warm, tho I did have a good rain jacket.  Also, I strained my knee just before departing and most of our adventures included hiking into and climbing up on slippery muddy rocks to see our fabulous sites.  This was not a good time to be gimpy, but luckily my travel buddies and our Ethiopian guides helped the old one (worthy of much respect) to manage. And so I returned with two swollen knees (the bad one put extra stress on the (once) good one...God I feel old!) and the cold and sore throat. 

This is just an overview of our two very eventful weeks in Ethiopia, but it will have to do for now. Enjoy the photos.  I can’t include all that I would like as my internet connection is much too slow, but you’ll get the gist. Now to recuperate and get back to work. My grant request was approved, so there is much work ahead as I become the chicken expert I was always meant to be….