Kind Reflections

February 2, 2014

Phew another month gone. Where did it go? Well for starters lots of time spent on the bus going to and from Addis. I’m sure getting good and 9 hour bus rides, and for the most part enjoy them. Sometimes I meet the nicest people. This last time I met an older lady who reminded me of Whoopie Goldburg and Alice Walker because of her grey hair and kind eyes. She is a school teacher in Addis who lives alone and is named Kabenish. (Side thought- have I ever mentioned how difficult some of the names are here? At least I’m starting to recognize some of them like Tesfaye, Siefeden, Karkidan, and Mestaowit). Anyway she gave me her phone number and said the next time I am in Addis I am invited to stay with her at her home. So kind.

Another kind Ethiopian I am starting to work with is nicknamed “Dr.” because he is a veterinarian, thank goodness because his real name Endalkachew is a mouthful! Today was one of those rare wonderful days where I feel really excited for a potential project. We took a gari (hose drawn cart) out to one of my favorite places in Goba- the Teklehaymanot Monastery where about 150 monks and nuns live tucked into the forest and streams. I’m starting to take the steps in building a chicken coop over a fish pond (the chicken poo helps fertilize the pond), a cool integrated system that I saw in another town. Everyone is very supportive and   eager to help work, which is great! Plus the site is beautiful, peaceful and the people so very kind. There are several caves where in the past people have lived in and prayed and even one cave where a man lived in for 7 years. It really feels good to finally be doing something.

The weather continues to be perfect, sunny with a few fluffy breezy clouds. Yesterday we had our first rain shower in over 2 months indicating the start of the “short rainy season” which will go for the next few months, until the transition into the “long rainy season”. A few weeks ago I took advantage of the low river and went exploring up the Tagona. It is such a joy to be able to get out and explore, one of my main activities for staying sane. At one beautiful little canyon spot I stopped and wrote some “Lessons from walking the river” which I will share:

-keep focused on the next step but look up often, and sometimes look back

-take time to pause, look, listen and feel frequently

-a stern looking man with a gun can have the most brilliant smile once you say hi

-shy little kids are adorable

-flowing water sooths and restores

-simply saying hi and being yourself has an influence on others, make it a positive one

-I have a very strong urge to do something to contribute, but an equally strong fear in trying

-Life is living everywhere you look- frog eggs, bird nests, lizards, bugs, cows on cliff edges…

-In nature a sense of self doesn’t matter

-Eucalyptus smell lovely

-There are many paths to choose from, all get you up stream

-Not everyone smiles, but most do

Despite the frustration of not doing much work I feel very thankful that I have so much time for reflection, reading and meditating. My latest motto has been to see this experience as a 2 year retreat, a chance I will never have again. Plus I get to see cute donkeys and beautiful kids on a daily basis. One kid that cracks me up is a little two year old that is absolutely terrified of me up close but as soon as I am walking away at a safe distance he will shout my name and say bye until I am out of site. Ah little joys. 

A glimpse of the Bonga travels

They make em big in Wolita area! Beautiful homes!

Gojo bets and banana trees as far as the eye can see for miles and miles

Beautiful old woman selling chickpea snacks outside the bus window.

Buna berries drying in the sun. This is where your coffee comes from! 

A little bit of Christmas

Our Christmas gathering. The Catholic priests even made us a tree!

The lovely waterfall we hung out at

Can you say wow! Tropical jungle beauty!!! 

Swimming in the falls!! Cold but wonderful.

My PCV friends Jill and Meg walking through the neighborhood at the waterfalls...

Another amazing sunset in Hawasa officially my favorite city in Ethiopia. Watching this and drinking a beer doesn't get much better!

And there's tons of amazing birds! (This is one of many Mirabou storks)

A delight on top of our hotel roof! Beautiful Colobus monkey. I guess he was looking for water to drink.

Next time you complain about moving...imagine having to do it with only a donkey cart!

