The beginning of the end

It's amazing Roger has any hair left.  For more than four months, he tried to get a new drilling division operating for a group of Ethiopian investors who were accomplished businessmen, but had no experience in drilling.  Drills were drilling, but the investors wanted to operate the company themselves and didn't mind making expensive mistakes despite Roger's efforts to do things right the first time.  As in other countries, Roger was a strong advocate to have projects run safely, to train local help in becoming drillers and to help elevate their standard of living.  At every turn, he met opposition.

The tipping point was when, on our return from Dubai, Roger had to enter once more on a tourist visa.  The company had assured him they would have the documentation necessary for a business visa, but once again, they dropped the ball.  The lack of proper visas for Roger and the rest of the expats from Canada and various other countries in Africa put Roger at increased risk because he was the company representative in the country.  As the U.S. Embassy website stressed -- fines up to 3 years in prison were conceivable for those working without the proper visas.  Discussions with lawyers in the UK and Ethiopia confirmed we should leave sooner than later.  Yes, being jailed is definitely not part of our adventure plans.

In the week leading up to our departure, my trusted bajaj driver, Gerai, wanted to take me to the Monday market where anything with four legs was for sale.  It turned out to be one of my favourite Mek'ele experiences.

The market with packed with animals, shepherds, and men drinking homemade beer in tents

I think I was probably the only faranji to walk through the market

This donkey looked like it was trying to make a break for it

Donkeys were selling for $130 CDN that day

Gerai said camels were selling for about $1,000 CDN

I admire the stately presence many of the Ethiopian men exude in their suits, robes and staff.

These men were happy to have their picture taken -- a rare opportunity for me as many refuse in fear that their spirits are taken away

I love this picture.

The cows look better here than in the butcher shop

These school girls loved posing for the camera

The car wash at the river

As Brad said, we leave a trail of sad taxi drivers and workers in our wake when we leave a country.  It is these people that leave a mark with us -- more than any monument or church.  It is the people we are privileged to meet and learn about their lives in a way, being a tourist can never accomplish.

One thing I try and do is give people pictures of themselves.  For many they have few, if any, and it is such a small gesture that means a lot.  We also brought back T-shirts from Dubai, and inevitably, they were wearing them with great pride.

Our guard, Gerai, and our maid, Birhan

Our bajaj driver, Gerai, and Roger at the warehouse

Lewte, seen in the green T-shirt, liked to visit our house with his friend.

 Lewte was a young man who Roger saw from the very beginning as someone he'd like to train to work on the drills.  He spoke English, was taking night classes to be a mechanic, had a positive attitude, and was a hard worker.  Roger couldn't get approval to hire him for a mere $300 month. 


Lewte was devastated when Roger told him we were leaving.  The night before we left, he arrived at our doorstep with a big bag.  Inside, were traditional Ethiopian clothes for us.  With a bit of squeezing in, we posed feeling a huge sense of pride.

The outfits were traditional right down to the shoes!

Saying goodbye to Gerai, the bajaj driver who treated us like royalty

 

Our guard, Gerai, was very sad to see us go

This was the first time Roger pulled out of a job and it was a decision we wrestled with.  We are sad for the workers who will continue to struggle and are exploited by their own countrymen.  It appears that it will take expat companies to pave the way for increased safety and higher wages.

Ethiopia was a tough country to live in, but it also a great experience and held many surprises. 

• northern Tigray where we lived and Roger worked, was spectacularly beautiful.  
• our visit to the Danakil Depression where we saw the sulphur hotsprings and camel caravans will rank up there with the top 5 travel experiences of our lifetime.
• the people that helped us -- our guard, bajaj driver, landlord, and workers all hold a special place in our hearts

Would we hurry back to Ethiopia?  No.  Do we have any regrets?  No way.

"Every end is a new beginning."     Proverb

Countdown to Dubai

We're ready.  Oh, so ready to jump on a plane and head to a place where there is good food, clean streets and shops.  We're spending Christmas in an Islamic country and in a city that is the polar opposite to any city in Ethiopia.  We're heading to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and we can't wait.

But before we head off on Dec 21st, I had one more trip around town with Gebrai, my bajaj driver.  We went to a different market and once again, I was the focus of much attention.  As I got out of the bajaj, I heard "faranji...faranji...(foreigner)"  Even the smallest children called out "faranji".  I smiled, turned to everyone, and made a deep curtsey and waved.  Everyone smiled, laughed, and waved back.  Sometimes I shout out "habbishat" which means Ethiopian and they are always shocked that I know the word.

Bags of cotton

Spices...popcorn...beans...and a whole lot of things I don't know

In June 1998, Eritrea bombed a school in Mekele, killing 11 students, 2 adults and a baby, which caused an escalation in the war between the two countries.  The school is still in use, and we stopped by to see it.  Children came running to shake my hand and have their pictures taken.

