On the Rim of the Ngorongoro Crater

After an eventful morning game drive, we began the assent to the very top of the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. It was very cold and rainy, but the view was amazing.

We were greeted with a warm towel and a glass of juice as we checked it. All we wanted to do was go to sleep, but we went to dinner and were met with another buffet. With a sour stomach, I was only able to enjoy vicariously through Hailey and John.

We were up for breakfast at 6:30 and out by 7:00ish. I was nervous about the descent into the crater, so as we left, I popped a piece of my stress gum and readied myself. We started out, turned off and, all of a sudden, we were in the bottom of the crater. I have no idea how that happened when we were just at the very top. It made no sense, but I wasn't about to question it. We spent four hours searching. We watched a rhinoceros, the only animal we hadn't seen, from a distance. We parked and watched it for about 45 minutes. Elias told us the president of China was there and he was allowed to drive wherever he wanted and he really wanted to see a rhino. He believed the Chinese entourage would drive toward the rhinoceros, scaring it toward us. That didn't happen, so we settled for our distant view and zoomed in pictures. We saw sleeping lions, who woke up when we turned on the engine, zebras, wildebeests, elephants, and giraffes. We bid out goodbyes, left the crater, on a paved road, I might add, and headed back to Arusha. We flew back to Addis, went to a late dinner and prepared our bags to be ready to fly to Lalibela early the net morning.  

A safari is an incredible experience. One that can't be described in words. To be able to become part of this self contained ecosystem is a privilege I feel lucky to have been able to experience.

Tembo, Twega, Simba, Oh My!

We actually did make it to Tanzania and I couldn't be happier that we did! What a beautiful country! We got off the plane, quickly took care of paperwork, and were greeted by a guide who was at the airport to bring us to the hotel. We heard there was a market and we wanted to go. We were excited to see handmade products and goods, but the driver said the market closed at 3:00, which we later found out was not true, and took us to a souvenir shop right outside a 5 star hotel. (Laura, don't read-  lol) I know my sister is worth it and I'm sure she will love her $20 shot glass...

We left Arusha and headed toward the Serengeti, stopping for a few souviners on the way. Fog blanketed a portion of our view on the way, but cleared as we continued. We stopped to eat lunch in a small clearing just past the crater's rim.

 As we were driving around the mountains toward the Serengeti, Elias, our guide, pulled over to check out his brakes. The brake line, or something like that, had broken under the car. Many people pulled over to help as we pulled up on a patch of land to fix the car. As we waited, we made friends, and shared gum and candy with two young Maasai boys. They fixed it by taking brake fluid out of a different vehicle with a sponge and squeezing it into ours. Hakuna Matata! Yes, they really do say that!

Serengeti National Park is an natural wonder. It was created when the volcano erupted and flattened the land around it creating a flat plain, 14,763 square kilometers of unbelievable and majestic beauty in the north of Tanzania. The word Serengeti literally means "endless plains," in the Maasai language. The Maasai people are indigenous to this area. They live off the land. It's pretty interesting when you see them in their traditional blue and red draped clothing and jewelry with their cows, goats, and donkeys, while talking on cell phones. The Maasai people are not allowed to live in the Serengeti because it is a national park, however they are allowed to live in the Nogorongoro Crater because it is a conservation area.

When you are driving around the park on your journey, in Swahilli, called a safari, the plains seem endless. While speeding around, standing in the vehicle, it feels as if you are part of this endless space. I felt so at peace with myself and my surroundings. Scanning around for animal life and being right there in the middle of thousands of zebra and wildebeest, gazelles and impalas, seemed so natural. Elephant families so close, you could reach out and touch them, bathing themselves and their suckling babies from a puddle less than five feet away was surreal. We chuckled as we watched a baby elephant try to hoist himself up an incline, with gentle pushes from his mama. It feels like a child's dream being within reaching distance to exquisite giraffes crossing your path and gently munching on leaves, while seemingly staring right at you. The thrill of watching sleeping lions, waiting for them to wake up, was unbelievable, and admittedly, made me a little uneasy. Words cannot express the beauty and the feeling, strangely, of solitude. 

