(Now, don't get me wrong. I was longing to see the five children we sponsor in Addis at Jemo Care Point, but since some member of my family had seen them each year that we have sponsored them, I did not feel as urgent about seeing them again.)
Monday morning we packed small bags and loaded into the van for the journey I had been waiting years to take! I was on my way to meet Biniam. I was also on my way to see the countryside in which my son, my Joshua Gebeyehe, had been born. We would be close enough to his village that my friend Kristen suspected I could easily find his family, if I so chose. I had NO plans to find his family. While I long to know more, my son does not. He has asked me emphatically NOT to locate his family of origin. He may only be eight - but it is still his choice to make. I will respect his wishes and trust his judgement. Still, knowing I would be SO close made filled my heart with delight.
The drive was not what I expected.
First, the road was quite nice.
Second, coming from a rural state, I expected long stretches of nothing but plains. Quiet stretches with few homes and fewer people. I was totally incorrect. There were people everywhere. A dirt path spiraled next to the highway. On it there was constant traffic.
Want to road trip with me? Imagine yourself in the backseat of a van, bouncing along the rough highway with the warm Ethiopian breeze blowing in your hair. Be prepared to brake often to avoid livestock on the road. Brace yourself for the constant speeding up and slowing down as the van swerves along passing slower moving vehicles and dodging potholes. But most of all, enjoy the view!
The first 50 KM we took a newly completed freeway. It put many of our roads to shame.
THIS is the Ethiopia of my dreams.
I'm not a big city girl. This rural rush is the Ethiopia I long to belong in.
Onion harvest
Seriously, look at the size of those birds!!!! They appear taller than the children!
Homes varied. Some were made of mud and straw like you see above. Others were the stick and thatch tukuls I think of when I imagine Africa.
Under every big, beautiful, shady tree there was either livestock or people, or both.
We saw at least three herds of camels.
This is a termite mound.
There was a power line running along the highway. My guess is that most homes had access to power. Water is another story.
Also notice that even in the country small groups of homes are fenced in one way or another. Most of the time vegetation was used, often cactus.
"Roll the windows down, turn the radio up, let the wind blow through your hair"
I was shocked by the number of livestock we saw on and near the highway.
I suspect they were searching for water. Almost every riverbed we passed was completely dry. The only green we saw were the leaves on the trees. The drought is severe.
It is so very dry and dessert-like that we saw several dirt devils.
It is a sad sight, that will only get worse in the coming days.
Here you can see the cactus fence fairly well.
It is so very beautiful to me.
How I wish I could just fit in for a few days and experience life here. I am sure the difficulty would un-do me, but I wish it all the same.
We arrived in Hawassa in under four hours! We checked into our hotel and began exploring. Our hotel, The Lewi, was located right on Lake Hawassa. It was a beautiful, modern, pristine tropical-feeling oasis.
It felt SO good to be out of the van and the city and in the quiet sunshine of the lake resort.
Lunch on the patio was first on our agenda.
It did not take long for the monkeys to join us.
I am NOT a critter fan. I did not enjoy the monkeys prowling around begging for a treat.
I will be the first to admit that they are cute - but I prefer them in cages.
The man feeding the large black monkey was the "monkey chaser." He kept chasing the monkeys away from the tables while people ate. And then he would take a break to feed one. . .
job security?!?
Look at that cute little baby face!
After lunch we headed out on the lake. I am a water lover. I was very excited to be on the water in the sunshine.
My precious Kristen. The only downside to a week and a half away together is that I miss you so much now. Love you, my friend.
The boat we took on the lake.
Those life jackets were FAR from US Coast Guard approved - but we made it home safely!
It was a very calm day.
I adore how the reflections came through in many of these photos.
The edges of the lake were brimming with life. Some people were swimming. Some were bathing. Some were washing clothes. Some were watering livestock. Some were on a post Valentine date, right Grant?!? Some were fishing. It was really neat to observe all the life around us. And everyone smiled and waved at us as we floated by.
We had hoped to see hippos, but this baby alligator was about the only sea creature we caught a glimpse of. Oh well, maybe there will be a next time?
The kids pointed out this soccer field located lakeside. We had a good giggle over all the livestock taking part in practice!
I loved watching the fishermen. Some had platforms like the one above made of boards and barrels.
I am so thankful for the clean, plentiful, running water I have in my home. My life is SO much easier because of it.
Most of the fishermen were more like fisherboys. And they had platforms of woven reeds that they stood or sat on while fishing.
We were lucky enough to watch two young fishermen catch fish. We cheered and yelled "Go Bez!" (Good job!) and they were so pleased! It was a highlight for me. Joshua would love to fish that way.
These men were fishing with a net. I imagine it is similar technology to the fishing it describes in the Bible.
Tsige and Grant sharing a secret.
Sisters and friends, what a blessing.
After the wonderful ride on the lake, the kids took a quick swim.
The pool area was beautiful and relaxing. But a shower was calling my name. I headed back to our room and enjoyed a long, hot shower.
We enjoyed a sunset, lakeside dinner. Minus the cats prowling around, it was perfectly serene. Thanks to the drought there are no mosquitoes, so the cool night air was peaceful and calm.
We headed back to our rooms fairly early, excited about the day ahead!
