The last couple of months have been a whirl wind of
adventure here in Ethiopia, full of new people, experiences and places. As
always I’m happy to be back in Hawassa with sunsets by the lake, afternoon summer
rains and those dreadful monkeys.
Almost two months ago my travels began in Afar on a work
related trip with the NGO and staff from our Tanzanian and Ugandan projects. This
meeting was an experience share between all three projects and the steps moving
forward. I was excited to be out in Afar as it is a very unique place in Ethiopia
with extreme temperatures and volcanic landscapes. Much of Afar is untouched by
any form of modernization and includes pastoralist and nomadic communities
which are rare to see and experience in today’s world. The Ethiopian government
is having a difficult time providing vaccination services to these remote and
mobile communities, which is the reason for the NGOs presence in the area.
 |
| Afar landscape |
 |
| Afar Landscape |
 |
| An electronics shop in Ethiopia |
 |
| The NGO Team having coffee at the airport in Afar |
 |
| Tanzania, Ugandan & Ethiopian NGO Staff |
 |
| Breakfast in Afar |
 |
| Afarian Men working with Camels |
 |
| Afarian (Ethiopian) Women |
Almost 2 weeks after I left Hawassa I was still out in Afar
working and getting eaten alive by all sorts of bugs. Little did I know that I
had been exposed to a terrible case of Typhus. I work with some of the most amazing
people and they quickly recognized I was a bit delusional and immediately got
me on a plane headed back to Peace Corps headquarters. I spent the rest of the
week in bed under the watchful eyes of our Peace Corps doctors and was on the
road to recovery. Needless to say I
really only had a few days to get better as I had family coming into country
and needed to play hostess.
I got well enough to begin travel with my cousin in country,
and I was off again. We started our trip by first coming to Hawassa for a few
nights and hiking around Wondo Genet, then we headed north to Lalibella. While
the trip was wonderful and I think my cousin had a good time experiencing
Ethiopian culture, I was exhausted by the end of it all.
 |
| St. Gorges Church in Lalibella |
 |
| Lalibella Rock Church |
 |
| Lalibella Town |
 |
| Little old Ethiopian Man in Lalibella |
We made it back to Addis, enjoyed one last dinner together
and she got on a plane to Istambul. I decided that for the next 2 days I wasn’t
going to move, as I just needed a few days to recoup from my sickness and
travels. I spent it on Jenny’s couch in
Addis with a hot cup of tea and lots cheese products. Jenny is an X-pat who
works for the NGO and has been a great mentor to me in the international community
and lifestyle.
Next up, was All Volunteer Conference (All Vol.) in Addis,
where I spent the next week in a conference with 200 other Peace Corps
Volunteers from all over Ethiopia. It was good to see everyone especially the
volunteers from Tigray. While I love Hawassa, I will never forget the 2 years I
spent in Tigray. Finally after 4 weeks of being on the road it was time to head
back to Hawassa.
Since being home I have been spending some time socializing
with a whole bunch of x-pats from the UK. Learning about the differences in our
language has been rather interesting, while we all speak English and for the most
part understand each other there are so many different sayings and names for
objects that vary a lot. Even though America was originally colonized by the
British and we adopted a lot of their language, cultures and customs our countries
have grown miles apart. As always its
fun talking to fresh new faces in Ethiopia, as they have so much to learn and I
learn how much I have grown here.