Holiday Travels

Ah the joys of a quiet home after 3 days of travel on hot cramped noisy buses! I just got back from fun holiday adventure to visit my friend Sally in her town of Bonga- home of the “mother” coffee tree. Bonga is in the tropical forest region where a large majority of coffee is grown and it’s beautiful! Steep hills and mountains covered with lush jungle vegetation. My good friends Jill and Devin (who live in the town next to me) accompanied me on this adventure and on the way there we decided to take the “scenic” route- adding an extra day to our travels to bypass going to Addis Ababa. One thing I am learning about Ethiopia- it certainly isn't flat desert. Up, down, twist, turn go the roads in various conditions to brand new pavement to dirt.

Christmas was a fun “ferengi” gathering of 8 PCV’s, and 3 Japanese volunteers (in a program very similar to Peace Corps).  I made a roast and we ate cookies and drank egg nog while looking out at the jungle below from a lovely view at the Catholic Church (where one of the Japanese volunteers was renting a nice house from). The rest of the days were spent exploring the jungle and lounging around a beautiful waterfall that we even got to swim in!

In total we were on buses for 6 days, and spent 4 days in Bonga. Along those many miles (kilometers) of travel I wrote little glimpses of what I was seeing (and experiencing) so imagine you are looking out a window seeing little bits of the following from Ethiopia:

-Red blooming Koso trees

-Low rock walls around grass thatched roofs. How old are they?

-Colorful stream coated in freshly washed fabrics drying in the sun

-Hand pressed cow patties drying to be used for cooking fuel

- Huge piles of hay, hand cut after a good harvest. Food for the cows, donkeys, horses and sheep.

-Tiny barefoot kids herding cattle into dry open fields

-Sunrise hitting tin roofs and old tires, the day awakes from darkness

-Mud homes hidden in banana leaf thickets

-Getting hit in the head with a banana stem by a rude street vendor wanting attention (this was at the bus station).

- Greeting an old woman selling veggies; her kissing my hand in respect.

-Hiding from the sun behind a curtain, waiting, waiting for the bus to leave. (it took 3 hours before full of people)

-Small circular burial plots marked with stone pillars

-Different mud homes (Gojo bets)-  very large and tall with straw thatched roofs and circular bamboo base. Little wood doors and decorative paint lining the entrance.

-Breakfast of fried dough balls dunked in little cups of buna at the bus station, perched on a bench around a little charcoal stove.

-Closing my eyes to do yoga in the morning sun at the bus stations (to ignore the stares), then teaching some young guys so yoga poses.

- Peeing in a water bottle in my cheap no bathroom hotel room.

-Reverse ghost town homes; new and partially finished mud homes with no people around. One of the many mysteries.

- A river lined with green in a sea of dry brown fields, naked men and boys swimming and bathing.

- Muslim girls in a colorful array of headscarf’s walking to school.

- Red bushes of poinsettia, white blooms of plumeria, purple bogenvilla; bursts of color among fields of dry corn stalks and straw.

-Green acacia trees dripping with dangling grass weaver bird nests.

-(Upon arriving in Addis Ababa) Girls wearing traditional Orthodox Christian white headscarf’s with tight jeans and high heels.

-Driving through the Great Rift Valley with endless towers of termite mounds and acacia trees with young boys sitting in their shade.

-A posse of young boys playing soccer; all barefoot and pant less

-The bus stopping by a river so all the Muslim men could wash and pray, facing Mecca.

- Near the end of a four hour ride seeing everyone perk up and look out the windows in hopes of seeing Mountain Nayala and other wildlife as we pass through the grassland part of Bale Mountain National Park.

Ah the joys of getting back to Goba and being greeted by the neighborhood kids and women, and sleeping in my own quiet bed.  

Trees n turkey

Well hello there! I’m now back in Goba after spending over a week in the hectic, bustling, booming city of Addis Ababa. Things sure are changing fast there and they are even building a big train rail system in the heart of the city, which will be great in the future but makes for crazy traffic now. I was in Addis for our “Mid-Service Conference” meaning I am officially half-way through with my service! Yay! It was a week of reflecting, planning and re-inspiring ourselves for the upcoming year. And also a time to feast on yummy ferengi foods.

