Simple Needs

I like to think I'm pretty low maintenance.  For example, at the moment, I am sitting in a beautiful little house in Western Ethiopia, sipping a cup of tea, and finally being able to get online!  And I'm happy.  Really, it all comes down to communication for me - if I can get online, I'm happy.  If I can't get online... well...  That doesn't make me high maintenance, does it?  I hope that I'm not too difficult for my hosts to take care of!

Our teacher training workshop started today.  So far, so good!  I couldn't believe it, but almost all of the participants were at the workshop hall, even before we were this morning!  They have all come... and hopefully they will all stay, though we have heard that there might be a religious holiday at the end of this week... which means that they might all go back to their villages to celebrate the holiday... and then apparently, they sometimes don't come back :(

Anyway, things have started out well, so far.  There are 4 guys in the workshop that I have met before, on various trips to this country, and so it's been really nice to see them again!  They all gave me a warm welcome.  It's also really great to be in this place, too, as there are so many people who speak Arabic here!  I seem to have endeared myself to them with my little bit of Arabic - in fact, they even gave me a round of applause as I introduced myself today.  Who would have thought all my experience with Arabic would help me here?!  I have also been trying to pick up some Amharic over the past week, so I have a few more phrases and words on the tip of my tongue.  However, my time in Axum brought back some of the Tigrinya language that I know... so really, it's all just a big muddle in my head.  All three Semitic languages, and I keep forgetting which word belongs to which language! 

Speaking of Axum, though, it was really an amazing place.  I didn't really think that it would be all that great - I was thinking that it was probably just a bunch of tall rocks standing around to look at.  But I was wrong - there is so much more there.  Including the little chapel where they say they keep the actual real Ark of the Covenant!  Another highlight was an ancient stone - sort of like a Rosetta stone with various languages on it, including Greek, Sabean and Ge'ez.  And it just sits there in a little shack, for anyone to look at and touch.  It's all crazy old stuff, just sitting around in fields to look at and touch.  Really fascinating history in that area, and it was great to see it and hear all the stories.

At some point I will get fast enough internet to post a few photos of it all... enshallah.

A few highlights..

I'm having such an amazing vacation! From Gondar, we were driven in a rather nice van  up towards the Simien Mountains. The drive itself was quite stunning, beautiful fields of teff, wheat, barley, oats and lots of horses, cows and sheep everywhere. The colours, and the plain "pastoralism" of the scenes were fascinating. The bright yellow Meskel flowers were in full bloom, and it was so beautiful.  We had a very comfortable van to drive in,  and a friendly driver, Tamret, who had good taste in music. I gotta get. Y hands on some Teddy Afro music! Not only that, but he was a good driver - not something to take for granted around here. He was cautious enough, and you could tell he was looking ahead and anticipating what was coming, but still confident enough to know what the van could do. And this was all very comforting once we goth to some of the crazy roads in the mountains!

We drive for a few hours, then eventually got to a town called Debark, where we picked up a "scout" and a guide for the mountains. The scouts are a requirement, and the guide was part of our package deal.  The scout was this wizened older man, toting an old Kalashnikov rifle and a plastic bag with a bottle of water and a blanket.  Our guide was a you get guy, all smiles and full of useful information. The highlight of this little town was the fresh garlic int he market! Never seen (or smelled!) anything quite like it!

Once we left Debark, we started climbing up the road into the mountains proper. The road was amazing, the views were stunning, and Tamret was getting a kick out of me wanting to stop to take photos all the time!

We made it to the lodge In time to have a late lunch, then went for a walk around the edge of the escarpment with our guide and our scout. The dear scout was such a gentleman, and was quite concerned that we kept our footing and didn't fall off any cliffs!  This old wizened man has been a scout for years, and you can tell that he's been climbing up and down those mountain trial since he was a toddler! Me, on the other hand, was having a hard time catching my breath at over 10,000 feet! Good thing I've been Zumba-ing! It was so nice to walk through the forest and enjoy the beautiful views, and just be hiking in nature once again!  So refreshing to the soul.

