Along the shore of Lake Tana....Ethiopia's largest lake.
Welcome to the tropics!
I just love these trees!
Yes, it is a touristy town but the real Ethiopia can be found here as well. Don't ya just love this "chicken man"?
Celebrating the tastes of home
Anna and I are likely to make ourselves sick consuming all this food, but it's worth the risk!
Part of my role as a Peace Corps volunteer is to teach Americans about Ethiopia—its culture, people, and land. I'm going to try to bring this part of the world to you so that when I return you're as familiar with all things Ethiopian as I am. I anticipate getting to see a great deal of Ethiopia as I travel for work, training, and to visit fellow volunteers. I hope to capture the essence of this country not only through my written description, but also through photography. So sit back, get comfortable, and journey with me to Bahir Dar.
Bahir Dar can be found in the Amhara region (think North) and is situated on the southern end of Lake Tana. Lake Tana is Ethiopia's largest lake and the source of the Blue Nile River. Compared to my town, Bahir Dar has a very tropical ambiance complete with beautiful palm-lined streets and a hot and sticky climate. Although there are many sights to see in Bahir Dar, I saw no point in running myself ragged trying to see it all on the first trip. I suspect that I will be here many times over the course of the next 2 years and so decided to save the monasteries, the outlet for the Blue Nile, and the Blue Nile Falls for another day.
Instead, I wandered the town, shopped in the large "gebaya" (market), and spent a considerably amount of time sitting lakeside and watching the antics of the local flock of very pesky pelicans. I also kept an eye peeled for the small pods of hippos that linger in the shallows of Lake Tana. Most people that we spoke with indicated that there are so few hippos that our chance of seeing one was slim to none. But…my persistence (and perhaps laziness—we sat there for hours) was eventually rewarded with a hippo sighting. Unfortunately, this one chose to make himself known at dusk and a bit too far from shore to capture a great shot, but it was most definitely a very large and wild hippo. They are such unique creatures and it was an amazing experience to see one in the wild as opposed to lumbering around the pen at a zoo.
Tourist Note #1—Know that you will be charged (and issued a receipt) for any pictures taken while sitting at the lakeside viewing deck. Being the frugal PCVs that we are, one person paid and will be sharing pictures with the rest of us. This is why I don't have any pelican pictures to share with you right now!
Our journey to Bahir Dar occurred on the weekend between Christmas and New Years. Ten of us gathered together and celebrated by fixing a feast of all the American foods that we had been sent in care packages. We had macaroni and cheese, canned ham (think Spam, but one notch up), instant mashed potatoes, stovetop stuffing, canned cranberries, and fried chicken. This chicken, however, didn't come in a nicely frozen package, but was still squawking when it arrived at the house. I missed the "preparation" part of the process, but I think it is safe to say that we all agreed that it was perhaps a bit more work than it was worth! When I left there was still a discussion as to what to do with the assortment of feathers and parts! J
All good things must come to an end and so after a long and fabulous weekend we packed up and all headed our separate ways back to site. Bahir Dar is a beautiful town and I can't wait until my next visit.