Thanksgiving was a lovely day where 3 of my fellow PCV’s and I got invited to an American family’s home who work for US Aid at the Embassy. It was like being back in America for 6 hours- crazy! Fancy home with a regular bathroom, kitchen- the works- even a trampoline out front and tons of kids toys all over the place. The family was very kind and having been in the Peace Corps themselves knew how to treat us- delicious food galore! A full on real Thanksgiving dinner- turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin and apple pie oh my! It was really interesting to see their world, and vice versa. They were very eager to hear about life “on the other side”, since they essentially live in a bubble of luxury, completely cut off from real Ethiopian life, even after having lived here for over 2 years. It was a wonderful day but a slight disappointment to come back to reality.

But now that I’m back in Goba I wouldn't trade it at all. This morning I went for another sunrise run and ended up exploring up a river in total peace and quiet. As I wondered my way back to town I felt like I was in a timeless place. Little tree and cactus lined pathways with mud homes and grazing horses and donkeys that could have been the same scene a hundred years ago. It was so peaceful and I felt very content and competent as I asked for directions back to town from the surprised but very friendly locals. I was reminded of cultural differences when I tried to give a little boy “high five” and he flinched in fear at the white person raising her hand at him.  

Back home after making crepes from milk still warm from the cow I spent the day dinking around my garden, and doing chores. I wonder what it is that makes sun dried sheets smell so good? Maybe all the effort it takes to wash them by hand…

After a pretty low, frustrating and depressing week I really enjoyed relaxing and connecting with my neighbors. I also had an inspiring meeting with a local veterinarian called “Doc” who helped me translate and print a flyer about how to care for newly transplanted trees. Sometimes after much frustration and flopped efforts one little success can feel so good. Tomorrow I will hand out the flyers along with supposedly 10,000 tree seedlings. This is a project put on by the Bale Nature Club that I have talked about before and is yet another typical example of good intentions but poor planning. Last Sunday I found a flyer on my door announcing a program to give away trees and I spent this week trying to understand what the “program” was all about.

I guess due to a flood the Agriculture office has to get rid of all of their tree seedlings and called upon the Bale Nature Club to help distribute them to the public. Sadly this is the worst time of year to plant trees- the rains have stopped and it will be dry for the next 3 or 4 months. So that is why I tried to make a flyer instructing people to water their trees. (A new concept). Sorry for the cynicism, I guess that’s what Ethiopia has done to me.

Anyway I am inspired about my new partnership with Doc because he seems to be eager to help and work on different things. Currently we are talking about putting on a training for all of the gari drivers (horse drawn carriages) in Goba about how to properly care for their horses. This was his idea and I’ve learned to go with the flow and work where I can when people are motivated. So here’s to motivated action, let’s see where this gari ride takes me! 

Tanzania travels

Oh where to begin…the last 10 days already feel like a dream. But my sore legs remind me that I just had a great adventure. Tuesday November 5 I got on an Ethiopian Airlines plane headed to Tanzania. Right off the bat the trip started well- they served me a delicious lunch on the plane including cheese and apple juice! Walking off the plane I had the biggest grin on my face as I looked around at all the new scenery and the hidden hulk of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I got a taxi to the hotel I had booked and the grin widened when I saw the lovely swimming pool and palm trees. Even just checking in I was served chilled hibiscus juice and the people were so friendly. I immediately put on my suit, wrapped up in the snazzy cotton bath robe and went to lounge and swim in the pool. Heaven!

Later I went for a little walk into the village and froze with dropped jaw when I saw Mt. Kilimanjaro in its full cloudless glory. It was a powerful moment as I realized I had dreamed of seeing the mountain since I was a kid- I even had a poster of it for many years. I think what makes it so stunning is just how massive it is and the beauty of white snow gleaming in the hot African sun. The rest of the walk I giggled to myself as I habitually tried to say hello to the kids by speaking Amharic, leaving them totally confused. My first impression of Tanzania was to notice all the chickens roaming around and how the young trees were not fenced but were actually growing unharmed by grazing animals. This made me realize how poor Ethiopia really is in comparison even as I watched bare foot, pantless kids run around in the dirt streets.