We also found big troops of gelada baboons, which aren't nearly as ugly or scary as the normal east african baboons that I'm used to. These baboons just sit on their butts all day, eating grass! They were great to watch. And our guide, of course, knew all about the plants and trees and stuff.  So we got lots of good info, too... Which, of course, I've forgotten most of already. I'll blame that on the altitude!

I had a lovely evening, sitting around the fire, sipping tea and chatting with other Guests and guides and drivers.  The best part was that when you leave the main lodge to go to your tukel, they give you a hot water bottle to sleep with. And seriously, you need a hot water bottle to keep warm! It was COLD up there! A feather duvet, wooly socks, a big fuzzy blanket and a hot water bottle, though, made for a beautifully cozy sleep. There was no way I'd be equipped to do a back packing trek through these mountains like a lot of people do.

The following day, we drove down the road to Chennek camp, taking lots of photos along the way, and took a hike to hunt for the walia ibex.  We didn't have to walk too far, when we found a group of the rare creatures, which are found only in this park. We also spent some time just munching on homemade granola bars (which my friend had made!) and enjoying the views.  At the camp, we were able to eat some shiro and injera, to fortify ourselves for the next hike to a waterfall.

It worked out that for quite a long way, Sheri was walking up front with the guide, chatting away in Amharic, and I was A bit behind with the scout, who was also chatting away in amharic! He was trying to teach me - so I mimicked quite a lot of what he said, to his satisfaction, but I haven't a clue what any of it meant. The dear old guy didn't speak hardly a word of English! But he was very sweet!

The road was stunning - just a rocky path winding and clinging to the side of the mountains, with some pretty steep switch backs along the way! Like I said, I was glad that the driver seemed to be very able, and very careful, as well as very experienced on that road. We had a really nice time all together with out little party.  It felt a bit odd to be going everywhere with "our" scout, guide and driver (for just the two of us travellers!) but we couldn't have done this sort of trip any other way, without our own vehicle. Park rules require that you take a scout, and the guide... Well. He came with the tour package that we booked, and really, we would have had no idea where to go or what to do. It's a national park, but nothing like Banff where you have signs and maps and brochures to tell you where to go!

We stayed a second night in the lodge, and then got up bright and early to return to Gondar yesterday. We had a local lunch of what has now become my favourite Ethiopian food - tagabino with injera. So, so, so good. But they only make it in some parts of the country. Tamret was very kind after lunch and was willing to take us to the market to buy some scarves. Gondar is in the heart of Amhara culture, and the white scarves you can find there are cheaper and more beautiful than elsewhere. So we bought a few :) I think tamretnwas officially done his duties with us, but he was doing us a favour, because Sherri charmed him with her perfect Amharic :) I just do a lot of nodding and smiling and trying to look pretty, while she does all the talking!

This morning, we got on another plane, joining the throngs of tourists, and came to Lalibela. It was almost a bit surreal to be standing in some of those churches, seeing them with. Y own eyes, because I have wanted to see them for so long! I've seen so many pictures of them, and have been quite fascinated by them for several years now... And here I am! I took rather a lot of pictures (which are all on my camera, and I have no way to get them from the camera to the iGadget ;( ) the history,a nd the culture... So rich.  Our guide here is an Orthodox man himself, so it was really fascinating to watch him kiss the doors and do his bowing and crossing each time we entered into a new church. It's also good to get the story and explanations of the churches from someone who believes it.

He was also quite funny in that he didn't like big tour groups, and we were constantly trying to stay anead of (or behind) a couple of larger groups - Chinese, Italians, and Germans seemed to be the main nationalities of tourists today. Some times I think the tourists are more interesting to watch than the actual sights!  One of the tips we had gotten from friends in addis was to use bug spray before entering the churches. They said that fleas often live in the carpets, and since you have to take your shoes off to enter each church, the fleas are some times a problem. Apparent,y others had heard that too, as they were wearing long knee socks, with trousers tucked in, and we're seen spraying their feet before entering the churches! I just wore my chacos, with bare feet, and sprayed before I left the hotel! So far, so good in terms of no flea bites. After running around I bare feet all day, though, a good foot wash is going to feel good before bed!

