This past weekend, my friend Jodi and I set off for a few days away in Awassa. Awassa is essentially the Addis Ababa of southern Ethiopia. With everything from stop lights to an ice cream shop, Awassa has all the natural qualities of Ethiopia with a bit of a more developed spin.
Friday morning we set off to the bus station for my first experience with public transportation. I had NO idea what I was getting into, but I certainly looked forward to the experience of doing things just like any other Ethiopian. Wow! Twenty minutes into the ride we had a stop; upon reboarding the bus, they let the local beggars on for a quick chance to bring in some money. I quickly learned that allowing beggars to board is a totally normal thing. Just a bit further down the road and we pulled over quickly to pick up a few people headed to the next town... and their 8 chickens. There was a short debate about whether or not the chickens could board, but when it was all said and done we found ourselves with a handful of chickens as seat-mates. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried! The rest of the trip remained pretty uneventful with the exception of a few window wars and a guy hanging out the door as we drove on down the road.
We arrived in Awassa and I drank in the newness, the beauty of the lake, and the experience of seeing another piece of Ethiopia. We stayed in a guest house a short distance from the lake, not too far from the fish market. That made for a lovely smelling walk to town each morning. Storks roamed the area, hippos mooed away the evenings, and monkeys swung from the nearby trees. Each night we enjoyed dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lake as the sun set off in the distance. It was beautiful! The mornings were easy-going, sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and listening to the birds and watching the rays of sunshine bounce off the water in the distance.
We spent one day by the side of the pool at a local resort. I decided I was going to pamper myself with a pedicure. After nearly 10 months of Africa built up on my feet, they were begging for a little love. I spent a whole 70 birr ($3.50) for my hour and a half pedicure. I'd say it was worth splurging, wouldn't you?
Sunday afternoon we returned home. This bus trip called for a lot more patients than the 1st. It was cold and rainy, the girl behind me was smacking gum like it was her job (which is one of my pet-peeves), and the man three seats down decided it was his responsibility to provide music for everybody. With his radio turned up as loud as he could get it, he jammed away. We arrived home though, without a hitch, and with that our weekend getaway came to a close. It was so nice to get away for the weekend and enjoy a change of pace. I got some great pictures, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time in fellowship with Jodi. What a weekend...
