Food, football and a lake

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My darling brother in law has requested that my next blog entry is about weekend trips away and Ethiopian food rather than face masks and suction catheters so here goes….

Ethiopian staple food is “injera” which is a sour pancake with a consistency of a wet face cloth. They eat this with various sauces called “wot.” They also have meat dishes called “tibs.” When they kill a goat, they keep the gallbladder and bile and serve it to their special guests. I am so glad I don’t eat meat! The vegetarian food is tasty but I wouldn’t be able to eat it every day. Wednesdays and Fridays are fasting days – they don’t eat until the afternoon and even then they only eat vegan food. At the guest house I have made a few concoctions consisting of vegetables and burnt rice, occasionally tinned tuna and pasta and have also managed to set a tea towel on fire. Not quite sure how. Wendy, who went back to the UK on Friday, cooked for a few of us pretty much every day last week. Now that she has gone, Sarah is enforcing a cooking rota. I am currently working out how to get out of it.

Last weekend I stayed in Gondar so that we could all watch the football together. Ethiopia had to beat Nigeria 2-0 to qualify for the world cup. They lost. I saw a lot of sad faces out and about that evening!

I have just got back from a super weekend in Gorgora, by lake Tana, with Fiona, Sarah. This was my second visit as I went there with Mum and Dad a few weeks ago. A Dutch couple set up a resort there 6 years ago called “Tim and Kim village” and they still run it. It is a lovely place that has different types of accommodation ranging from lodges in the style of traditional Tukul houses to mud huts and spaces where you can pitch a tent. When I was there the first time, I met a few people who were travelling from London to Cape Town overland. Two were doing it by motorbike. Awesome! I will definitely be looking into doing that at some point. Tim and Kim village is a perfect place to bird watch, hike, canoe or just relax.

I feel fully recharged and ready to survive another week at the hospital and guest house!

I have attached photos of both Gorgora trips and also a few from around Gondar.

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Photos

Gondar goat
This statue was painted for the football

Traditional food
Injera and vegetable dishes on a fasting day

Wendy and Fiona
Don't ask

Bob the pig
Poor Bob was on the menu when I returned to Tim and Kim Village. RIP.

Comments

[Tanya]

Finally some food!
Hurrah to Benji for convincing you of this entry. Great pics and funny blog, as always. Really enjoying following your Ethiopian antics. I hope for everyone's sake you get out of the cooking rota ;-) Xx

[TeeBee81]

Finally some food!
oi!

[TeeBee81]

Finally some food!
oi!