Settling into Goba (and a little side vacation)

December 29th, 2012
(Wow I just realized a year ago this time I was having my gallbladder removed....crazy what can happen in a year)....

Well I’ve been in Goba for exactly two weeks now and it’s starting to feel like home. As I’ve mentioned before I had the great fortune to inherit many things from the previous environment volunteer so my house is pretty dang cozy already. I have satin blue couches, a few tables and my new propane stove to cook on. The propane is so nice to have compared to stinky kerosene or charcoal which is the way the majority of Ethiopians cook, so sadly I guess I’m already living like a ferengi…but it’s worth it!

I’m learning where to buy different things- yesterday I found the suk (small shop) that sells the best dabbo (bread) in town, and today I discovered a different location for the market. I’m still having a lot of fun going to the market. Today I bought a huge handful of ginger, a huge bundle of kale, onions, garlic, avocado and some eggs. I’ve yet to figure out the array of spices and grains but it will be fun when I do. Yesterday I went for my first exploratory walk and found myself on top of the closest big hill overlooking the surrounding countryside and up into the Bale mountains. Looking down I could see all of Goba and got a sense of how many people live in this area. Almost everywhere I look are either houses or cultivated fields. Only in the steep and jagged mountains are the remaining forests.

This evening I went back up to that spot to watch the sunset. As I walked up the road I said hi to some little kids and they gave me a handful of green beans to munch on. Farther up the road by a big church I came upon an old man hobbling up the hill to visit the church. I said hello and he put out his hands asking for something. Fortunately I had a big handful of beans that I was able to give him and say “thanks be to god”. He was very appreciative and happy. It was such a delight to have simple beautiful interactions like that in just a matter of a few minutes. I am quickly learning how kind and giving Ethiopians are, it is very touching.

For the majority of the week I was in the resort town of Hawasa, a four hour bus ride down into the Rift Valley. Several other volunteers gathered there to celebrate Christmas. We had a wonderful day of feasting, exchanging little gifts and playing charades. Christmas morning was one that I will never forget- 6 PCV’s (Peace Corps Volunteers) and I took a boat ride out onto Lake Hawasa and went hippo hunting! Not really hunting but we got to watch 12 of them bobbing along the shore hanging out a very short distance from where some locals were bathing and washing clothes! I could only see their heads but even that was huge. A few times they made wacky loud grunting noises- so very cool!

Now I am back in Goba settling into the slow pace of Ethiopian life. My next task is to keep getting a grip Amharic, and start learning a 2^nd language Afan Oromo which the majority of the rural people speak. I’m getting started on growing a garden so that I can use it as a model to teach others. I’m still bursting with ideas on what to do but know it will take time to meet the right people and be able explain and teach it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a Happy New Year! Cheers to following your dreams!!!

Happy Holidays from Goba!

Hi world! I am very happy to report that I am now an official Peace Corps volunteer. We, 50 of us, swore in last Friday in the beautiful gardens of the US Embassy. The US Ambassador gave a nice talk about the lifelong commitment it is to be a Peace Corps Volunteer and how influential it can be for many many years to come. It was a lovely, inspiring ceremony and I am filled with enthusiasm and joy at fulfilling one of my dreams.
I have now been in Goba for exactly one week and love it. My new home is wonderful- it has a lovely grass yard, colorfully painted shint bet (outhouse), a shower hut (that sometimes even has warmish water), and two furnished rooms! Not the small simple dirt house I always imagined but I'll take it! So many other volunteers have a tough start to moving in with no furniture and I feel very very fortunate. I took over the home of a previous volunteer who just completed her service so I was gifted many kitchen items too, even some spices and ferenji food like almonds! So very very lucky am I. I am having fun cooking meals....except for tonight because the power is out again....luckily I cooked a good lunch of rice, tomatoes, onions and a dash of berberi spice.
It was a busy week of hosting other volunteers as they got their housing situation figured out, and going to markets to get basic living things- like wash tubs for dishes and laundry. Going to the market is great fun- so many colorful displays of foods, grains, and cookware. Random side note- have you ever wondered what Goodwill and other second hand clothing stores do with their unwanted clothes? Answer- they send them to Africa where people resell them (for a pretty penny) in huge piles to dig through.
Another beautiful display at the market is the clay pot cookware- huge flat dishes for making injera, small charcoal stoves for cooking, incense burners, buna (coffee) pots- all handcrafted and sold by beautiful ancient looking women in colorful headscarves.
Monday I am going to the tropical tourist town Awasa for Christmas with other volunteers. I also hope to buy a propane stove so that when the power does go out I can still cook.
It doesn't really feel like Christmas since it is warm and sunny and tropical here but seeing photos of the snow back home help to remind me of the other world that I am missing. Actually I miss all of you but not the chaos and commercialism.
Sending warm Holiday wishes of love, peace and joy!!!!!

