http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Ethiopia en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:59:54 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:59:54 UTC I wrote a blog yesterday but the internet was so slow it did not send. I wrote about my trip to Kenya and I saved it on a memory stick. Now I am at an internet cafe and I cannot use the memory stick so I will send the Kenya blog later.After getting back from Kenya we went and are now staying at B's sisters house. Hanna is one of the sisters that got married and we are intruding on her honeymoo http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-350930.html HiJust a very quick update Irsquod hoped to have typed another full entry by now but time is just flying and the internet connection isnrsquothellipJust so as you all know my route and where Irsquom up tohellipFrom Gashena I went across to Lalibela to see some incredible ancient churches hewn entirely out of rock. From there it was over to Asaita via Dessie. Asaita was incredible http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Southern-Nations-Region/blog-350699.html One of the many nice things about living in Addis Ababa is how easy it is to get out to the surrounding countryside which is especially easy when invited to go camping for the weekend by someone with access to a car.Two hours after leaving home having circumnavigated Addis on the ring road and driven out through Sebeta we were driving up a rough track into Menagesha Forest. The first bit of th http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Oromia-Region/blog-350259.html Hi all so its been just over 3 months since I left England you better all be missing me I am currently in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia sadly we didnrsquot need an escort through northern Kenya which was a shame although once we arrived here we was speaking to another truck who actually had to have a convoy the week before because sum1 was shot a few weeks before that. It worked out the shooting wa http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-349325.html A few more newer ones http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-348245.html This is cool.Me feeding hyenas... http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Harari-Region/Harar/blog-348241.html All people come from God but the Ethiopians more than most. a Geez scholar at Addis Ababa University I Didn't Do It For You. According to Ethiopia's founding myth found in the book which gave the Ethiopian emperor's their mandate to rule the Kebra Negast Glory of the Kings the Axumite kingdom was a kingdom blessed by God itself. The Kebra Negast has been described as drawing on the O http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Axum/blog-348226.html In fact it does take nearly 11 hours to reach Gondar via Bahir Dar the next morning and this is considered a short ride as I have taken a hired minibus instead of a normal public transport bus estimated for 2 days. The guesthouse I have stopped at in Gondar is the second one I have tried after the first one being full. This one has no single rooms and no dorms not unlike the rest of Africa but http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Gondar/blog-348200.html Here are some fotees at last http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-348165.html Hi This is nothing at all to do with my East African trip really. It's a report I wrote earlier this year about the lack of progress being made towards the UN Millenium Development Goal Number 6 re Malaria.It was supposed to be an article for a journalism competition but ended up being an essay really. Anyways now I've got somewhere I can actually publish it I'm gonna stick it on here.More http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-347889.html Kovas writinghellipGoing to a professional sports game is always exciting. We went to the club soccer finals of Addis Ababa. We found out that there was this soccer game on Saturday and through much confusion we got tickets. The stadium benches were cement stairs. There wasn't a scoreboard and no TV screen. This amazed us considering it was Ethiopia's national stadium. The actual soccer g http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-347772.html Vasara dictatinghellip.When our family traveled south one evening we were invited to go to a dance party with the Hamer people. The Hamers donrsquot wear too many clothes. The men wear short skirts and the girls wear animal skin skirts. They are very pretty. We drove with our jeep for 15 minutes into the desert. We arrived at a group of small huts. These huts are round and made out of grass a http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-347588.html The Abyssinian AbyssWow Sorry itrsquos been so long I havenrsquot been avoiding the blog I just simply havenrsquot had any internet access for almost a fortnightAnyhow I will try to give a quick overview of my trip since I left Bahir Dar on October 26thhellipWell first I headed to Gonder for a day. And a day well spent it was too I watched Liverpool beat Chelsea in Gonder Cinema. http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Harari-Region/Harar/blog-346873.html So the wedding was a couple of days ago now and things are starting to calm down. But tomorrow is the get togther for B's two sisters and us. We got measured a couple of days ago and yesterday I tried on the traditional outfit that I will be wearing for the get together. B's two sisters and I will be wearing matching outfits and we are even discussing braiding my hair we will see. His sister http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-346507.html Sunday 16th November 2008 Although I had suggested that we organise a first Ethiopian Remembrance Day as part of my VSO placement in the National Road Safety Coordination Office in Addis Ababa I had had no involvement in its organisation after a first working group meeting. I wasnrsquot sure what would happen on the day but I was very impressed by the whole event.The event had started 30 minu http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-346464.html Obviously I'm not very good at this. It is 3pm in the afternoon or 9 o'clock Ethiopian time and I am sitting slouched over with two branches of qat plant in my hands in a smoky dim room off Bole Road no bigger than a typical