Simien Mountains

The Simien Mountains are in the north of Ethiopia and are home to over ten 4000-metre peaks.  The tallest being Ras Dashen at 4600m.  Our plan was not to hike up that but close enough with Bwahit at 4400m.  Debark is the town at the starting point at around 3200m and the plan is to walk into the range, camping at 3 sites, taking in some peaks and wild animals along the way.  We aimed to see baboon, wolf/fox and ibex and succeed with all.  The wolf is the most amazing as there are only 30 left.  See http://www.flickr.com/photos/30047150@N02/.  During the day, it is still hot but the temperature drops to just above freezing by early evening and I head for bed by 7pm shivering.  Having brought my walking boots, and fleece to Ethiopia, I failed to bring them to the only place I will need them.  With park fees and a guard compulsory (not sure why); we have also hired a guide, mules and a cook.  Recognisable food is served at a table from a man dressed in chef whites.  All very comical.

 

The mountain range offers great contrasts.  You can feel incredibly small with the enourmity of the place yet turn around and see a truck driving through churning up dust right behind you.  From the views you can look out and see nothing but more mountains for miles.  Similar in style to the Blue Mountains – although much less green at the moment.  Then look another way and you will see views reminiscent of the Lakes or the Peaks.

 

We stop off at a small village and are invited in for coffee.  We are expected to pay of course; they are fully prepared for travellers.  However, I've experienced many coffee ceremonies while I've been here but they've all been a little fake and easy.   Here, life is difficult.  Even in the middle of the day, very little light penetrates the hut.  Inside is a small fire burning, it takes a while for me to get used to the smoke and darkness.  When my eyes adjust, I see a sheep lying in the corner, a young child cradling a baby and a few commonly seen tourist keepsakes hanging on the wall.  This time they're not for sale but real life tools that help the family cope with the challenges of day to day life.  As we leave, the moment raises a common experience here.  Do you pay over the odds for the coffee (as many other tourists will) and keep the expectation going that foreigners can afford it or pay the actual rate and look ungrateful? 

 

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Flying to Gondar

After 2½ weeks in Addis, I was ready to leave.  Waking early to travel, is common here and today is no different with a 4am start, ready for a 6:30am flight.  I am joined at the airport by Alex, Marcel and Rene as the four of us are packed and ready to take on the Simien Mountains.  The departure area appears more busy, congested and disorganised than usual.  It would appear that the computers are down.  Never mind, there is always paper and pen!  Even at an airport, frequented by people familiar with other cultures and the necessary safety systems in place, everyone's personal desire to check-in takes priority.  My very British attitude to queue jumpers emerges as I stand with elbows out and stare at people with no effect.  I try to explain to a marshall as she encourages me to move back, that I am standing in the way of people walking around the outside and pushing in.  No effect.  I feel like a drug dealer that will get stopped any second, as my bag is a collection of medicine, that I have been asked to distribute to the many volunteers, I will visit on my way back to Abi Adi. 

 

A few hours later, we are resting in the departure lounge and learn that the flight is delayed due to "fog" up north.  That'll be a first.  Thankfully there is an Ethiopian lady who has been living in London for 5 years who explains all for us.  She shares her feelings with us about being back and confirms our opinions about what is holding Ethiopia back from development.  A man walks through pushing a trolley of cake and pepsi.  No announcement, but it would appear common knowledge that this should initiate a scramble that, I am not ashamed in saying, reminds me of a pack of chickens in a corn-fest.  What is left by the time I stand up to collect my share is on the ground: trampled, broken and sticky.  No matter, there are a collection of shops to purchase food from, once I have persuaded the scanners I wish to eat sensibly.  Except you can only buy food if you are travelling international.  Is that usual?

 

Time is passing.  We go through all the travel games we know and decide sleep is a better option.  As lunch approaches they send us to a restaurant to eat for free.  Still "hazy" at our destination.   4:30pm, 12 hours after I woke, we are told that our flight is cancelled we should return tomorrow for 10am.  Actually, after a few phone calls, it is does not affect our plans greatly, but a group of tourists on a tight schedule have to abandon their plans for Gondar and move to Axum without passing Go.

