As I sit staring at the map of Ethiopia that is plastered to my wall, I’m amazed and disappointed with how little I’ve actually seen of this country. I know the Amhara region well, but have hardly stepped outside of it. In an effort to get to know Ethiopia a bit better, Megan and I boarded yet another bus bound for Awassa…a city situated approximately 275 km south of Addis Ababa and the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities’, and Peoples’ region.
Our journey by mini-bus took us through the Great Rift Valley. A valley that earns its prestige as the largest geographical feature on the continent…and for you historical buffs, was the only feature visible to the astronauts who first landed on the moon. As our mini-bus hurtled down the road, for the first time I felt like I was in Africa. The South is SO different from the North. For as far as the eye can see, there are expansive landscapes dotted with huts, liberally sprinkled with acacia trees and bodies of water, that eventually kiss the feet of softly rising mountains. If I were to close my eyes, it would be easy to imagine a herd of zebra or kudu roaming the plains where now there are only run-of-the-mill cattle and scrawny sheep.
After 6 hours we arrived in the lakeside town of Awassa. My first impression…..HOT! My second impression….CLEAN! What a treat to be in a town that doesn’t struggle with a lack of water.
Our agenda for the weekend was to eat good food, relax, and explore (and yes, in that order!) Our hotel, situated on the lake, became a perfect haven for the R&R aspect of our vacation as well as our best wildlife-viewing venue. Monkeys outnumbered humans 2 to 1 and provided hours of cheap entertainment. Their audacious antics were amusing for us, the guests, but an annoyance for the staff. All meals were served with a side of stick….that is, a monkey whacking stick. As I watched the monkeys pilfer bottles of Pepsi and snatch treats from unsuspecting patrons, I could almost hear them snicker and taunt, “keep your eyes on your fries!”
Our wildlife highlight occurred on our walk back from the hotel restaurant to our cabin. It was pitch dark and the light from my headlamp was casting but a sliver of illumination when an Ethiopian man approached us from behind our cabin. Cause for alarm…maybe. But considering Megan and I dwarfed him by a good foot and a fair number of pounds, we decided to hear him out. He was speaking only Amharic and when my pounding heart slowed enough to hear above the din, I heard two words… “gumare” and “ahun”. Translation—hippo…NOW! We followed closely on his heels and found ourselves within 20 yards of a young hippo moseying and munching his way down the shoreline. All reasonable thought vanished. All warnings of hippos being aggressive creatures and the leading cause of human death vanished as we quietly crouched in its presence. What a magnificent animal! What a surreal life I am living! I now KNOW I live in Africa!
Our only full day in town was spent eating and exploring, which we did with gusto. We roamed every aisle of the market while bargaining the socks off the sellers for trinkets that I’ll probably wonder what to do with when I return to the States. And we ate! When good food comes your way but once in a blue moon, hunger is inconsequential and calorie counting is prohibited. We ate a slice of Black Forest cake at the Pinna Hotel, washed it down with a fresh juice, devoured an ice cream cone purchased for us by two kind American military guys, treated ourselves to an amazing Italian dinner at La Dolce Vita, and tested out onion rings at the Pink Burger. The onion ring snack turned out to be quite the adventure. The Pink Burger, striving to look like an American Fast food joint, invested in a dazzling sign that advertised big juicy burgers and golden onion rings. As signs are meant to do, it lured us in. When we placed our order for onions rings and the waitress looked at us quizzically we knew there was a problem. But, Megan is not one to back down from a challenge. She firmly grasped the waitress by the arm, hauled her to the street, and pointed at the magnificent pictorial rendition of the perfect onion ring. Well we got our onion rings…they were neither big, nor beautiful, and I question whether an onion even lurked within the glob of fried dough. So much for truth in advertising!
Travel in Ethiopia is rarely restful or hassle-free, but it is always full of adventure. I just wish that a simple “weekend” excursion didn’t require 28 hours of bus travel! It’s going to be awhile before I venture out again. I need a chance to recover from my vacation!