The churches really were amazing, though. It's not really quite what I expected - they ere all a bit closer together than I thought, and st George's church was smaller than I thought. But it was all still amazing the way they built those places, and all the symbolism and tradition that just drip from the stone.

Tonight, we are staying at yet another beautiful hotel. We watched the sunset for our private balcony, and. Ow I'm sitting int he lobby, sipping tea and enjoying a bit of CNN on the telly. There were so many tourists everywhere today at the churches, but thre don't seem to be many staying at this same hotel.  Sherri booked a package deal through a travel agent in addis, so I don't really know what all the other options for hotel etc are. But I know that so far, things have been beautiful. Having a package deal is definitely the way to go - they even confirm our flights for us, and make sure we have everything that we need. No haggling for taxi fares or guide prices... It's all taken care of by the agents.  Definitely a relaxing way to travel, and I wouldn't recommend to do this sort of trip any other way.

Tomorrow we fly into Axum, and the following day, it's back to Addis already.  Saturday, I fly to a small Town in western Ethiopia to help with a teacher training workshop! So at the very least, I'm seeing a good chunk of this country this month!

Middle Earth?!

Several months ago, I was talking with a friend who lives in Addis.  She has never been to the North of the country yet, and neither had I.  So , we decided to plan a little holiday together.  And this week, this holiday is actually happening! I wasn't sure it was going to happen ... Already,my flight out of Jb was cancelled yesterday, thought thankfully the was a later flight, and there was space on it for me! So I got to Addis after only one false start yesterday.

Then, we were scheduled to leave the house at 5:30am to catch our flight to Gondar this morning.   We're to have the full day in Gondar today, enjoying the palaces of a mideival kingdom, as well as some of the churches and the Kings swimming pool.

Instead, once we checked in for our early morning flight... We learned that it, too, was cancelled! But we were already at the airport, and set for a later flight.  So what could we do,  it while away the hours (6 of them, all told!) in the airport.  Of course, it was about 5 1/2 hours into the air that I finally discovered that there was Internet in the airport!

We finally made it to Gndar, around 2pm, and the tour guide was there to pick us up. We decided to book the whole trip through a travel agency, because they take care of everything - and we both wanted a holiday, not a stressful haggling fest at every turn!

And so far, so good.  Even though we were 6 hours late in arriving, we still managed to see the highlights of Gondar.  What an amazing thing it was to stand there, gazing up at the castle walls that I have seen so often In pictures... Taking my own pictures of them! This place is so steeped in history, and it's amazing to have the opportunity to be a tourist here for a few days and to see it all first hand.

Tomorrow, we are off to the Simien Mountains for a few day, to look for baboons and ibex!  I'm just hoping I can make it up the trail... Gondar is built on the mountain side, and it's been hard enou climbing thought the streets of Gondar, which are nearly 9000 ft high!

However, the driver is careful, the tour guide was friendly and informative (but not overly friendly!), and I have learned a lot a out this country, the Orthodox church and tradition, and even Ethiopian art and Insruments today!

It really does seem about as far away from my normal life as Middle Earth!

A New Tradition?

So, turkey and all the fixin's ended up being a few bits of very, very overcooked turkey, plus sukumaweki (Kenyan greens), rice and ugali (stodgy "porridge" made from maize flour).  We weren't sure if this was going to be the start of a new Thanksgiving tradition or not...  I was quite disappointed with the food, until they brought out some more meat to put on the grill.  So I had a little piece of steak (which I could actually chew through!) and a little piece of grilled chicken.  That wasn't so bad... but, it certainly wasn't mashed potatoes and gravy.

So, on Monday, I needed to make mashed 'taters, gravy and I even cracked open a can of corn that I had in the cupboard.  I asked my neighbor to go down the street and pick up a few pieces of grilled chicken from the restaurant... and voila, Thanksgiving meal with (some of) the trimmings!  I had just had my heart set on mashed potatoes and gravy, and my gravy wasn't too bad - a chicken bouillon cube, margarine and a bit of flour can work miracles!