Bye bye beautiful Bekoji!

  December 11, 2012

Well it’s the end of chapter 1- training. Today was my last day in Bekoji and it was filled with nostalgia trying to capture moments and images. The day was sweet and sad and amazing and touching. Funny how I noticed so many new things today- like the beautiful stonework on a house that I walk past at least twice a day. I finally got to go to the market with my host brother Mabrano today. It was a beautiful experience. No harassment, just lovely women patiently selling their vegetables or grains in the hot sun. The way they display the product itself is beautiful- little neat piles of tomatoes, potatoes, beets, green hot peppers, and colorful sacks of different grains and beans. I had fun taking photos and showing the women their photo, some of whom I guess had never seen a photo of themselves.

Today was also a lovely day of free time with no pressure to study. I took advantage of it by playing with Abi, my four year old “brother” and Tsion my ten year old “sister”. I tried teaching hopscotch, but somehow forgot the basics of the game. We also played a version of baseball, Tsion was smart and got two sticks one for each hand to hit the small plastic ball better.  Mabrano taught me the basics of making misir wat and I think I can cook it for myself now. It is very tasty so I hope I can master it soon. It is a thick sauce of lentils, garlic, birbiri (the red spicy spice used in most dishes), and shiro (ground dried beans). Yum!

At sunset the Bekoji group went for a walk into the fields. It was beautiful with all the harvested grain drying in little hut shapes and some men threshing the wheat in the fading gold light. Tonight I gave my family photos and some little gifts, pencils and a flashlight. A few days ago I gave them two small avocado trees and a coffee plant and they carefully planted them and made little shade huts to protect them. I hope they survive and bear fruit in the future. My host mom Ayelech gave me shiro, birbiri and atmit (a mix of grains that make a yummy cream of wheat type hot drink).  Over the daily traditional coffee we ate super yummy fresh kita (a warm flat bread) as oranges as a special treat. It has been wonderfully touching seeing how my family has taken me in. I truly feel part of the family. What a spectacular introduction to the kindness and openness of Ethiopia this family has shown me. I really really hope I can came back soon, with stronger language skills, and remain part of their lives.

I am going to miss the expansive views and rolling hills of Bekoji. The past two months have been a great nurturing environment to help me build my wings as I prepare another leap into the unknown. This little hatchling is ready to fly!

Photos from Awash National Park Dec1,2012

Happy at the hotsprings

Big ol croc in the river

Pet ostrich and new thatched roof

The amazing oasis hot springs

Pair of oryx- so cool!

Lovely Awash river (crocodiles on the other shore)

Africa Amazingness!

December 4th, 2012

Wowzers! This past weekend was the best yet. On Friday the environment group- 16 of us got to go camping at Awash national park. We drove down into the Great Rift Valley through old lava fields and past a big lake for 5 hours to the north east into the Afar region. The lodge we stayed at was perched right over a huge waterfall- “Ethiopia’s Victoria Falls”. From cozy thatched huts perched on the edge we could see monkeys and crocodiles down in the river below. A trail led down to the river and at one point a few of us were standing about 50 feet away from a smallish crocodile!

The first evening there we went on a safari and spotted the beautiful Oryx- large antelope with long straight pointy antlers. We also saw warthogs with their little tails pointed high. Sunset was gorgeous in the classic African terrain- thorn bushes and Acacia trees. We drove to a spot where 3 tributaries joined the Awash River in a huge gorge the Grand Canyon of Ethiopia.   That night we had a campfire and stayed up late under the full moon. Luckily there were guards to protect us from any random baboon hyena that might wander into camp.

Waking up to crazy bird and monkey sounds I smiled knowing I was in Africa. Saturday morning we drove a long bumpy road into the Afar region spotting Dikdik (small antelope), warthogs and many cool birds including Toucans.  Our destination was an incredible oasis in the scrub- palm trees and grassy marshes. Walking for a little ways we came upon a fairy tale like hot springs. Turquoise blue deep pool lined with palm trees. The water was very hot but felt incredible. Probably the closest thing to a bath I will have while in Ethiopia. Some local tribe’s people came and watched us and they had beautiful facial markings. We weren’t allowed to take photos but I have one image burned in my mind of a young girl hiding in the grass wearing a bright red-orange scarf. Walking back I had fun geeking out looking at all the beautiful exotic birds.

