Rural Ethiopia
Oct. 6th | Posted by Nicky
11 comments
We spend a little time in rural Ethiopia – outside of Addis, around Adama and around Lake Langano. I think future trips will probably include more venturing outside of the cities… now that we are more comfortable with the country and how it works.
To give you a sense of the places we went, in the rainy season, here are some of the sounds:
cattle grunting, girls’ skirts swishing, cattle boys whistling, birds screeching, monkeys jabbering, waterfalls splashing, familiar Amharic and new Oromo greetings
and the smells
dust settling, lake air blowing, cattle dung drying, fresh leaves bursting, the occasional diesel truck belching, clay baking
A few random comments… First off, I have never been to a country that is as accepting of other races, colours and creeds as Ethiopia. And I don’t say that lightly. Never in 2 months did I feel discriminated against, or specially treated since I was a ferengi (white foreigner.) Nor did my east Ghanaian friend (black foreinger.) Even in the countryside, where foreigners aren’t that common, people were curious, but always polite, warm and accepting. Maybe it’s because they were never colonized. Maybe it’s because there are so many tribes, cultures, languages and religions. Maybe it’s just because they are a people confident in their country and identity. I don’t know. But I do know, there are lessons we can learn from the Ethiopian people.
Another interesting experience that blew my mind. Several farmers and rural folks talked to me about climate change. They didn’t necessarily call it that – some did! – but many of the young and old spoke with frankness about the changing weather, the drying effect on the lands, the swinging of the seasons, and the resulting hardships. It astounds me that these ideas met so much resistance here, when rural (and many completely illiterate) farmers in a third world country know exactly what is happening. Perhaps because they are subsistence farmers, or perhaps because they live so dependently on the weather, they can see with a broad gaze the effects. Now… if they could only get some pollution control in Ethiopia (along with CO2 regs!) the government would be as on top of things as the people!
Anyway, enough of my rant. Here are some of our favorite pictures from the countryside. Remember these are just samples from the regions we visited; each tribal and geographical area has something different to offer. Click on the pics that interest you for a closer look, and then again for a fabulous close-up!
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- A man who walked with us through the woods. The tukuls in the background are common housing for rural Ethiopians.
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- This gentleman asked Jrock if he wanted to give the plow a go – Jrock politely declined! But you can see how labour intensive everything is in Ethiopia.
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- Donkeys everywhere – some apparently without people to guide them. Once we hit a donkey on the butt with our bus, just to get it going! (they are so dumb)
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- Where we travelled the people are Muslim – these are some lovely Muslim gravestones.
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- Girls in the woods chewing on sugarcane (and giggling like crazy, as all groups of girls do.)
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- The cattlewent from almost dead to pretty darn skinny. Jrock often remarked on how small they were – the locals said they expected quite a few to die this year from the drought.
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- Mixed heards being driven through the woods – which are over-grazed with no undergrowth.
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- A cheeky cattle boy who wouldn’t go away until we took a photo of him.
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- I met this smiling girl several times, but she never smiled for the camera. Makes a better picture this way. As I got closer to her, I see she has a disease eating away at her face. I wonder if she knows what it is?
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- This girl was so pleased when I showed her her pic on the camera – she just kept touching her braids. Guess her sister is doing a good job after all~
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- A friend of ours called these transporter trucks “Al Queda” – perhaps a bad political joke, but he said they often take out other cars, killing themselves in the process.
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- The tef fields – they only grow it in certain areas of the country, so injera is really a regional dish.
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- Since Kenya’s unrest, several flower growers have set up greenhouses in Ethiopia – a much needed industry.
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- If you or your car need water travelling on the highway, this is what to look for. Of course, us foreigners still to the spring water….
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- There are people everywhere – I tried explaining how their are vast racks of space in Canada with no people to a few Ethiopian friends – I don’t think they can quite fathom it.
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- The red red earth. Luckily, it washes well – especially out of all the white special occasion clothes people wear.
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- My mom found these neat – they are essentially stores (stick flats) where people sell their wares. One trip we picked up coal and fresh fish from people selling beside the road.
Beautiful pictures! I especially love the picture of the giggling girls standing together. Would you feel comfortable sharing that picture? I would love an enlarged photo of Ethiopian girls/women in our hallway so that our Ethiopian daughter can see their beauty as she grows up. I completely understand if you do not want to share the pictures. But if you do, then please email me at theresaeast1@yahoo.com We will not be able to travel around Ethiopia when we visit this time, but hope to in the future.
I absolutely love your photos, your stories and your insight. Thanks for sharing. A
Nicky, I love your stories from Ethiopia. It was not the best of situations while you were there but I can see in the future you will look back with fond memories despite the stress. I think I will travel to Ethiopia even if I am not able to adopt from there. It looks like a wonderful country and I would love to meet the people and see how life really is there. Happy to see your girls adapting so well!
Kendra
Thank you for the trip down memory lane – and the extra insights into the Ethiopian geography and culture that these pics and your explanation provide.
I look forward to returning to Ethiopia and exploring some of the outlying regions.
By the way, if injera is a regional dish, what kind of bread do the people commonly eat in other areas?
Ethiopians are so beautiful in so many ways, as your photos and stories attest. When we were in Ethiopia in ’08, we did not venture outside Addis Ababa, but I hope we can do some traveling next time.
Thanks for sharing!
Karen
Amazing pictures. I can’t wait to go to see it all for myself. Laura
Wow, thanks for posting this! It inspires me to go into the countryside next time we go to Ethiopia. We had hoped to but I was just too overwhelmed with Moses and feeling sick. Your pictures are gorgeous!
Wow! Amazing pictures! Makes we wish we had ventured out more… but being first-time travelers, i think we did ok. And now i’m inspired
Thanks for sharing!
karen h
I love these posts! Had my husband read this one too. LOL!! Your posts are getting us even more excited about returning to Ethiopia.
Absolutely love the photos and recap of your trip. Between the pictures, stories and SOUNDS, I almost feel like I’ve been there.
Thank you!
Heidi
P.S. The girls look like they are settling in nicely…
I have been following you guys on and off since the murals were being painted on your daughter’s walls. Thanks for sharing your journey, the pictures of you girls are precious. Blessings to you all.
Sheila