The hotel we stayed in for two nights, Sopa Lodge, Serengeti, was fabulous, according to United States standards as well, and the 36 square foot shower was fantastic, and quite necessary, after the showers we were becoming accustomed to. It was built, isolated, on the edge of the plains, surrounded by emptiness and tranquility, oh, and monkeys. The servers in the dining room were attentive and entertaining. An African feast buffet was laid out and consisted of items such as pumpkin soup, beets, ugali, a traditional dish made of ground corn used to pick up some other type of food, coconut fish, and many other delacies. It was delicious! We were so tired after each day that we all soundly fell asleep the second our heads hit the pillows, maybe before. 

Jambo from Tanzania, Almost Brazil

Sitting here in a cute little room at the Ilburo Inn in Arusha watching Holland play Austrailia. 

After arriving in Addis around 1:00am and then having discissions with the driver about how much we owed him, we didn't get to sleep until about 2:30. We woke up excited at 6:45am and Hailey darted off to get her WHO card from a friend who so wonderfully picked it up from the Peace Corps office yesterday when she had to go back to Bele to get her passport. We ate a quick breakfast and were off to the airport. We got there in time to have a cup of bunna be watet, coffee with steamed milk, and headed to the gate. We were told the plane was delayed 30 minutes, so we sat down to wait. People were moving about, some going somewhere, but there were still people waiting around. Suddenly we looked up and saw a line at the counter. I went up and asked and someone in line who said we had to check in again, so I got in line while Hailey and John sat. The man in front of me asked why they were still sitting and struck up a conversation. "Is this your first time going to Brazil?" he asked. Wait Brazil! What happened to Kilimanjaro? 

Yeah, our flight had changed gates and we had NO idea! How in the world can that happen? I went up to the attendant and asked what happened to our flight. She whispered, "You didn't hear the gate change?"

So, I yelled to John and Hailey and we went running down the stairs to another gate. They rushed us out, through doors to a waiting shuttle that drove us to the plane. We ran up the stairs and sat down. They announced, "All passengers have boarded." 

That was close...

After a short two and a half hour flight, we arrived at Kilimanjaro airport and were picked up by the safari company! Let the adventure begin!

Pit Stop

Sitting here at the Rediet Hotel in Butajira... Why you ask? 

Well, two and a half hours into the drive from Hawasa to Butajira, Hailey hit herself in the head. She had left her passport in Bele. Yes, Bele, five hours away. She called Peace Corps to see if she could use the passport they had on file, but that wasn't possible, so she would have to go back and get it. She called friends trying to find out if anyone was coming to Addis, but that was a no go. She tried to get Danny, the Peace Corps volunteer in Sodo to take a bus down and get it to save her the hour ride down the hill and back. He agreed, but when he called her bus driver, Matthews, she found that there is nobody who wants to go to Sodo so he ws not making the trip today. Yes, she has his phone number. She called Aboosh, her compound brother to ask Father Desto, the Catholic priest in her town, and the ONLY person in town with a car to find out if she could pay him to drive it up to Danny in Sodo. Unfortunately, he isn't traveling up until tomorrow morning.

So, because there was no other option, John and I were dropped off at the Rediet Hotel, which is where we sit now, and Hailey, Yared, and Ashanafi are headed back to Bele to get the passport and will come back and pick us up.

Hippos in Hawasa

Our last day in Bele. We packed up all of our stuff and said goodbye to all of the amazing people in Hailey's compound. 

Nice gave me a nutella, the traditional Ethiopian prayer scarf, which actually made me cry! I know it was something special that was Alemitu's prized possession and she was giving it to me. These are beautiful people. It has been a reflection of humanity to me. What do people need to survive? She is living in an environment that is more difficult than any camping trip I have ever been on. Their water runs out, their power shuts off almost daily, they live in a home constructed of mud and, yet, they smile. Their hearts are full! Before we came, I talked to John about the idea of joining the Peace Corps. No way! Hailey lives in a town where she is followed and laughed at every minute if the day. There is no one else in her town who speaks English. Many times the teachers don't show up to class. Still she climbs this hill every single day, knowing that she has made a commitment. I hope she realizes that although it may not be apparent now, her presence is making a difference. 

