Earthy, Enigmatic Ethiopia

Ethiopia hits your senses like a freight train. There is so much assault to the eyes--the tin roofs of the shanty townships in Addis, dead dogs in the street, barefoot children playing in the mud.


Yet the beauty of the country side and the depth of the history and culture is awe inspiring.
Kimberly and I returned to Addis Ababa last week on the invitation of the Ethiopian Nurses' Association and Aga Khan University to help facilitate a workshop on nursing scope of practice and competencies. We were anticipating and dreading the trip at the same time, so glad that we had been invited to help but reluctant to take on ferenge (white foreigner) status again.


After three days of workshop, we took a tour with our guide, Fish, and driver, Abraham, south to visit a Konso village. The Konso live in walled villages of mud huts high on the mountain side. They farm the hillsides using a terracing method that has been recognized by UNESCO. The village was eerily quiet and seemed to be inhabited only by children as most of the adults were in the fields.


Narrow winding pathways around high stone walls help to protect the village from marauding tribes. Living conditions are very primitive, just mud huts with thatched roofs, but the setting is spectacular with views over the valleys. We left the place with conflicting emotions, a common state when visiting Ethiopia., I've found.



Our visit to Chamo Lake to see the hippos and crocodiles was pure delight, however. As we skimmed over the murky surface of the lake in our metal boat, we could see the water's edge dotted here and there with the dark bumps of hippo heads and haunches. We spotted long wedged lines in the water--crocodiles! But as we rounded a bend, a herd of hippos soaked themselves in the water in front of us. We pulled closer to shore, seeing nothing at first then realizing that the dull gray rocks lying on shore were really modern remnants of the dinosaurs. A splash made them come alive and hit the water with lightening speed. The lake was also filled with hundreds of pelicans. It was truly a great afternoon for a nature lover like me. Unfortunately, my camera battery had died just before going on the boat so I don't have pictures. But Kimberly will send me some of hers and I will post them later.