Later that day we went on another excursion, this time to a long crack in the earth. This fault line ran for over a kilometer, was about 10 feet wide, and in some parts was bottomless. It was very eerie and super cool. Sometimes I could see bats flying deep down in crack. As the sun started setting we snuck up to a spot that was over a large cave and soon started seeing hyena’s coming out for the evening.  We silently watched about 20 hyenas come out of the cave and go out into the bush. Some were lactating females, small cubs, and large males. It was incredible, especially as the golden sun sank into the horizon. I was in awestruck bliss!

To top it off while we were eating dinner (super yummy fish) the local tribe’s people did a special dance for us. They sang songs and performed traditional dances. The men wore white cloth skirts and shawls, and the women wore the same white cloth and long beads. The women were sweetly shy as they sang beautiful songs. The tribe is doing this as an alternative way to earn money as their land gets more confined due to the park and grazing restrictions.

Sunday we drove back happy and tired. Along the way I saw endless straw houses, some camels and men working in the fields harvesting the wheat by hand. As I said it was an incredible weekend that filled me with excitement and awe in being here. It was a wonderful rejuvenation and experience. Yay to Ethiopia and Africa! One more week until swearing in and moving to Goba!

From now on my address is: Laresa Kerstetter, PO Box 340, Goba, Ethiopia. I would love any letters or packages (chocolate, fruit snacks, games, books, magazines…fun stuff and food!).

Also if anyone wants to call my phone number is (251) 9 22 530 489. I am 11 hours ahead of the west coast. Sending happy Ethiopian hugs to all! ~Laresa~

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
We just ate a fabulous meal of many of the classic Thanksgiving items- minus turkey and pumpkin pie and cornbread, but it was delicious. Everyone in the G8 group pulled together to make fun decorations and food. My group in Bekoji and I learned how difficult it can be to get some basic ingredients here but we managed to make peanut butter banana cookies- with milk from a cow 20 minuets old, and very fresh butter. I have only two weeks left before swearing in an becoming a true volunteer. Before that happens I have to pass the language test which is making me study and practice a lot, good but challenging. I'm thinking of everyone on this wonderful holiday - very thankful for the love and support that I feel. Happy Turkey Day! May it be filled with yummy food and fill your heart with joy. 

From sickness to joy

November 17, 2012

Well hello! I’m sitting cozy in my bed listening to the wind howl outside, happily tired from my first day of really walking in the African bush! It felt so good to get out and walk around in classic African terrain- acacia trees and grassy hills. It was especially nice because I’ve spend the last four days dealing with a stomach bacteria – not fun at all…let’s just say both ends have been thoroughly flushed. But I am slowly getting better and learning the art of not eating but staying well hydrated. My host mom was extremely kind and concerned doing everything she could to help me get better. When I finally did get better she held a little celebration by lighting candles, making popcorn, baking special bread and burning incense- real frankincense. It was very touching to see how much she cares.

Today was a special field trip to a nature preserve about 2 hours north of Bekoji. The whole G8 (the eighth group to be volunteers in Ethiopia) gang went- all 47 of us. We split up into two groups and walked through tall grass, giant thorn bushes, and flat topped acacia trees. The highlight was seeing the Great Nayala – a large beautiful antelope with long curved antlers- about the size of a moose with 3 ft. long spears on top of his head. I also saw a praying mantis blending in with the vegetation and some very colorful birds.

It’s funny how I can get into the routine of studying and spending time with my family and then do a field trip like today and it hits me again that I am living in Africa. I still have lots of moments of reminders but it’s amazing how quick we can get used to things. Things like horses pulling carts and cows standing in the roads, kids carrying littler kids on their backs wrapped in cloth, cooking by an 8 inch charcoal stove, and seeing endless straw thatched mud hut homes.

Hopefully as I learn the language better I can begin to forget that I am a “ferengi” and continue to connect deeper to the beautiful people that fill this land.

