गोअट्स, कात्तले, हिप्पोस, एंड मोंकेय्स - ओह माय! Goats, Cattle, Hippos, & Monkeys – oh my!

July 11, 2010

Hello – when I last left you I think we were getting ready to head south to Awassa for three days. We all took Friday off to travel about 4 ½ hours south to the town of Awassa (Yemamu, Amid, Liana, Mark, and myself). As we headed out of Addis, the air cleared (the pollution is so bad here in the city) and it began to look like what I think I thought Africa looked like – open land with those trees that look like canopies spanning over to make a spot of shade…then came the mud huts with grass/straw roofs, cattle and goats all around and crops. I don’t think I expected to see the produce that you can find here – onions, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers (all kinds of peppers!).

Awassa was a smaller city, and with a warm feel. We stayed at this hotel with restaurants on each side (one belonging to the hotel, one a regular one)…the hotel’s restaurant had such amazing juice – it is really just purreed fruit. My favorite was the mango – of which would cost us an arm and a leg in the states (served in a large mug) and I think Mark and Liana preferred the mixed juice (papaya, guava, mango, and avocado). Don’t worry, Kim, I stayed away from the guava! The other restaurant was the Blue Nile – the food was so good (we had Ethiopian food) – Neeha, they had the best bread, and the ingera was a bit more firm, so it was really not so spongey…The best was they had this “fire pit” not so much a pit, but container (you know, like for our patios at home) but it was in the shape of a duck, so it was almost like we were sitting around a campfire – so relaxing, and just sitting spending time with friends. That was great. We went out to this club (live band) – and well, we “furengis” (foreigners) don’t last so long into the night, so the boys (Amid and Yemamu) brought us back to the hotel for some shut eye, while they went back out….

So, now enter Saturday…..we headed to Lake Awassa and we went on a boat to go find the hippos! Yes, can you believe it! It was almost like National Geographic – you know, old wooden boat with oars and a small motor, complete with a Rastafarian “captain” – crazy! Off across this lake we went, I think a bit skeptical – after negotiating a price and the condition if we didn’t see hippos we didn’t have to pay…Great!…soon enough, the motor was cut and we started slowly rowing through the tallish grass….and Holy crap! All of the sudden, you see these ears sticking out of the water, then they raise a little bit, and then, ooooooh…..there’s one! There’s another one! There’s one with a baby!!! It was was very exciting! Have no fear, our Rastafarian had been doing this for 14 years, and was as “safe” as safe could be in keeping the boat at an angle, not getting too close, and all of that good stuff. The mamma hippo soon grew tired of us being in her area and it was time for us to leave….wow! I think we were all grinning ear to ear for the rest of the day….There are 4 hippo families that live in the lake – this family has about 20 all together…

We spent the rest of the day eating, playing uno (Amid and Yemamu sawm), having juice, doing homework, and then dinner (back to the Blue Nile and the flaming duck!) - then some sleep – up early Sunday to go have fish for breakfast. Fish for breakfast? Well, yes, but before the fish came the monkeys (two different kinds). Did anyone know that monkeys like pancakes? Did you know that they will follow you? Take the pancakes out of your hands? If you are the monkey whisperer (I was not, don’t worry) they will even sit on your shoulder! It was so cool! Crazy….Next came these insanely large birds – very stork like, and wish I could post a picture. I have plenty and some video. These birds like peanuts – their wingspan had to be at least 7 feet. I think Amid is nearly 6 ft. and they came up past his waist when they were standing up….Oh, the fish – so, I thought my tilapia was fresh in Honduras – try bringing it from the net of the fisherman directly to the oil in the pan over hot coals, and then smack dab on your plate (picture a serving tray with 7 fish on them, too hot to pick up - us sitting on makeshift benches under a tarp, and a sweet little girl (about 10 ) selling fresh limes to squirt on them – oh and have I mentioned you eat with your fingers here, and oh, yes, only with your right hand. So, me the girl who won’t order ribs at home because I don’t like to get my fingers messy….well, let’s just say I am looking forward to going to Beachwood BBQ when I get home. I think I am now over the messiness! It was great.

On the way home we went to these hot springs and pool filled by the hot springs – Let’s just say, Liana, Mark and I were about as white as white can be there…one guy was even videoing Mark! It was so funny – look for him as we have a suspicion he will end up on Ethiopian YouTube! Ahahhaa! Our drive to and from Awassa was filled with lots of swerving, stopping, and waiting for burros, cattle, or goats - oh, and not to mention people – Amid is an amazing driver both here in the city and across the country – I though watching for deer was bad – that is nothing!

Okay, so you may be wondering about my bites (thanks for everyone’s concern)…the “old ones” are healing, though still pretty red; the blisters (5 main ones) 2 got accidently popped (ouch and ick!) and three are still there…Dr. Makeeas asked me today, and he saw them; wrote me a prescription (on the back of a developmental eval – would like to try that in the States)….and Amid took me to the pharmacy tonight to get the cream. He wrote for an antibiotic cream in case they have a secondary bacterial infection. I’ll use it 2x/day…..Thanks Dr. Makeeas.

So other than a day of work today (will have to write about that later, as it is almost 8 pm and I need to get home to have dinner) – all is well. I have definitely found my work routine, and have gone through (with mark) about 13 of the 16 developmentals. Will finish them up tomorrow…and go over some others with Michael, to give him some pointers, and some other things to look for…..All is well – hope everyone is doing well, too….xo