Life
can be mediocre in its normalcy and routines. It doesn’t matter where you live,
life tends to take this turn at some point. Living alone for the first time (or
with others) has it perks, but also set backs. Living in Selekleka, Tigray,
Ethiopia or Hermiston, Oregon, USA can be an adventure or can be boring.
Sometimes though, adventures come along to break up the normalcy, to bring
people together once again, to make new memories. From July 7 -- 27, 2015 I had
the privilege to go on an adventure with my parents that I will never forget.
Here’s a summary of what we did. (More details to come up in other blogs,
promise J )
At
approximately 10:30 AM on July 7th I boarded a plane with a backpack from Axum
to Addis Ababa. While I was having a short flight my parents embarked on the
long trek from Seattle, WA to Washington D.C. to Addis Ababa.
While
I assumed my parents would be jetlagged when they arrived early the next morning,
they were anything but---once they got through a long visa line. Instead I was
battling a little sickness and they had to go slow for me. However, we didn’t
allow time to pass us by. We went to the Peace Corps office to drop off a bag
for Tanzania buddies and to give them a tour of the office, had lunch with some
wonderful Peace Corps friends who happened to be in town, took a short nap,
went through a suitcase of gifts galore, went on a long walk around the
neighborhood, and ate cheese, crackers and granny smith apple for dinner while
chilling and catching up.
The
next day (9 July) was a day of “unexpectancies” that ended with us all safe and
sound in Selekleka having a coffee ceremony and so much food with my Landlady.
Parents got to eat injera by the right hand only (Dad did pretty well for being
a lefty) with some traditional dishes. We walked to one of my site mate’s home
who had come over to visit, before rearranging my small room to fit us all in
comfortably. Parents got my (twin sized!) bed and mosquito net and I slept on a
small cot frame with a folded mat as a mattress and a sleeping bag.
After
a quick breakfast, we caught a bus to Shire to meet our compassion child,
Danawit. My parents have been sponsoring children with this organization since
before they were married. This was the first one they got to meet. Four months
ago they had asked for a child in Ethiopia, not knowing she would be a 30-minute
bus ride away from me. It was a complete blast (even though I was still sick),
to meet and talk with her, her aunt, and other Compassion leaders in Tigrigna
and see how evident God is. We played on the swings, laughed, and just enjoyed
each other. It was like having a little sister for the day. I was really bummed
when we had to go; however, I know I will be back to Shire and hope to catch up
with her again. That night, amid the daily downpour, the power went out so we
played Quiddler where we took turns winning.
I’d
been looking forward to my parents being in Selekleka since I first visited it.
I was overjoyed when tickets were bought and the guarantee that they would be
there was true. Saturday 11 July was a day without buses, airplanes or hotels.
Just Selekleka. After a scrambled egg and pancakes (thanks Dad!) we went to market. Mom took pictures, Dad
bought a “coffee pot,” I twirled kids, and we ate cactus fruit before heading
home to chill. Then we walked to my school (yes all 30 minutes of walking one
way) where I showed them around my compound and poked noses into classrooms I
still consider mine. That evening we went over to a friend’s house for buna
that grew to being dinner as well when another teacher friend showed up. The
rain, though eroding all paths and cutting out power, couldn’t dampen our
smiles that night.
The
following day was all buses. Waiting for a bus to Axum and once there,
realizing that Dad didn’t have passport (my fault, by the way) which was needed
for the entrance into obelisks so we took another bus back to Selekleka,
popping into house, getting passport and waiting again on the side of the road
for another bus to Axum where we finally got to tour and explore the giant
great grey obelisks and museums. After seeing Queen Sheba’s bath (where cattle
descended the stairs to drink) and walking around St. Mary’s church we went on
a bajaj (3-wheeled taxi) to a butcher’s place for some fabulous goat for lunch.
Then we caught another bus to Adwa, checked into a hotel, and then got coffee
with a friend before dinner.
Three
special fuuls, two coffees with no sugar and one macchiato was the last order I
placed in my Tigrina language. Our rented car with driver took us on an 8-hour
drive through the huge, jungle-y Simeien Mountains. The views in the mountains
showed hard-working people making charcoal or plowing steep fields. Monkeys fled across the road—where
there was a road. At one point we
paused so a road grader could create a flat enough place for our Landover to
pass. We arrived in Gonder amid a
deluge that turned the roads to rivers. Thankfully our hotel was amazing and reasonably
priced. Cheesy pasta was a fabulous start.
Gondar,
nicknamed the “Camelot of Africa,” became the capital of Ethiopia starting in
1636 with King Fasiledes who started the tradition of building castles.