 

The following morning, the airport seems a different place as we are whisked through.  No free cake but we do leave on time.  The only surprise is that we will fly in a Focke Wulf, which is a small propeller driven plane.  I have heard stories about them being less than smooth but I have no complaints.  Within less than an hour, I am back up north where I belong in a hot, dry climate.  I later find out that the fog from yesterday was a sandstorm that had affected all of North Africa.

 

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In Country Training – February 2009

When I returned to Addis for the Ethiopian run, it was an interesting feeling returning with more confidence in communicating and travelling around on the taxis.  The flight cost 1200 Birr (£60) but considering that is more than half a month's wages.  I am glad for two reasons that I am not living here.  One, they have not had the opportunity to see the country or witness as much cultural differences and two, the capital is dirty, smelly and too fast living – the same as I see London.  However, it is all worth it though, as I was able to catch up with the many volunteers who have stayed in the capital.  The main advantage, as ever, is the chance to purchase some rare items: risotto rice, coathangers and peanut M&Ms.

 

This second time returning to the Red Cross Training Centre to help the new volunteers was a exciting experience and opportunity.  Arrogant it may be but I knew when I was there the first time I could see myself doing this job.  Planning the week before was frustrating as names kept being added and removed from the list just days before arrivals.  Packs were produced and over 1000 plastic wallets were opened.  Despite the work however, it is always interesting seeing the work from the other side of the fence.  As volunteers are not just accepted from the UK; they also arrive from Canada, Australia, Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, Netherlands and India; I became a regular at the arrivals lounge.  One day I was there welcoming an Aussie at 4am which was followed by the Brits the following morning at 1:30am.  Bedtime at 3:30am - that was a long day.

 

The week went by quickly.  Made all the more easier as I dispelled a few rumours, started a few of my own and tried to let people come to terms with life without internet banking and facebook.  The highlight of the week had to be leaving the British Embassy.  As a guard witnessed someone taking a photo, after being explicitly asked not to, he was whisked back inside and clearly given a stern talking to.  Sheepishly he returned minus photographs.

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Internet Speeds

While downloading a picture this evening, my laptop reached a new low.  Instead of the standard 2-3 kbps / second that is sometime possible here, Windows quoted 340 bytes/sec!  For those not completely familiar with these numbers, if you a have a 2 megabyte connection you may typically get speeds around 250,000 bytes / second.

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Chinese Proverb

Maybe not new to some of you, but I saw this painted on a school wall.

 

I listen, I forget;

I see, I remember;

I do, I understand.

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Per Diem

 "Per Diem" is standard practice here.  I guess Latin experts will know what this means but for the rest of us, it basically means that any work outside your institution (even if the work is during work hours) you are provided with monies in retrospect to pay for meals and transport.  The idea of using receipts as a fairer system would not work I'm told.  I receive 42 Birr for each day trip, even if a college car transports me and someone else (as usual) pays for meals.

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The Wanderer Returns

I'm back!  Apologies for not keeping the blog up to date and thanks to those people who asked for them.    It was a tiring, yet very exciting time, over the last month: 13 different beds, 2 flights, 30 hours on buses (15 in one consecutive trip), nearly 1000 miles, 8 morning starts at 5am and who knows how much money has been spent.  I'm happy to be back but return to no water and power.

 

Travelling to Addis once again was straight forward enough and full of excitement and anticipation.  My main goals were to eat lots, put on weight and to ensure the new volunteers settled in well ;-)  Addis offers a greater selection of food, particularly meat, cheese, chocolate and soft bread – which basically not available here.  I quickly decide that I need to move to a different place for my second year.

 

The week prior to the new volunteers arriving was spent planning the timetable, creating materials, booking buses and speakers with the occasional visit to "ferenji" supermarkets, eating out and going to the cinema!  I also took the opportunity to buy some new trousers that fitted.  As I was on official VSO business, they treated me to a hotel for the first week.  This meant DSTV, hot showers and 60 Birr "per diem".  

 

We also visited an NGO Fair.  Initially a very strange experience as it was like being transported back to the UK as I entered a school/church yard.  A very green lawn with neatly cut flower beds and pansies was filled by more white people than I have seen for some time.  With a mixture of crafts and cards on sale (most out of my price range), I opted for the samosa stall.

 

Although I've got lots to tell you all, I'm not sure when I'll be updating again as there appears to be an ongoing problem with the Internet (worse than normal).  We shall see.

 

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