The next day I headed into the town of Moshi with some other travelers I had met at the hotel. They showed me around town and we spent a bit of time hanging out at the fancy “ferengi/muzungu” coffee shop where I drank a fruit milkshake. Later when entered back into the hotel I was thrilled to see my dear friend Cassandra sitting at the bar waiting for me! It was such a joy to see a friend from home and to catch up about our lives from the past year. I was also so inspired and amazed to hear that her run around Kilimanjaro was a success as well as her climb up the mountain! She truly is one of the strongest, kindest people I know. Through contacts from her run she had tentatively made plans for our safari and the next day we hit the road in our classic Land Rover with our driver/guide Tony.

The next four days were spent driving around four different national parks- Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Arusha, all different landscapes with amazing animals. The first day at Lake Manyara the highlight was watching a herd of elephants 30 feet from the road munching on spikey Acacia trees murmering to each other. We had gone with a “budget” safari and were a little concerned when we had to have some guys push start the truck when we had stopped at a little viewing spot. Fortunately that was the only time because only an hour later we were sitting (in the truck) staring at lions lounging in a tree in the afternoon heat. A male lion sat hidden in bushes at the base of the tree and it was only after Cassandra joked about peeing at the base of the tree did we see him. Yikes!

That first night we stayed at a fancy hotel with flowers sprinkled on our beds and warm washcloths presented to us on arrival. Ah luxury! And for breakfast we had a buffet of fruit, omelets and….BACON!  (yes I am a little food obsessed). Oh simple pleasures. That day we went to another place I have dreamed about – Ngorongoro crater- 12 miles wide with fresh water springs popping up to provide water year round to the abundant wildlife. The Masai people graze their cattle on the outer rim of the crater and it was beautiful to see them wearing the traditional deep red and purple cloth against their dark skin. The women had long fancy silver ear pieces and the tall men all carried long spears. Classic! We drove down into the crater (a steep 2,000 ft drop) and were greeted with the classic scene of grazing wildebeest, zebra, impala and gazelles totally unfazed by the vehicle. We also saw a hyena sleeping in a mud puddle in the road, elephants, hippos and ostrich hanging out in a lush green grassy spring and as a grand finale a cheetah! She was feeding on a fresh kill, panting in the heat and alert to other predators. Again this was a potent moment for me as I have always loved cheetahs and felt so thrilled to watch one in the wild.

Tarangire National Park had a lovely river where we saw elephants playing in the water and took lots of photos of the beautiful and huge baobab tree. A precious memorable moment was silently watching a group of female elephants rest under a tree only 20 feet away. In the group was a little baby and we watched in awe as it nursed and waddled about. Leaving the park we stopped to buy some jewelry from a Masai womens group and I got a fun photo of them showing off their work.

Our last day was in Arusha National park where the highlight was giraffes, lots of them roaming the thick brush and flamingos, wading in alkaline lakes. Flamingos are hilarious in the way they groom and bathe themselves murmering and chattering the whole time. It was magical to watch them fly in and out against the backdrop of the looming Mt. Meru. This mountain is the 5^th highest in Africa and has a stunning gnarled knife edge summit.

The only reason I know it is the 5^th highest is because we decided to climb it and it had a sign at the top. Long story short (we only knew 30 minutes in advance that we were able to pull this adventure off) at 10 am we got picked up and driven back to Arusha park to start a 3 day climb. Our starting elevation was 1500m (4,920ft) and the summit was at 4,566m (14,980ft), in other words lots and lots of going up. The first day we hiked through the lush jungle passing a huge arched Ficus tree that we could walk through, and pausing to ogle at the teensiest little chameleon I had ever seen (less that 2” big). We got to our “camp” and were delighted to see it was newer building with clean bunk beds and flush toilets! On guy on our support team even brought warm water so we could wash. Pretty snazzy!

The second day we walked past the huge ash cone (a perfect conical slope) and spotted some giraffes lurking in the bushes. We then hiked up a long series of switchbacks climbing up a huge cliff. I had fun recognizing the same type of vegetation I am familiar with in Ethiopia thinking how similar it looked. We got to our 2^nd “camp” early and had time to relax a bit before climbing Little Meru to acclimatize. Little Meru was a fun hike and I was happy that I was feeling great. (Remember that Cassandra had just run over 250 km, AND climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, so she is in fantastic shape, where I have just started running 20 minutes, 2 times a week.) At the top we got a little concerned because it started raining and wondered if we would face rain the next day.

