After a brief hiatus (we've been busy), my journal to Aidan and documentation of our journey in Ethiopia continues!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Dear Aidan,
Good evening sweet boy! I hope you had a fantastic day playing with your friends, learning from your nannies, and enjoying all life has to offer! Although we've only been traveling for 2 days, today was our best adventure yet! We had the opportunity to experience "true" Ethiopia and one of your country's greatest natural treasures- the Blue Nile Falls!
Yesterday, Dad and I arranged to have our tour guide from Lake Tana pick us up at our hotel and take us to the Blue Nile Falls. We woke up early to eat breakfast. We were both feeling much better today after a long night's sleep! The warm shower felt amazing, as did the warm air at Bahir Dar! We ate a delicious buffet breakfast, complete with brown injera. It's funny how that's slowly becoming a staple in our diet here while traveling. I'm going to try to find a way to make it at home as I think it will be the perfect finger food for you! Nothing beats a food made to be eaten with your hands (although I know your Dad disagrees)!
Once we were ready, we met our van out front. We had a local guide and there were 2 other tourists joining us. We drove out of Bahir Dar and onto a dirt highway. It was about a 45-minute drive to the falls. Along the way, we saw hundreds of herders and shepherds with their animals going to market. There were many women with bags of grain on their heads or large jugs of water on their backs. There were children out playing in front of the simple, mud houses. There were old men out tending to their fields of tef. There were dogs barking at our car as we drove by, leaving a trail of dust. The entire scene was mesmerizing! Dad tried taking pictures of everything while I just kept making mental memories. This was the Ethiopia I was looking forward to exploring and experiencing.
All the fields were incredibly green and looked very productive! There were mounds of harvested tef (the grain used to make injera) in from of everyone's houses. There were even some irrigation systems. The land was flat with rolling hills off in the distance. It was so beautiful. And as busy as everything was, it was peaceful!
As we neared the Blue Nile Falls, we went through the town of Tis Issat- the entrance to the falls. In Amharic, this town means, "Water that Spits." It's a very appropriate name! We paid our entrance fee and drove to park. We knew we had about a 30-minute walk/hike to the base of the falls. The trail started out wide, but slowly became more narrow. We crossed a beautiful bridge built by the Portuguese hundreds of years ago. It is still standing and pristine!
Once we crossed the bridge, we began to climb around the trail on rocks and dirt. The trail zig-zaged through the mountains along the mountainside. As it was Saturday- market day, hundreds of locals were headed to town for the market. Many were dressed in traditional clothing. My favorite part was all of the animals- we shared the way with goats, sheep and cattle. It was so much fun to be a part of a local setting!
Also along the way, we passed a house where a girl, about 13-14 years old, was making injera outside. We peeked our heads inside to watch, and she motioned for us to watch. To make injera, you take crushed tef and mix it with water so it's "just right." Then, you let it ferment for 3 days. Ethiopians don't like sweet tef- it needs to be sour. If it's too sweet, it wasn't made well. After it ferments, you pour it on a very large, slightly greased skillet in a circle like a pancake. It cooks for about 2-3 minutes and bubbles, just like a pancake. Rather than flipping it, you pull it off and you're done. The injera is stored in very large wicker circle containers. The pieces are laid out on top of each other to be mixed and eaten with everything. The girl let us try some of her tef, and it was DELICIOUS! She even gave us yummy spices to add! We thanked her and gave her a small tip!
After about 20 minutes, we saw our first view of the falls. During the rainy season, the falls easily measure 400 meters across. In the dry season, as it is now, they are about half their full size. Additionally, a large hydroelectric dam was built upstream on the Blue Nile River. This has greatly decreased the size and power or the falls. However, they were still incredibly beautiful and impressive!
We continued our walk across a LOOONG suspension bridge (Dad was proud that I wasn't even scared) and then we fumbled down a sloping rock face to the base of the falls. It was still early- around 10AM, so we were the first tourists to arrive! There was a small rainbow that we could see in the mist of the falls. It was beautiful! As we got closer, the powerful sound of the falls became louder and we felt like we were being rained on it was so misty from the water. It was very refreshing!
We shared the space with many local shepherd boys. They had brought their animals (goats and sheep) to the lush grass near the falls. They were very friendly and we shared some laughs. They even let me look at some of their animals and all looked healthy! Dad thinks I'm crazy whenever I do this, but I can't help it! I struggle touching an animal without doing some sort of physical exam! Luckily, Dad is slowly getting used to this, as I'm sure you will, too! I just can't wait to introduce you to the many amazing animal species and teach you how wonderful they all are! You'll have a lot of visits to zoos and farms in your future, little Aidan!
