One thing that surprises a lot of people about Ethiopia is the fact that the country is predominantly Christian, and has been for over a thousand years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia#Religion). It is surrounded on three sides by Muslim majority countries (Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti), but Ethiopia has a long and rich tradition of Christianity. The Ethiopian Orthodox church forms a large part of many people's lives, so much so that Wednesday and Friday are observed as fasting days every week. As you drive around the city, whenever you pass a church you're guaranteed to see a crowd of people by the gate, and more inside, praying to the patron saint of the church.

"Fasting" in Ethiopia is a little different than in other places. It doesn't mean necessarily eating less (although some do), but instead eschewing all meat and dairy products for the day. I benefit from this purely from a dietary standpoint, as I have had the hardest time explaining that I don't eat much meat to people I meet here. As with most cultures, Ethiopians eat as much meat as they can afford. The best way that I've found to ensure that I don't get any unexpected meat sneaking into my meals is to tell my host/waiter that I'm fasting. That will ensure a totally vegan meal (and delicious too!). I think when I was younger my family thought I was a really devout child, but now they've realized that I just prefer "fasting food" :).

Coming to Ethiopia was about family and relaxation this time around. On previous trips, I've spent almost as much time outside of Addis as I have in the city, traveling to historical sites and spending time at the lakes near the city. However, this time, I resolved to try to stay around, see family, and recuperate from the last couple of crazy months. I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my aunts and uncles and have seen my grandmother twice already, so mission partially accomplished. Now, if I could just do that resting thing I've been trying to do...

I actually envy my grandmother for her boundless energy. She's in her mid-eighties, and is still running around, being the general of the little army that lives at her house. She directs the cooking, cleaning, schooling, nurturing and activities of several family and adopted family members, takes care of various grandchildren in the summer, and can still throw down on the dance floor! About the only flaw I've found so far is that she LOVES George W. You'll have to forgive her: she speaks no English at all, and is firmly convinced that Dubya is the only reason that the US has a democracy. No matter how many times we've tried to explain that he's not the reason for, but instead is trying to erode, democracy, she's a staunch supporter. I guess the silver lining is that as an Ethiopian citizen she can't vote for him :)



My general-grandmother, amazingly sitting still for a picture



Brian, me, and grandma



Isn't my cousin cute! We had never met before this trip, but she greeted me by launching herself up into my arms, and wrapping herself around me. I guess she's seen a picture or two :)

I finally arrived in Addis, a little tired, but no worse the wear for my 72 hour stint of traveling. Brian, my aunt Akale, my uncle Fisseha and my aunt Eleni were all at the airport to greet me, and take lots of pictures. Since the last time I was in Addis, they've built a huge new international terminal at the airport, which made arriving much smoother than I remember.


Brian assured me I looked great after 72 hours of traveling...

The day after I arrived, Brian and I hopped on another plane to Bahir Dar, the home of Lake Tana and the source of the Nile River. Because Brian only has 4 days in Ethiopia before he heads to South Africa, we decided to only go on one excursion outside of Addis Ababa. Bahir Dar won, because it has both historical sites and the naturalist appeal of the Nile falls.

The scenery there was amazing, we saw some incredibly old books at monasteries that were in the middle of Lake Tana, and the hike up to the Nile falls was breathtaking. Our tour guide wasn't the greatest, but then again, we both would have been up a creek without someone there to help us communicate, so we appreciated him being around. This was my second trip to Bahir Dar, and I enjoyed it even more than the first, which is a good trajectory :)


The path towards the falls



This is the falls at 15% strength. Just imagine 50% or 100%... The falls are diverted to a hydroelectric power plant, which generates 100 mW of energy for the northern areas of Ethiopia. The unfortunate side effect of this is that the flow of the falls is reduced when the plant is running. Our guide told us that the plan is to build additional power plants on less touristed rivers, so that this one can eventually run only at night, and people can enjoy the beauty of the falls by day. We also learned that Ethiopia is becoming a net exporter of power to other countries like the Sudan and Djibouti, because it is so rich in river resources. It's pretty ironic, isn't it, that so many people around the world imagine Ethiopia to be a dry, desert-covered country, when in reality it is so green and fertile?



Brian told me I should stand on a rock so I could look taller... Unfortunately, it's still pretty clear that I'm height-challenged when compared to him.

Oh, the travails of travel. I guess I shouldn't complain, because I have traveled for years with very few incidents, and am lucky enough to be headed to somewhere far enough away to require several flights. I'm on my way to Ethiopia, finally, after a cancelled flight from New York to D.C. left me stranded and unable to catch my flight from D.C. to Addis. Looking on the bright side, though, I got to spend a night in New York with one of my best friends (thanks for lending me your spare bed Abby!). And, after a day of delay, I'm on my way to meet Brian in Ethiopia. He was so excited about this trip, I'm almost more disappointed that I'll be losing a day of tour-guiding him. I can't wait to experience the country through the fresh eyes of a friend who enjoys life as much as Brian does. Hold on, Bri, I'm on my way!