Emperors who followed him also left their own castles in the great compound
covering 70,000 square meters (164,041.99 square feet) with 20+ structures
recognized today as a UNESCO site. While it is suggested to take an hour to do
the royal compound, it took us 3 hours to climb in, over, and through the
castle ruins--with a wonderful picnic on the leafy grounds. After a slight
adventure since I don’t speak the language used here, we went to Fasiledes’
Bath—a royal bath house and pool, where people still get baptized on “Timket”
(Epiphany) every year. After another batch of pictures we headed to Gebre
Brehane Selassi’s Church that was beautifully decorated with paintings from
hundreds of years ago on mud and straw walls. Dinner was delicious Ethiopian
selections with a local honey wine to top it off.
Then
we flew back to the extra-large, chaotic Addis Ababa. Pizza! Then figuring out “line
taxies” (15 passage vans that run a straight route) to the Red Terror Museum.
It was humbling to learn about troubling times in Ethiopia’s recent history
when Facist terrorists overthrew the royal government. Onto the National Museum
and ancient Ethiopian history. We saw Lucy, the oldest most complete human
skeleton, and Selam, the oldest child skeleton that is older than Lucy. While
the museum isn’t as grand as the Smithsonian, it was still captivating to go
through the history. Skeletons,
paintings, thrones and more filled the rooms. A stuffed baby elephant and three
live tortoises were exhibited in the front lawn.
Our
final day in Addis we went to St. George’s Cathedral to see a stunningly beautiful
church and museum. Our guide, an archdeacon, explained orthodox details and
traditions. He even chanted some
for us and made us join in! We tried to get to another museum, but because of
the language barrier and lack of street names, we ended up going to “The Holy
Trinity Cathedral” with the awe-inspiring, strikingly gorgeous stain glass
windows, picturing Old Testament events (Solomon and the Queen of Sheba being
as important as Moses!) and New Testament. Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie (the
last king) commissioned this building in 1931, though the church appears much
older. The king and queen’s tombs are there, too.
On
Friday (17 July) we flew from landlocked, cold, smoggy Addis Ababa to humid,
coastal Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Our missionary friend picked us up and took us
to an amazing seafood restaurant. Had an iced ginger soda with our garlic and
cheesy fillets with scallops. Gelatos topped us off before going to the mission
house.
Next
day we woke up ridiculously early to fly to Mbeya. Got to stay with the entire
family and have a fabulous time with them. The next couple days were spent
seeing how our missionary friends live and work. I worshiped for the first time
in over a year—and Dad preached! Toured churches, Bible colleges, were fed
local food by Swahili speaking pastors, and saw Lake Malayi.
Tuesday
parents, our friend, and I went to the Ruaha National Park. We got to the park
with enough time for an evening drive. The guide had word (on his cell phone
with more coverage than parts of Eastern Oregon!) of a rare leopard sighting.
We arrived in time to see an absolutely beautiful large male. Back at camp, we had a candle-lit, 3-course
dinner on the riverbed before retiring to king sized beds in a giant tent. Next
day was entirely spent enjoying God’s creations from the pre-dawn safari to
sunset trek and starry dinner. Third day we headed home taking our own “safari”
with a picnic lunch overlooking hippos, crocodiles and elephants before heading
back to Mbeya.
Back
to Dar-es-Salaam the following day was a reminder of how hot and humid
Tanzania’s dry season could be. We shopped in markets, ate amazing food, went
to English speaking church, hung out with our wonderful friends, and enjoyed
living in a vacation world with no real responsibilities. Saying goodbye to our
friends and flying back to Addis, Ethiopia, on the 26th was hard,
but one thing that needed to be done.
Even
though we arrived at Addis’ International Airport the same day as President
Obama, arriving hours after him allowed us to have airport entire to ourselves.
We met up with a couple of great Peace Corps volunteers before calling it a
night.
Everything
must come to a close. Even the adventures we don’t want to, but understand need
to. Our final day of being together this year was one of peace, togetherness,
and just joy. We didn’t do anything spectacular, but perfect enough to be
remembered. The best part though was the group hug and prayer before the taxi
came. It was same thing we did before I went through security at the Spokane
International airport 394 days before.
Adventures
come to a close and life goes on. But normalcy can’t be the same as it was
before it. This adventure, these 21 days with my parents, was greater than the
short summary and the crazy selfies that litter my phone. It was about the late
night talks and giggles with Mom in the tent, Dad calling me “Almaz” (the
Amaharic name with the same meaning as my name), relief to talk face to face
and not wondering about time-zones, worshiping in so many ways, smiles, laughs,
questions, silence, joy and everything in-between.
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