Sending love and hugs to all,

Laresa

Hello from Paradise

Hello from the amazing town of Hawasa!
I am sitting in a ritzy hotel on the shore of the beautiful lake Hawasa gazing over tropical gardens and catching glimpses of huge cranes, hornbills, and many many different exotic birds. Today is a special bonus vacation day as I make my way back from my site visit in Goba to my current home in Bekoji. I am excited to discover this "ferengi" tourist spot as a nice break from normal Ethiopian lifestyle- flush toilets and internet! I have 5 weeks left at my homestay in Bekoji until I move out to Goba. I am extra motivated to learn the language knowing now how important it will be to learn a second language once I get to Goba.
Yesterday I got to walk along the edge of lake Hawasa and was grinning as I took photos of the super abundant Maribou stork - a huge gangly stork, beautiful kingfishers many other fun tropical birds. From my hotel I can watch the storks (over 6 ft wingspan) build their nests and clack their bills in the tree above me.
Three days ago I was able to travel into Bale National park to visit a small rural town for a potential project on helping teach how to sustainably harvest the native bamboo. The mountains are gorgeous- a combination of Alaskan tundra up on the Segeti plateau at 10,000 ft where I even saw the small endemic Ethiopian wolf skulking in the bushes, to the hobbit like trees of the cloud forest. The vegetation can change so quickly here as the elevation changes - which is also so very dramatic (and scary driving down).
Any time I get to go out into some of the remaining nature here my heart fills with joy, excitement and wonder! A wonderful rejuvenation that fuels me through the hassles of dealing with public transport and endless attention from strangers. I'm getting used to being a "celebrity" or called "ferengi", "china", "you,you,you" or "money, money, money" and hopefully soon I will learn better ways to communicate with people. Overall though I have been extremely fortunate in not being really harassed, both Bekoji and Goba are wonderful laid back towns with friendly people.
Ok time to go enjoy this beautiful paradise - wonder down to the lake shore and bird watch. Chao from the tropics and wonder of Africa! And good job America on re-electing Obama!!!! All the Ethiopians were celebrating!

A few photos_Nov5,2012

Learning to make injera

Driving up into the Bale mountains and dodging endless obstacles on the road

                                   A spectacular view from the cloud forest of Bale mountains- inside the park.

From the beauty of Goba_November 5, 2012

From the beautiful darkness of Goba

 

 Hello from the dark in Goba! I sit on a comfy couch in the pitch dark as it pours outside and the power is out. This is my second night visiting Goba- the town in which I will spend the next two years starting December 15^th. Being here makes me realize that 2 years is quite a long time. But can go so quickly. I am so excited and happy that Goba is my town- it is beautiful, comfortable and has many wonderful people that I am just beginning to meet. For Ethiopia there is a very minimal amount of harassment from kids and locals. So refereshing to walk around town and not be constantly stared or shouted at. I’ve actually been very lucky- Bekoji is also a very pleasant beautiful town. I also feel so fortunate that there has already been an environment volunteer here to get the ball rolling. I will take over for her in various functions and I feel that there are many roots that I can cultivate for potential projects. The Bale mountains are simply stunning- mystical green peaks and knobs. In a few days I get to go venture inside the park! Already as we drove into the park from the south I saw mountain Nyala- a large ungulate, a troop of baboons, and a posse of warthog- all just along the main road! Another major bonus is that my house is great. It had a little green yard out front and is already set up with furniture (a rarity here). Today I set up my bank account which went smoothly enough.,…. I quickly learned how to shove my way to the front of the line and not get shoved out of place. Just standard business here. Tomorrow I get to go look at the local tree nursery and nature preserve, more potential for great projects. Oh yay for Ethiopia and all the amazing factors that have put me here. Love to all.

Hello! I am living in Bekoji - the town where 5 Olympic athletes have come from. High elevation 9,000ft beautiful mountains and green fields, a small town where I walk down the street greeting people.  My host family is great - a 4 year old boy, and a 10 year old girl, and other random family members. I am slowly learning the language and on saturday I find out where I will be moving to in December. I'm eating lots of injera- the national food- a sour pancake type thing, spicy sauces, sheep and some veggies. It is nice an cool in the shade but warm in the sun. Internet access is very limited- only when I'm in a big city. Please send letters: Peace Corps Trainee PO Box 7788 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Love to all and know that I am doing great and love being here!

Packed and ready to go!

Bag weight 130 pounds, Laresa weight 130 pounds. Perfect! Ready for 2 years in Ethiopia- for all weather types rain or shine, hot or cold. Yee ha!

Hi World! Adventure #1 trying to figure out technology land and setting up a blog at my Dad's in Silver City, NM. Here it goes!