Happy New Year from Ethiopia

On Saturday, December 30^th, we drove south into the Rift Valley and what passes as the Lake Country.  It was a 4 hour drive (200 km) and the last 10 km were over dirt/gravel and dusty roads.  We were headed to Sabana Beach Resort on a bluff overlooking Lake Langano. This is a favorite weekend getaway for ex-pats living in Addis.  With about 40 individual bungalows, lots of beach activities, and a “rocky” beach, it offers a relaxing time.  A grand all-inclusive New Year’s Eve party – appertifs, buffet dinner, puddings (aka desserts), a band and dancing were a grand way to usher in the New Year. Unfortunately, Joän was still a bit sick (couldn’t drink alcohol because of the meds for her amoebic dysentery) and Kiso’s usual evening schedule meant we headed for bed before the puddings were served and the band and dancing began.  

On New Year’s Day, we drove to Bishangari Lode, an ecological retreat on the south side of the Lake so that Chakiso could ride a horse (although the horses were too big for him).  This lodge is a bird-watchers paradise with over 400 species of birds and a diverse range of wildlife. On Monday, we headed back to Addis but stopped first at Abjiata-Shalla National Park, home to ostriches, flamingos, gazelles, greater kudu (antelope), and baboons.  There are several hot springs in the park.  

Woman washing clothes in Hot Springs near Lake Langano

Driving in this park is a challenge for anyone with a queasy stomach as the roads/paths are rocky and rough. 

Child chasing our car as we drove along bumpy road

 

 

 

 

Typical scene with boy on donkey bringing water home

The 2-lane highway home was crowded with large transport trucks making for slow going.  Trucks are the only means of transport in Ethiopia since the rail line from Djibouti to Addis is no longer operating.

After a day of rest in Addis, we went to visit the Red Terror Museum, which honors the more than half a million Ethiopians who were killed by the Derg (which means committee) after the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selaisse by the military.  The Derg moved toward a strong communist government with the full support of USSR and Cuba. The curator of the museum, who provided commentary as we toured the photos and artifacts, was himself imprisoned for over 5 years during the period of the Derg. The Derg was overthrown by the current government in Ethiopia in 1991. The inscription on the statues as you enter the museum remind visitors that “we shall never forget.”  This museum was built completely by private funding from Ethiopian people.

One of our last evenings in Ethiopia, we went to dinner and a cultural dancing show at an Ethiopian restaurant.  Dinner was beef tibs, which are small pieces of “tough” beef that are sautéd in a spicy sauce, served in a bowl over a charcoal burner and eaten with injera, the classic Ethiopian bread made of a grain called teff. This slightly fermented, spongy bread is used to pick up the tibs – no utensils needed. Following dinner, we were served coffee in the Ethiopian style where frankincense is burned at your table and the rich, freshly ground coffee is served from a traditional clay pot along with popcorn as a snack.*  The non-stop 8 pm – 12 am show included a 5-piece band  (stringed instruments, drum, a kind of flute), 4 singers, and a dance troupe of 3 men and 3 women.  The energetic dancers were the highlight, with continual change of costumes to reflect different tribes in Ethiopia and respective styles of dancing.  The highlight was the “shoulder dance” a folk dance from the Amhara region of Ethiopia.  The customers were mostly “ferenges” (white foreigners) like us and the dancers were skilled at involving these ferenges in doing the shoulder dance. (See video post of the dancers.)

*Coffee ceremonies are very common in Ethiopia and done many days a week in many Ethiopian homes.  It is a way of socializing and connecting with others you care about.  Wakanesh, the housekeeper and cook at James’ home, prepared a coffee ceremony for us in the backyard where she first roasted the fresh coffee beans, then ground them and prepared the coffee over a charcoal fire.  She burned incense and offered popcorn as a snack.  We made the unwitting mistake of only drinking 1 cup of coffee when it is expected that you should drink 3 cups – the last cup being the luckiest. Three is one of the many ways there are references to the Trinity in Christian Ethiopia.

Wakanesh preparing coffee ceremony for us