july 12, 2010

We are in Gondar now and today we'll get to go see all the castles and churches. We had a long trip yesterday, so it will be nice to be out and walking a bit. The roads have been quite nice - much nicer than when LeAnn and some of the others were here 3 years ago. They are mountain roads, though, so they're pretty twisty-turny. Gondar is the third largest city in Ethiopia, so it is a pretty bustling place. We're in the Quoroa hotel, which is right in the middle of the city. It has a lovely terrace that overlooks the city, where I'm enjoying breakfast right now.

I didn't say very much about the mule ride we had the other day, so let me explain a bit more about that. Each of us had a mule and a "mule-a-teer" which can otherwise be called a "mule boy." That person is in charge of getting us on and off the mule and keeping us going on the hiking part. The poor kid who was assigned to me had no idea he was getting such a klutz! What I learned is that I am not part mountain goat! I do not like scrambling on loose rocks, whether it is on my own two feet or on a mule. The flat parts weren't too bad, but I was pretty glad to be back on flat ground. My mule was one of the "express lane" mules, so it liked to speed whenever we had a chance. My "mule boy" was a nice young man who said he was in 10th grade. However, you hear that a lot from the boys in Lalibela - a sob story about not having enough for school...a poor family...won't you please sponsor me for school? It is always hard to say no and deflect, but you can't always trust what the
y say. I tipped him well at the end, and felt that he had certainly earned his money.

Our wonderful tour guy, Habtu, is an example of a "Lalibela boy" who did well for himself. He impressed the husband of one of our organizers many years ago and was sponsored and now owns his own tour business. And he does a great job! He is a wonderful guide and if anyone decides to come to Ethiopia, I highly recommend Vast Ethiopia Tours!

Hope all is well. I'll email again as I have time.
Love,
Alica