This evening, I'm starting to pack for a big trip - on Friday I leave for Ethiopia!  I'll be gone a few weeks - 5 days of holidays with a friend first.  I've wanted to go to the North of Ethiopia, to see Lalibela and Gonder and the Simien Mountains for SO long, and have never gotten there.  So last time I was in Ethiopia, I was talking with a friend of mine who lives there (she works for the same organization that I do), and she's never been up there either.  And a plan was born.  For the days before a teacher training workshop, I'll be seeped in the beauty and history of Northern Ethiopia!  I'm so excited to see it all!  I just hope that all goes well and that my friend and I enjoy each other's company, too.  It's always an unknown, travelling with a new person... but I think we'll be fine.  The teacher training workshop is also in a different part of the country than I've ever been to, as well.  So in the next 3 weeks, I'll have seen more of Ethiopia than I have since I first started visiting the country in 2006!

My cat senses that something is going on... he's been sitting on my lap all evening, which makes it hard to get up and do much packing.  He gets a bit funny whenever my suitcase comes out, 'cause he knows his whole little world will be turned upside down :(  And that reminds me, I have to find someone who will be willing to feed the poor fuzzball over the next few weeks!

It might be a while 'till I post again, but hopefully I'll have some good photos and some good stories (but not TOO many good stories!) to share later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am giving Thanks for a lovely, restful morning.  What a joy it is to not even have a shower or get dressed all morning.  It is already 1:30pm and I still haven't even managed to shower or put on "real" clothes (but don't worry - I'm wearing a very proper "mumu"!). 

This afternoon, I have opportunity to go and munch on turkey with all the fixins' with my fellow Canuks here in Jbs.  It's a yearly tradition, and thankfully, I have a couple of friends that I can accompany to this supper.  Otherwise, I don't know any other Canadians in town!  And somehow, I am a bit shy to walk into a room, all by myself, and plop myself down with someone for dinner.  You'd think I'd be over that sort of shy-ness by now, but, alas, no.  So I am thankful for friends to accompany :) But am really looking forward to meeting some new folks, with the safety of a friend to sit next to, in case no one else wants to talk to me!

But it is also just a good time to think about what I am thankful for, as cliche as it is.  I do have SO many blessings.  And around here, it's easy to forget all those things, as it's easy to just see how challenging things are here.  Instead, though, I am still asking myself, "Why me?"  I mean, if I had been born as a woman in THIS country, there's no way I'd have the opportunities that I have had in my short little life.  There's no way I'd have a chance to choose to do the work that I do every day.  There's no way that I'd have a house like I have, and the time and resources to spend a morning on a soft chair, under a fan, listening to a sermon on the internet, or reading a book.  There's no way I'd have a chance to use the resources that I have to know who God is, and to even get a tiny glimpse of his glory and how he is at work in this world. 

So, yes, things can be challenging.  And it is not so much to be away from my family on holidays and not have the chance to be with them more often.  But, there are so many other good things to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and enjoy cultivating your gratitude today!

And now, I better go jump in the shower (which will be nice and warm by now!), or else my new "friends" really won't want to sit next to me at supper tonight!

Why Me?

I read a blog post today called, "The Flip Side of Why Me?"  Twas so good.  Because it's too easy to focus on the negative things here and ask "Why Me?" about all the challenges of life.  And let's not deny it - there are challenges to life.  But how much better, how much more God-glorifying is it to ask, "why me?" when thinking about all the amazing wonderous things that he has done for me and blessed me with.  And actually, I have often thought about this, when I look at my friends here.  Why was I born where I was born, with the opportunities that I was born with?  A 15 year old girl in this country is twice as likely to die in childbirth than she is to finish Grade 8.  Why was I not born into that?  Why do I sit here, healthy, with my laptop, under my fan, with the generator buzzing, a glass of cold clean water next to me... when literally 20 feet from my door, people don't have this option?    When you look at life in those terms, it's hard to complain about the things that we complain about, isn't it?