Yared picked us up, and up the hill we went to Sodo, where we met Danny, another Peace Corps volunteer for breakfast. And what a delicious breakfast, it was! We shared fatira and special fool. Special fool is an egg and bean dish with caria and tomatoes that you eat with bread. Fatira is traditionally a Muslim dish. It is served on a round dish, a flaky pastry dough covered with egg and honey. Wow!

We headed east to Hawasa and were exposed to the same beautiful landscapes along the way. We made great time and were almost to the hotel. We saw a wedding going on down the streets of the town. They were driving around the main circle honking continuously. The caravan was blocking traffic so they could take pictures, like leaning out both windows and other very interesting poses. All of a sudden, everyone was pointing at our car. Turns out we had a flat tire and had to pull over on the side of the road to change it. That was fun. We chose not to buy any Ethiopian lottery tickets while waiting. Maybe we should have. 

Hawasa is a lake side, resort town. Cleaner and friendlier than Addis Ababa, in my opinion. We stayed at Lewi Resort, in a family room with two separate rooms, a total of three king size beds and two bathrooms with two showers and a double sized jacuzzi.  I felt relieved to take a hot shower and use a western toilet. I can only imagine how Hailey must have felt. Judging by her screams of joy and jumping up and down, I bet you can guess. We sat by the lake and had a drink, went swimming, and wandered the town. The beauty on the lake was relaxing and peaceful. Monkeys roam free and they are everywhere. John left the door open and a monkey tried to actually walk in our room. 

Our second morning, we were taken on a boat out on to the lake. The intention was to see hippos, but we were told that was unlikely. However on our way to the fish market, the driver took a swift turn into a swamp. It was then we realized that there were four hippos right there in the water. Pretty cool! However, Hailey informed us that hippos kills more humans than sharks. Needless to say, we are still here! We motored up to a fish market where kids, one of them with pants buckled around his head tried to sell us cow horn spoons. We think he was in cahoots with the boat driver. We didn't buy them, but we liked them, so Hailey and I each bought a pair on the street later. 

We spent the day exploring the lake and ended it watching the World Cup. Tomorrow, back to Addis...

"Gobez" Guides and Hospitality

Day Four, June 14, 2014

Again, I woke up at 3:00.

We ate egg and avocado sandwiches Hailey made and headed out to a hike by the river, of course followed by group of kids. At first, we tried to get them to stop following, but when it got to a reasonable number of kids, around eight of them, they became our tour guides.  Eminet, Gobez, Aforth led us through farms. We came upon a gojo bet, a traditional round Ethiopian hut. Hailey walked into the yard to ask if we could see and when the girl saw her, she screamed and ran away, but the man said we could enter.

Our guides took us to a tree farm, where we were told exactly what each tree was. I would share it with you, but I didn't understand a word they said. As we approached the river, they tried to rearrange rocks so we could cross the river. They raced with us and walked into waterfalls so, we could take their pictures. Tired and very sweaty, we said goodbye and went back to the compound. 

We rested for a few minutes before going to a special lunch we were invited to at Yohn and Mulanesh, the sister of Hailey's teacher counterpart, Agenyo, and Yohn's house, They are Happy and Honey's parents. She made us a traditional, Ethiopian lunch consisting of ibe, which is like a ricotta cheese, D'nitch wat potato , Misir wat, lentils, and cabbage served atop injera, of course. She also made kita bread, which is like a hard corn bread. It was delicious and we felt very special to be treated to such hospitality. 

Later that night at the compound, Hailey performed coffee ceremony. She went through each step with the guidance of Alemitu!

John and Hailey ate leftover doro wat, while I had some peanut butter crackers. 

Mesay and Derjay brought a special surprise of corn for us, so we enjoyed that too! Alemitu gave me a hand embroidered table cover. What a beautiful gesture! I was thankful for her before I met her and now feel a love for her in my heart. She is Hailey's Ethiopian mom! She is the only woman, in the Woreda Education office, whose job duties include making sure girls go to school. Her and her husband own and maintain the compound Hailey lives in. Hailey claims this 5 foot tall woman is never tired, and I believe it. She stands tall in my book!