Donkeys, Mules and Total Asses!

Let's just get a few things straight:

Donkeys and horses are totally different species. A mule is a hybrid of a male donkey and a female horse. I'm not sure what a female donkey and a male horse would make. Nor am I sure how I seemed to be such an expert on this matter, but subsequent Googling proves that I was correct.

You can tell the difference between a donkey and a mule by looking at the head. A mule has a more horse-like head and donkeys are cuter and always look like they need cheering up, just like Eeyore!

My friends from the other side of the Atlantic thought it was slightly strange when I told them that you can take a donkey ride on the beach in Blackpool and other seaside resorts. I guess they spend their time swimming in the clean, warm ocean when they go to the beach!

We looked like total asses when we paraded through the streets of Lalibela on mules - but it was great fun!

Nobody joined in with me when I sang 'Little Donkey' as we traipsed along the dusty road ...

Little Donkey - cheer up x

Mules!

Blazing saddles!

Causing a stir in Lalibela!

Italian Style and Design

As always, I got lots of entertainment value from the other tourists and their 'Africa clothes'.

As you can see by this pair of shoes, many of the tourists were in the autumn of their lives. I think we lowered the average age by about 30 years!

Bloodyhell, these National Trust blue plastic bags get everywhere. I remember having great fun skidding across the polished floors of Sizergh Castle when I was a kid! Don't think this person was agile enough though!

Here's a great idea - why not carry your Blackberry, passport and a wad of US dollars in a clear plastic bag around your neck?

Look at the state of this video camera - some relic from the early 80s methinks. Bet he'd have got a better pice of equipment of the market in Addis! 

Bum bags (or fanny packs as Americans would say) - marginally better than the clear plastic bag around the neck!

Believe it or not, the one in the white gloves is a woman! What are the gloves for? Can't believe she was irresponsible enough to come to Africa without a SARS mask. If you look carefully in the background, you can see a spectacular example of a German mullet from the early 80s!

Simien Mountains

They say the camera never lies, so the pictures below would suggest that we endured hours, if not days, of tough hiking! We didn't! Since we were on such a whistle-stop tour of Ethiopia we took the easy option and drove up through the mountains and went for a light stroll around the summit! We stayed in a lodge and enjoyed a couple of sundowners.

A few of the gentle gelada baboons .... 

A Culinary Tour of Ethiopia

Above is one of my first meals in Ethiopia. Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia fast for an extended Lent period, cutting out all meat and dairy products from their diet. Understandably, the evening before the fasting starts is a huge party night, where people enjoy their last night of feasting on all the forbidden foods. When I tried to order 'fasting food' (the veggie option), I was told I could have it tomorrow. No amount of explaining would get me a veggie meal. In the end, we agreed that we could have a dish with a mixture of meat and veggies. Having had Ethiopian food a number of times, I was content with this, as the sauces normally neatly compartmentalised. But not this time. We were presented with this injera parcel with everything mixed up. I enjoyed nibbling on the omelette on top but was horrified to discover that what I expected to be a tomato sauce was actually raw meat! Even the most hardened carnivores amongst us found that hard to stomach!

Later that evening, we visited a local bar to watch (and tried to join in with) a little cultural dancing. One guy nearly got a slap when he said to my friend 'Do you like touch?' ... The poor bloke was actually just asking her what she thought of the local honey wine, which is called 'tej'! How easily we are misunderstood! 

Saint George is not only the patron saint of England, but is also a bit of a hero in Ethiopia. Churches are dedicated to him throughout the land and the image of him bravely slaying a dragon adorns many a mural. I enjoyed a few beers in his honour too!

Ethiopians enjoy chewing on a little chat, which is said to have a mild euphoric effect. I didn't get that far though as I found it so disgusting that I had to spit it out after a couple of minutes. I didn't fare much better when I tried chewing coca leaves in Peru either! 

Here's a more typical injera dish, where the foods are served separately. Thankfully for me, by everything on this plate was 'fasting food'. My favourites were the spinach and the 'shiro' bean stew. I'm not entirely sure what the cold chips were doing on the plate though!

Addis and Lalibela - Ethiopia

A few photos from my recent trip to Ethiopia. I'm relying on memory as I forgot to take my notepad, but will let the pictures tell the story!

This is the view overlooking Addis Ababa. It's a relatively new city, being only 125 years old and the name means 'new flower'. I enjoyed the clean streets, smooth roads and the cooler climate, due to the high altitude. I wish we had more time there to enjoy a spot of Italian food though!

Some of the most impressive sights were the rock hewn churches of Lalibela. Many of the churches are carved out of a single piece of rock and date back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.  Each church has its own cross (like the one shown by the priest on the photo) and the devout locals go to worship most days. 

It was a proper ABC tour (Another Bloody Cathedral) - am sure my Dad would have been impressed!!

International Day 2012

UK Contingency 

Ugandan National Dress?

Henna tattoos

Today I learnt that you get more exercise from carrying the croquet set up 4 staircases than actually playing the game!

We thought this may have been the world's biggest ever Hokey Cokey - but then discovered that the world record is over 7000 people, so we fell short by about 6500!

Who's the queen? I'm queen!

Ozzies finding a way to surf in the middle of a land locked country in Africa!

Feeling the heat!

You may have noticed that my posts have been a little thin on the ground recently. It's not for lack of trying, but the internet has no been very co-operative of late and has not been letting me write. Humph!

It's been a hot and hectic few weeks. The hottest I have ever known it to be in Uganda. To my knowledge, it has not rained in Kampala at all THIS YEAR! Temperatures in my classroom are soaring well into the thirties, and this combined with a couple of weeks of broken generator make it almost unbearable. I have had to disperse the children into shady and breezy corners in the afternoons just to make it through! I have been trying my best to drink gallons of water to avoid going home with a dehydration headache. Today clouds gathered around lunchtime, but to no avail.

The dry season has brought new challenges to the biking. Gone is the sticky and squelchy mud, replaced with deep patches of sand and dust. What they do have in common though, is that they can both make you wobble and fall off your bike if you're not careful! Today the leaves appeared to have taken on an autumnal tinge, but on closer inspection it turned out to be a thick layer of orange dust! It takes a serious amount of scrubbing to get rid of it too. I didn't quite manage today and when I looked down at my legs it looked like I'd done a really bad job with the fake tan!

We have one more week before we break up and I'm off to Ethiopia. One more place to tick off the bucket list! Plans are for a quick loop around the north, taking in Lake Tana, Gondar, Lalibela and the Simeon Mountains. My friends who have been before say it was one of the most inspiring and amazing holidays they have ever taken. If nothing else, I'm looking forward to a spot off cool mountain air in Addis!