After spending about 30 minutes at the falls, we began our walk back. We stopped for a brief coffee ceremony on top of a hill overlooking the falls. After having our first Ethiopian coffee in Addis at the foster home, we were hooked. Normally I drink Diet Coke in the mornings (as you will soon know), but they don't really have much diet pop in Ethiopia. Coffee has become my new caffeine fix- at least here!
We decided to take a different route back to our car. We walked back on the other side of the falls along a flat plateau that was covered in crops. It was very peaceful. Along the way, we ran into many local children playing with inflated soccer balls. Dad and I joined them for a bit and enjoyed their laughter. It made us miss you more!! The children here are beautiful. I think in order to be Ethiopian you need an infectious smile and eyes that glisten!
Along the way, Dad was approached by a man who said he was the coach of a soccer team. He wanted Dad to give him money to buy a soccer ball for the team he coached. Dad said "No" as he's uncomfortable giving money to people, but offered to actually buy a ball. The man walked back with us the rest of the way to town.
Before we got to town, we had to board a small boat to be taken across the Blue Nile River. There was a lot of hustle and bustle along the banks as people were unloading reeds and other goods. There were children helping, although most were in the water splashing around and playing! It was warm out and would have been so nice to have joined them!
Once we reached the van, Dad went to buy a soccer ball for 200 birr- about $10.00. We don't really know if that man was really a soccer coach, but he seemed legitimate. If he wasn't, oh well. Some locals just received a new soccer ball to play with at least!
The van ride back to Bahir Dar was just as interesting as the way out. More people were out and about as it was almost lunch time. Dad and I both fell more and more with Ethiopia every minute we were out!
Back in town, Dad and I ate lunch at our hotel. Our hotel, Papyrus Hotel, has a large swimming pool and a nice pool deck. We ate at the pool restaurant. There were 4-5 people in the pool swimming, and they were really good! As swimmers, that made Dad and I really happy to see! That's another thing we can't wait to do with you- get you in the water and teach you to swim! Dad taught Paige and Bleu how to swim last summer in the Puget Sound! I know you'll take to it better than your puppies did :)
For lunch, Dad and I ordered local fish from Lake Tana. The fish was called, "The Worlds' Best Fish." How could we not have ordered it with that title? The fish was delicious and I do believe it is a contender for some of the world's best fish!
After lunch, Dad and I wandered over to the HUGE market. It is busiest on Saturdays and we were prepared. The market isn't geared towards tourists, but to locals. There were many different sections and they sold everything you could ever think of. The first section we entered was the tire section. The locals had large, worn truck rubber tires that they would shred, cut apart or rework to form many new working items such as shoes, water bags, donkey harnesses, etc. Their skills were amazing and the products were so functional! They have definitely mastered the idea of "REUSE" here in Ethiopia!
From there, we saw the grain markets. Each vendor had multiple bags of grain that were filled. You could buy wheat, tef, rice, pasta- whatever you wanted.! Then there was the vegetable/fruit section full of tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, pineapples, avocados and oranges. Behind everything was the life stock market where you could buy or trade your poultry, cattle, donkeys, goats or sheep. Lastly, there was the spice market. Dad and I bought a few traditional spices to bring home with us. Again, everything was so fresh and colorful! At the end of the market, I bought a traditional Ethiopian white dress and shawl. I'm going to wear this on Genna- your Christmas!
After we finished shopping, we walked to the lake front. There is a beautiful stone path along the lake that we walked. Along the way, there were locals swimming, some bathing, and even 1 fishing. There were families having picnics and a few college students doing their calculus homework. The trees covered the path with plenty of shade. It was very peaceful and we loved just hearing the water lap up on the shore. Again- who knew would we be strolling along a lake in Ethiopia?
We made one last stop a Dashen Bank- the only bank in Ethiopia that accepts MasterCard debit cards. We withdrew some money for the next few days and walked to our hotel. We worked with our tour guide over the phone to arrange a van to drive to Gonder tomorrow. We would be leaving at 7AM, so we went back to the hotel to pack and arrange everything.
I did some work online and caught up on e-mails. Dad wanted time to study Thai, so we chose to have a night in.
Tomorrow is the start of another adventure to the town of Gonder- the Camelot of Africa!
Bahir Dar has been wonderful. I loved our time at the tropical oasis at the source of the Nile! Between the waterfalls, monasteries, boat trips, markets and locals, this town had it all! It has definitely been the perfect introduction to our journey through Ethiopia!
Sweet dreams sweet Aidan! Know that Dad and I love you and miss you more than you will ever know! I can't wait to write more tomorrow!
All My Love,
MOM
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