July 21, 2010

Surprise! I have email at the moment!  :)
 
Well, we're on the trip to southern Ethiopia. We were told by one of the organizers that when he lived here as a kid, they always came here for vacations and it was always hot, sunny and dry. No need to bring warm clothes and rain gear.  So guess what...it has been cold (like in the 50's at best) and rainy the WHOLE TIME!!!  Of course, we all left our warmer clothes and rain gear in Addis Ababa at the guest house, so we're all just a little soggy and miserable. 
 
The hotels thus far have been noteworthy only for how much they are different from our lovely hotel in Lalibela. Oh, how I miss that hotel!  We're here for tonight and tomorrow, and then we're supposed to be at a really nice resort for a couple of nights. 
 
The good thing about this hotel (in Arba Minsch, which is on Lakes Chamo and Abaya in the Great Rift Valley) is that it has mosquito nets already hanging over the beds.  Please pray for no mosquito bites, as this is in malaria range.
 
Sound miserable? You should see the roads in this part of the country! Our bus driver, Tsirouey, is a ROCK STAR for getting us here in one piece without getting stuck more than once (that was yesterday - today we didn't get stuck). The road is still being constructed, so we drove on lots of detours that were little more than jeep trails, and often there were huge mud-puddle/ponds/fall-to-the-center-of-the-earth-potholes that we had to drive through. 
 
So the good thing is that this area is really lush and has beautiful plants. There is a poinsettia tree outside our building here, and flame trees and banana trees and plants I've never seen before that have lovely blossoms. We can see both lakes from the veranda at the restaurant, and the scenery is lovely.  So, we put up with yucky rooms (and yuckier bathrooms) and look forward to the next place, that should be better.
 
We've been working a lot on developing curriculum for fitting Ethiopia into our plan for the year. We'll be working on tweaking the plans this year and then will have them vetted through someone who is familiar with Ethiopian culture and then published online for other teachers to use.  We're trying to get as much done as possible here, because it will be difficult when we get home, since life will intrude and we'll have other responsibilities.
 
I guess we're 10 days away from coming home.  I hadn't realized it until someone said so today. I really am enjoying myself, but I am looking forward to familiar food (like cheese! and ice cream! and cold beverages!), my own bathroom with clean towels, and my own bed with clean sheets.  I'm sure when I get home, though, there will be things I miss about being here - like comfy weather (it hasn't been much above 70 most of the time), fresh fruit, and spicy tea.
 
Until next time,
Alica