dingy African single bedroom encircled with enough colorful blinking Christmas lights to give me a minor epileptic seizure. I'm trying to keep the wad of plant between my r http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-345576.html Today is the wedding We are getting ready to go and I thought I would write just a little bit before we leave. Last night I met a lot of the family from the countryside. Lots and lots of kisses B's parents have a cow in the backyard. It is so weird to see dinner standing around. I feel bad for the poor thing but I still cannot stop eating meat. So I guess it is just a way of life. Well http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-345486.html Ruta writinghellipLiving in Ethiopia is fascinating from the perspective of seeing things yoursquod rarely see at home in Chicago. Sadly this extends to the physical ailments of the Ethiopians. In the streets there are so many people with deformed limbs golf ball size tumors in their necks facial deformities elephantitis in the leg skin rashes oozing conjunctivitis etc.Strikingly ther http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-345323.html So we have now spent two nights here and it is my second day in Ethiopia. I am learning a lot about where B Tsegaye is from and about his family and culture.I have met so many people since I have been here. Since his sisters are getting married tomorrow everyone from the village has come for the wedding also so there are many many people to meet It is so exciting to see his brothers sisters http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-345251.html Vasara writinghellipwhen we drove to Arba Minch we took a boat to Lake Chomo. It wasnrsquot so simple to just go to the lake. We first had to get our tickets from the National Park office. Mom and Dad werenrsquot happy because we had to pay tourist prices which is a lot of money. We drove 30 minutes through mud and swamp to get to the lake. A taxi coming back got stuck in the deep mud. 15 E http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/blog-344072.html Bojana and Radek were scheduled to leave August 26th and we decided to have a leaving party for them at our house. We planned a get together at 8pm on a Friday so that we wouldnrsquot have to provide dinner. We had gotten all the beer soda food etc preparedhellipwe had samosas carrots bread chips French fries bombolinos and some potato chips. People were satisfied even though I am su http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Somali-Region/Jijiga/blog-343594.html Since my first cell phone was stolen I have purchased the same mobile phone again. I am a big supporter of Nokia and perhaps I will invest in their stock when I return to the USA. Of course I suspect most of the phones in Jijiga are smuggled from other countriesmdashprimarily Arab countries and I suspect Nokia doesnrsquot see any of the profits. I say Arab countries because my phone has the http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Somali-Region/Jijiga/blog-343586.html Having swallowed bitter disappointment at the cancellation of a planned trip to Ankobar at the last minute I returned home to formulate lsquoPlan Brsquo over a cup of coffee. I had stayed overnight with a couple of VSO volunteers in preparation for a 6.30am departure. By 7.30 I was at home deciding whether to spend the day moping or whether to do something anything more constructive. T http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-343163.html In one of the most remote areas of Ethiopia there live native tribes that 50 years ago were not even aware of modern Ethiopia. There are multiple different tribes that retain distinctive traditions from dressing in beads and goat hide skirts to scarification practices and jumping dance celebrations. The scenes are classic Africa. It was fascinating to visit the Hamer people. They are high cheekb http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-342929.html Ruta writinghellipAfter completing a project milestone by presenting a strategic plan to 25 stakeholders I was ready to head out of Addis Ababa to see more of Ethiopiarsquos sights. We took advantage of the kidsrsquo week long halfterm break rented a car and driver and headed out. Whew I know Irsquoll always remember the fantastic sights that we saw. Unfortunately my limitations as a p http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-342925.html Intellectually we all understand that poverty and disease makes life miserable for people but the following study results help us better understand these facts. Through my work I am learning how devastating extreme poverty really is to people who are just trying to survive another day. Largely as an effect of the AIDS pandemic and the weak national infrastructure for dealing with social services http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-342586.html The last 24 hours have been interesting times indeedThe president of BeneshangulGumuz for the last 14 years has just stood down in favour of a new appointee from Addis a result of last week's visit by three senior ministers including I am told one of the founding members of the TPLF part of the ruling EPRDF party that are currently in power and overthrew the previous military Derg regime i http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-342026.html love from Al Sara xxx http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-341480.html Continued...But I quite enjoyed my journey from Addis to Bahir Dar actually Although the windows remained closed the entire 12 hours sweltering some of the mountain scenery was incredible and we wound our way through villages which reminded me of how I felt as if Irsquod been transported back to medieval times upon arrival in Twifu Mampong Ghana six years ago.Everybody is walking somewhe http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Bahir-Dar/blog-341311.html Well it's been some time since the joyous Obama update. Can't say it's been writers block as if you have followed this blog you will realise I can jibber jabba utter rubbish with the best of them with very little encouragement whatsoever No more like being busier than a ZEROlegged man in an are kicking competitionOn Thursday I start a 5 day Cisco course.I am still writing Day 2. Doh.I have s http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-341304.html