The kids proudly showed me their schoolwork

Above and below: A memorial of plants honor those who were killed in the bombing.

School children doing their work outside the gate.  My bajaj is in the background.

A typical neighborhood with stone houses.  I think this would be a classified as a working class area.

Our bajaj driver, Gebrai, is such a huge help to Roger and to me.  When Roger's truck is in the field, he uses Gebrai to pick up supplies and to drive him around --- and with me, he is a tour guide, a driver, and a body guard.  We pay him well, and he is very appreciative.  This week, he called to say he was at our gate and when I went to see him, he had a pizza and french fries for us as a gift to say thank you for paying him so generously.  This, from a young man that probably works 16 hour days...everyday...and on a good day makes $20.

I don't think this is a Pizza Hut franchise but a little license was taken with the name!

The pizza was really good, so I had Gebrai show me where the restaurant was located.  I got a kick out of seeing the Pizza Hut sign.... I guess there was something good that came out of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia....pasta and pizza became part of the food scene.  Thank goodness.

One of the best gifts we've received in the last few years is a travel Scrabble game from our friends the Slaters.  When Roger and I spent several weeks boating in 2007 we played a lot of Scrabble, and this gift got us going again.  We keep a tally of wins and losses and it's been a good past time as well as keeping our grey matter firing on most cylinders.

Playing Scrabble outside --- the laundry basins double as our patio furniture!

So, we're off to the glitz and glamour of Dubai....a place that was never on our "should go to" list.  But it is now.  I've booked tickets to go up the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, and for a half day dune buggy safari in the desert.  There are movies to be seen, food to be eaten, and a few things to be purchased.  In the midst of it all, Christmas will be celebrated.

To all of our friends and family near and far - may we send our wishes for the happiest of the holiday season.  We miss you, and look forward to when our paths cross again.

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. 
                                                                 - Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol

Out and About

My sightseeing has been limited to Mekele as I haven't been able to join a day tour to the rock hewn churches in the area.  I'm hoping the young man at the tourism office can find me one, but in the meantime, I try to fill my time checking out the city.

Going to the market always gives me opportunities to take pictures.  There was one gentleman I would have loved to have shot, but when Gebrai asked him, he sternly said no.  I didn't have to understand Tigryna to understand "no".  As in many cases, I have to remember with my head instead of my camera.  In this case, the man was sharpening butcher knives on the street corner with a sharpener powered by a younger guy on a bicycle pedaling furiously. Quite a sight.

People often grill corn on the cob and sell them on the street corner.  Most of the time, it's at night, but on this visit to the market, I saw this woman whose palms of her hands were blackened by the charcoal.

Our landlord's wife had me over for a coffee ceremony and her young daughter proudly showed me one of the puppies that had been born a week earlier.

There was another celebration of Ethiopia's cities held in Mek'ele this week.  A huge ceremony with national entertainment as well as a speech from the Prime Minister was held at the stadium that was still under construction so I didn't go but saw it on the television.  When I saw the stadium packed, and having seen it still under construction 2 weeks ago - I got chills just thinking how a tragedy could happen if the stadium collapsed.

Gebrai, my bajaj driver, was keen to take me to see some of the venues through the city, but on that day, we had some errands to run for Roger so didn't see much.  However, while waiting for a take away lunch at a restaurant, these 3 women who had obviously taken part in the festivities came in and agreed to have their picture taken. 

Wednesday and Friday are fasting days for the Orthodox Christians, so Gebrai had a fasting meal.  It wasn't prepared for take away so he ate it while the rest of the lunches were prepared for us to take to Roger's warehouse. 

The platter is covered with injera which is a staple here.  To us, it tastes like a sour, wet dishcloth, but the bread is used to pick up the rest of the food on the platter.  Only the right hand is used (the left is deemed unsanitary).  On non-fasting days a stew would be on the injera - on fasting days, salad, lentils, peppers, rice, etc are prepared.

Gebrai had been helping me and Roger out a lot this week, and we had been generous with tips.  On Saturday, Gebrai came to the house with this "loaf" of bread, hot out of the oven.  This bread is bought in every tiny shop, but in 2 small triangles -- it was the first time I saw it as a whole.  To make toast, we split the triangles so the pieces aren't thick, and it's quite good although we'd sure like a bagel, or raisin bread, or..... It was an extremely kind gesture, and much appreciated.

Gebrai found out the palace museum was opened (although the palace itself is closed for renovations), so he took me.  I was told I couldn't take pictures (if there are guards with rifles, I don't push it) but the ticket was interesting. 