Our journey by mini-bus took us through the Great Rift Valley. A valley that earns its prestige as the largest geographical feature on the continent…and for you historical buffs, was the only feature visible to the astronauts who first landed on the moon. As our mini-bus hurtled down the road, for the first time I felt like I was in Africa. The South is SO different from the North. For as far as the eye can see, there are expansive landscapes dotted with huts, liberally sprinkled with acacia trees and bodies of water, that eventually kiss the feet of softly rising mountains. If I were to close my eyes, it would be easy to imagine a herd of zebra or kudu roaming the plains where now there are only run-of-the-mill cattle and scrawny sheep.
After 6 hours we arrived in the lakeside town of Awassa. My first impression…..HOT! My second impression….CLEAN! What a treat to be in a town that doesn’t struggle with a lack of water.
Our agenda for the weekend was to eat good food, relax, and explore (and yes, in that order!) Our hotel, situated on the lake, became a perfect haven for the R&R aspect of our vacation as well as our best wildlife-viewing venue. Monkeys outnumbered humans 2 to 1 and provided hours of cheap entertainment. Their audacious antics were amusing for us, the guests, but an annoyance for the staff. All meals were served with a side of stick….that is, a monkey whacking stick. As I watched the monkeys pilfer bottles of Pepsi and snatch treats from unsuspecting patrons, I could almost hear them snicker and taunt, “keep your eyes on your fries!”
Our wildlife highlight occurred on our walk back from the hotel restaurant to our cabin. It was pitch dark and the light from my headlamp was casting but a sliver of illumination when an Ethiopian man approached us from behind our cabin. Cause for alarm…maybe. But considering Megan and I dwarfed him by a good foot and a fair number of pounds, we decided to hear him out. He was speaking only Amharic and when my pounding heart slowed enough to hear above the din, I heard two words… “gumare” and “ahun”. Translation—hippo…NOW! We followed closely on his heels and found ourselves within 20 yards of a young hippo moseying and munching his way down the shoreline. All reasonable thought vanished. All warnings of hippos being aggressive creatures and the leading cause of human death vanished as we quietly crouched in its presence. What a magnificent animal! What a surreal life I am living! I now KNOW I live in Africa!
Our only full day in town was spent eating and exploring, which we did with gusto. We roamed every aisle of the market while bargaining the socks off the sellers for trinkets that I’ll probably wonder what to do with when I return to the States. And we ate! When good food comes your way but once in a blue moon, hunger is inconsequential and calorie counting is prohibited. We ate a slice of Black Forest cake at the Pinna Hotel, washed it down with a fresh juice, devoured an ice cream cone purchased for us by two kind American military guys, treated ourselves to an amazing Italian dinner at La Dolce Vita, and tested out onion rings at the Pink Burger. The onion ring snack turned out to be quite the adventure. The Pink Burger, striving to look like an American Fast food joint, invested in a dazzling sign that advertised big juicy burgers and golden onion rings. As signs are meant to do, it lured us in. When we placed our order for onions rings and the waitress looked at us quizzically we knew there was a problem. But, Megan is not one to back down from a challenge. She firmly grasped the waitress by the arm, hauled her to the street, and pointed at the magnificent pictorial rendition of the perfect onion ring. Well we got our onion rings…they were neither big, nor beautiful, and I question whether an onion even lurked within the glob of fried dough. So much for truth in advertising!
Travel in Ethiopia is rarely restful or hassle-free, but it is always full of adventure. I just wish that a simple “weekend” excursion didn’t require 28 hours of bus travel! It’s going to be awhile before I venture out again. I need a chance to recover from my vacation!
Lake Awassa
Megan and I
They’re cute AND pesky!
Our charming little cabin.
We completely wore this man out with our highly advanced bargaining powers.
I’ve become a scarf girl. I just can’t stop buying them.
Oh, I just love the things that you see here that you would never see in the States.
Ok, one of those purchases that I know I will regret. Megan talked me into this, because “we can get a better price for two than for just one.” An example of bargaining skills gone awry. Where in the world am I going to wear this thing????
