Bahir Dar --> Gondar

Yes, it's been awhile since I've updated due to a combo of bad internet options in Ethiopia, inertia of not writing, and trying to live in the moment (maybe trying to put a good spin on my procrastination? But I think it's also valid!).

I am now back in DC for the weekend after a whirlwind return from Ethiopia, one day at home to unpack, do laundry, bake for Mom (and for sanity!), and take very long hot showers, and then a quick flight to attend Rose's bachelorette weekend and some quality catch up with good friends here. Flying home tonight and excited for the next two weeks of sleep, decompressing, seeing family, healthy food and maybe some 'studying' to prep for the Grenada return.

Alright, so where was I?

We had just left Bahir Dar, and took a 2ish hour minibus up to Gondar. That was a VERY squished, sweaty, "just listen to music and don't think about it" kind of ride. But, we made it in one piece. Spent our first day seeing the main attraction of Fasilides castle and then took a tuk tuk for 100 birr to the bath. The castle was really beautiful and also the grounds were really nice and secluded from the chaos and people taking interest in all the farenjis outside the gates. Kwazo and I took lots of pictures and when we read that many people have weddings there, we could easily understand the appeal. It's a really beautiful place.

After seeing both the castle and the baths, we returned to our new hostel, called Genetics House :) (shout out to med school), and settled down for a little bit. I soon found myself on an excursion with a young boys' soccer team to find them a new soccer ball because theirs had apparently popped. Do I think that this wasn't a scam? No. Do I think I grossly overpaid for this ball? Yes. Did I have a great time spending an hour wandering with these kids (who had great English skills by the way!), talking about their school/sports interests and thrilling them with the purchase? Absolutely. 300 birr for the 'fancy leather ball' well spent in my opinion.

Post-soccer ball excursion, Kwazo and I joined our new best friend, Dawit, to find authentic honey wine, called tej. We ended up in a private house with an older woman who made the wine, 2 younger women, and some great kids, a cat and a chicken. The wine was very strong and served in glasses, which reminded me of organic chemistry flasks, and I only made a dent in my serving, but Dawit (who would be our guide for a trek the next day) certainly had no trouble drinking all of his and helping us with ours. We also enjoyed some great enjeera with shiro--well I think that's what it was--and something like cooked barley or chickpeas that was a great treat. Again, we ended up shelling out more cash than expected or previously explained, but that seemed to be the theme of Gondar and so I tried to embrace it as much as possible. The experience was definitely unique and memorable, and it was much more interesting than simply ordering tej at a restaurant without any context or the fun of sitting in that family's livingroom for a few hours. Plus, Tom and Jerry was playing on the TV. Bonus.

The day after the tej night was a 2 hour drive to go for an arranged hike with Dawit and a 'scout' to tell us about the nature and animals (saw so many baboons - the babies were so cute!). Kwazo and I were led on what I think was a very impromptu route for the next few hours by these two guys who were probably 20-23 and got a kick out of our matching outfits (unplanned) and energy about getting dirty and climbing on things. The scenery was gorgeous, and it felt great to finally be out in fresh air and immersed in nature, which is where I am re-learning that I just love to be more than most other environments (read: hectic cities). I loved the adventure and the fact that I had no idea of what would come next, but also the peace and quiet, huge sky, view of the Simien Mountains, and the interesting, unique trees and plants that dotted the land. Again, many photos were snapped! Egg sandwiches and bananas at the 'summit' of sorts, and we were feeling calmer, and a worn out energy that we love so much. A good Sunday start! Rain came later which made us happy to be home from the hike earlier than expected, and Kwazo led me through her yoga routine in our hotel room. Sidenote: her routine/moves are straight from Nepal, so clearly that made me feel more legitimate.

We then went on a serious search for vegetarian enjeera that was much harder than anticipated (maybe eating vegetarian food isn't big on Sundays?!), but which ended successfully at the place we had eaten the previous day and it was very delicious, especially due to our very hungry bellies at that point! St. George's beers helped us curb the angst as well. Definitely better than the Dashen beers in our opinions! After a little internet and more exploration walking, we headed back to rest to prepare for our very early start before our flight (YES FLIGHT NOT BUS!) to Lalibela scheduled for the next day.

Next post: Lalibela- my favorite place!