First of all, the date says March 28, 2004 as it is based on Ethiopia's calendar.  It cost 29 birr for our tickets (about $1.80), but Gebrai's was 5 birr and mine was 24 birr.  That would be faranji pricing.  The other interesting thing was they asked what religion I was.  Wonder what would have happened if I had put "Druid"?

 

The museum was really interesting and filled with artifacts from the 1800s as well as much older religious pieces that are several centuries old.

Roger went to  both job sites - to Shire in the north, and the Danakil in the east, and took a few pictures.

Local women selling fruit

A full service shoe shine and sock vendor!

Beautiful view on the way to Shire in the north

When Roger and I went to the Danakil to the jobsite in October, the workers were just starting the dining room.  Here, Roger's helper, Lewte, stands in the nearly completed building.

Some of the workers playing checkers with pop tops as the markers

Wide load -- that poor donkey!

Another week has passed, and we are getting anxious to get away for a week at Christmas.  We are going to Dubai -- the total opposite to Ethiopia -- and never a destination that we felt compelled to go to, but the thought of good food, some shopping and sightseeing in a place just 4 hours from Addis made it our choice of places to visit.  We're waiting for our visas to come through which is a surprise because Canada was placed on a list last January of countries that needed visas granted before arrival.  Apparently there is some political wrangling over landing rights for Emirates Airlines which has caused a rift between the 2 countries.

There are strings of Christmas lights throughout Mek'ele town centre but no other signs of Christmas are around.  I better make some shortbread this week!

“Dreams nourish the soul just as food nourishes the body. The pleasure of the search and of adventure feeds our dreams.”  Paulo Coelho

Kodak moments

Years ago I used to have a great camera with all the cool lenses and attachments and I would lug it around when I thought I might see something worth shooting.  Then along came digital cameras and lots of traveling, and now I say the best camera is the one that fits in my purse.  I carry it everywhere because the day to day sights are still some of the most captivating scenes for me.

Here are some of this week's Kodak moments...

Horse and chariots are common ways to get around Mek'ele

The robes...the staffs...the beautifully chiseled faces....

Roger's truck at the warehouse

December 2nd was our 33rd anniversary.   

Ahh...so young!

We laughed that there is no chance on earth that when we got married --- 33 years later we would be having dinner in Ethiopia!

To celebrate, we went to the 100 year old Abreha Castle that overlooks Mek'ele, and is now a government run hotel. 

We thought the dining room could have looked more "castle-like", but we had a great evening

When we walked in the door, we saw a gentleman that works at another restaurant in town, and while he served us our dinner, he shared that he works two jobs (for $150 a month) to support his 4 children.  Two of the children go to private school which costs about $25 for each child but amounts to 1/3 of his monthly salary.  It was humbling to see that the bottle of wine we enjoyed would have paid a month's tuition.

Number of years since we met - 36

Number of years we’ve been married - 33

Number of countries we’ve traveled to - 19

Number of children - 1 son who has made us so proud and 1 daughter-in-law who is loved like a daughter

Number of rocking chair stories and adventures - countless

So many friends think that I'm crazy to follow Roger to some of these wacky places.  All I can say is he is worth following and we get each other through the days where we want to pack it all in and go home.

Here's to another 33 years.

Going to the market inevitably gives me more blog worthy photos.

Gebrai (left) picks out the best mandarin oranges from the young man with the barrel on a street corner

I never get tired of seeing camels and I probably resemble tourists gawking at beers and elk in Banff.  We stopped to take some photos, and little school kids (they were all wearing the same colored uniform which designates schools) ran up to the bajaj and wanted to shake my hand.

Check out the way the camels are tethered together --- chin to tail.  Can you imagine traveling 200 kms  like this?  No wonder camels are known to be cantankerous.

Roger and I tried out a new restaurant, the Hilltop Hotel, which has a great view of the city. 

A view of Mek'ele from the Hilltop Hotel

Since I've butchered a few languages myself, I am both grateful and empathetic to restaurants that translate their menus....but  #5 on the menu caught our eye....

Roger flew to Djibouti this week in the hopes to be able to re-enter Ethiopia on a business visa.  As usual, there was a mix up, but he got to see another country and as it turns out, he spent a day at a beautiful resort eating fabulous food.  I wasn't jealous.  Really.

Djibouti is famous for its beautiful beaches and proximity to whale sharks

Roger said the city of Djibouti consists of tin shack houses and some beautiful hotels like this that charge $400+ a night

We hope to come here for a long weekend so we can swim with the whale sharks

Roger is spending the week visiting the 2 projects that are underway.  One is in Shire to the north, and the other is in the Danakil Desert.  I hope he has his camera ready to capture his Kodak moments.

“If you see something that moves you, and then snap it, you keep a moment.” – Linda McCartney