Midnight we got up after a few hours sleep and got ready for our big day. In my fog coming back from the bathroom I walked into the wrong bedroom, stood confused for a minute then realized what I had done. Funny oops. We drank some coffee, munched popcorn and headed out into the cold darkness. I had never done an “alpine start” and thinking of hiking up a steep slope for 6 hours in the dark sounded quite daunting. But I trudged along, thankful for my meditation practice that allowed me to simply peacefully focus on my breath and steps. I was also very thankful to have some extra warm clothes from Cassandra – gloves and a jacket made all the difference. After passing some sketchy steep patches and seeing the beautiful glitter of ice crystals on the rocks we saw the first hints of sunrise. From there on out I was beaming knowing we would make it and immersed in the beauty of the dawning day. Mt. Kilimanjaro stood in its glory in the distance and we could see forever- even into Kenya.

The summit was spectacular and I felt so happy to be on top seeing such pristine beauty. We took many celebratory photos with our little posse of an Austrian, a Brit, and our two guides. Coming down I felt great and continued to take in all the stunning scenery. We got back to our 3^rd camp, ate a big meal, packed our bags, then continued down for our very very long descent all 10,000 ft in about 15 miles. I was whipped by the time we got down but still felt so jazzed at what we had just done. For dinner that night we splurged at a fancy restaurant where I had a steak with Blue Cheese (moaning in delight with every bite), and two glasses of wine.

My last day I chuckled as I hobbled down some stairs feeling like an old lady. We did some shopping in town and indulged in an iced coffee with chocolate ice cream! Oh little pleasures! I said a quick heartfelt goodbye to Cassandra then headed to the airport for my short 2 hour plane ride, and long 9 hour bus ride back to good ol Goba. The plane passed directly in front of Mt. Meru and I said a contented goodbye to Tanzania. Now back in Goba it almost feels like a dream, but a very good dream that I will never forget. 

Tanzania Photos!

Here are some of the best photos I took during my 10 day whirlwind vacation in Tanzania. A few more will be posted on Facebook (sorry Mom).

First glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro

Safari Girls- Cassandra and I in our pop top Land Rover

Ah classic many animal scene

BABY!!! So cute!

Not just a pretty tree- can you see the lions? There are two in the tree and one at the base on the right. 

Stoked to see Ngorongoro Crater- a classic African wildlife spot

Masai kid tending his cattle

Zebra's, gazelle, wildebeast..oh my!

So happy!

Hyena's sure are ugly! This guy was not happy at being woken from his nap. 

A mini version of the great migration

Not in a zoo! Lush grass with animals galore!

Perspective. Do you see the giraffe in the shadow of the Baobab?

More elephants! And babies!

Elephant car wash! 

Nap time in the heat of the day

Masai women selling their jewelry

Flamingos with Mt. Meru in the distance

Flamingos coming in for the landing!

Giraffes play fighting or mating...not sure...but doing some sort of dance.

End of the safari and our private ride

The mystical shadow of Mt. Meru

Hoorah! We made it!

The climb back down. Super steep on both sides.

A glimpse of the past month...

Gate to a compound inside the Tekeleymot monestary, part Orthodox Christian Church. It felt like being in hobbit land, lots of little pathways in the shade of giant trees. Lovely quiet and peaceful too!

I need a hair cut and might go to this place for one...Maybe I should get my hair done like hers? 

Hard to tell in the photo but this is what I call "Ethiopian 2nd rinse cycle". It is pouring rain as I try to dry my hand washed clothes. 

Contrast of classic mud home without electricity and power line. 

Last week I was in Butajira for a training on gardening. The last day my PC friends and I went out to a lake and had some little friends escort us along. (Note the little boy without pants- this is very common and adorable!)

My favorite view from Goba, looking the other direction I stare at the looming Bale Mountains.