Ethiopia has my heart!

Even though I am writing this since arriving back in Australia, my experiences in Ethiopia are going around and around in my head. So I know I will still be as accurate in recalling them now as when I was there. You see, once you have been to a country like Ethiopia I don't think you ever recover. It is the best sickness that you can catch, and I should know! He hee.

I had tears in my eyes the day I was sitting on the plane bound for Nairobi taking me away from Ethiopia. It certainly wasn't the first time, I had two experiences that when I recall them still cause the same effect.We arrived in Addis Ababa somewhat exhausted from our crazy Safari. The altitude grounded us for the first few days, but once adjusted we ventured out huffing and puffing. It is rather overwhelming walking around the streets of an African city, white people kind of stick out.. I couldn't stop staring at the people, their beauty is indescribable. They were however staring back at me just as intensely, but not for my beauty...my blue eyes deem me rather freakish to them!

After a few days exploring the city we caught a plane to the village of Lalibela, high up in the mountainous north region of the country. Gosh, before I jump to that I must speak of the extraordinary young man (and our brother) that is BOGALE (I posted a photo of he an I). Andy had been emailing Bogale for quite a few months before we arrived. He was the guide (you must take guides with you to most places) for one of Andy's very good friends a few years ago. Anyway, he came to meet us the night before we were due to fly to Lalibela, Bogale's hometown. He greeted us with an Ethiopian hello (please remind me to demonstrate this for you..It is amazing!), that you receive from someone who is a very good friend.

Afterwards, Andy and I went back to our hotel rooms and just buzzed with joy and anticipation for the next three days that we would be spending with him. Lalibela is only a small village perched on top of a mountain, and surrounded by breathtaking views of the jagged remnants of many erupted volcanos. Firstly, it looks like how you would imagine Bethlehem to look centuries ago, mud huts and donkeys, goats and children running around everywhere...sometimes living together. Then you actually meet the people. Ahhh the people of Lalibela.... they don't have much but most would offer us everything that they had. If we offered them anything, even just a few moments to talk with them, they were overwhelmed with happiness. The sense of community there is so powerful. There are of course the annoyances of being a foreigner, sometimes there was unwanted attention but a few words in Amharic from Bogale and we were left alone.

We had some wonderful adventures, I rode a mule up a mountain to see a cliff-top rock-carved church. One of those incredible experiences that moved me to tears happened just out of Lalibela on the way to another extraordinary church. Let me describe it as best I can for you and then when I get my rolls of film back I can illustrate it for you! After driving along some very hairy bends around some very steep mountains we come to some lowlands and we decided to pull up for a break. Andy wasn't feeling well so he stayed in the vehicle. The moment I stepped out some very young children who were shepherds or children of the farmers surrounded me. Within minutes I think there were at least 20 kids and now some young adults just staring at me. I greeted them with my limited Amharic, but they just stared. Bogale offered to take a photo of me with the children..which of course I declined because as you know I hate photos of myself and I hate set up photos like that. I mean I was looking at them wanting desperately to be invisible so I could just capture them as they were..But you have to spend time with them in order to do that and I wasn't even sure that they would let me photograph them. After a while after no change in their intense staring I walked through the crowd and decided to take a few photos of the countryside. So I grabbed my camera (my digi was closest)...their eyes widened and it suddenly occurred to me that they most likely had not seen a camera like mine. This gave me an idea. I told Bogale that I would like a photo with the people, he asked and they agreed. Afterwards I grabbed the camera and showed them the screen on the back. CHAOS! There was a mass moving of people as each one crowded around me, grabbing my arms, shoulders and waist for a better look. Apparently I disappeared from sight. Quite a few moments passed and I was able to break free and quickly snap a few portraits of some of the children. Then I showed them. Loud giggles and hands over faces followed, and this became the procedure for the next half and hour in the hot blazing sun ....no wonder I got horribly sunburnt....as if I cared. I had had enough after half an hour and another idea came to me because i could see how much joy this was bringing them and I didn't want to stop. I was also aware that I was holding up our driver and Bogale but when I asked if we could stay, Bogale replied with...'just be free George'. So that is exactly what I did. I picked a young man, put the camera strap around his neck, gave him a very quick lesson in digital photography (using sign language) and then stepped back. He seemed shocked that I would offer him use of my camera...but very quickly a big smile came over his face once Bogale had explained that he was now the photographer. Shrieks of laughter could be heard from the group as he went around taking photos of his family and friends, much pointing, pushing and posing was happening as well! Even some of the elderly people were letting him photograph them, something that is unheard of because they are very supersticous about having their photo taken. Whilst this was going on I quickly picked up my film camera and shot about 3 or 4 rolls, they completely ignored me...except when they were trying to take photos of me which was hilarious, there as some really awful angles of my face on my digi camera! A few Ethiopian photographers later and I don't know how many minutes, possibly hours and it was time to go. They all shook my hand and smiled at me, especially the kids. I waved to them as we drove away and I guess you can imagine my emotional state. I wonder what the photos will look like. Bogale has promised to go back and give them the prints of their work ...if he can find them!

Gondor, despite the food poisoning, was really interesting. But it was the Simien Mountains that left a huge impression on me. I am also quite proud of the fact that I survived a 5hr trek and four nights in a tent with my brother. He has a great love of trekking and due to my rather weakened state (food poisoning and altitude sickness…we were over 3,000 ft above sea level) I opted to stay behind and do my own exploring. This is when I met a boy sitting by a well trying to do his English homework, the rest I will show you in my photographs. I made many friends that day and over the next few days we met at the same time. Mostly they were trying to teach me Amharic which was always the source of a good belly laugh. One boy in particular looked like an african version of an elf from Lord of the Rings, Tuggallele was his name and he was exactly as Tolkien describes the elves. Definitely not of this world.

Anyway, I feel like I have written an Ethiopian thesis. I will return one day that is something I am very sure of.

I look forward to sharing some of my photographs with you all when I finish developing them. I also look forward to catching up with you all when I am back in Sydney… I have missed you very much.


Lots of love, Georgiana Jones signing off until the next big adventure…….xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx