An interesting couple of days indeed. When we left Gondar on Monday morning we were still without running water. You actually get used to it pretty quickly.
We got a chance to walk around the Merkato in Gondar a few days ago. It was buzzing with life. So many different noises and smells. It was fun. There are different sections of the Merkato where different goods are sold. One section is household items. One is clothing and shoes. Yet another is food and spices. So much to look at. You can buy almost anything and I have to admit that surprised me. Food products are sold in kilos, that surprised me too.
Liz and I have been walking a lot. Walking to the Piazza is perfect and it's a great area. The only thing that really hampers us is the rain, which will hopefully stop here pretty soon. I actually enjoy it in the afternoon with a good book and all the windows and doors open.
Liz and I took our first ride in a Bajaj the other day....uncomfortable.....fun.....
I had kitfo at a restaurant in Gondar. It was unbelievable. They actually cook it at different temperatures ranging from raw to well-done. After consulting a couple of our doctor friends they informed me to stick to well-done. They made me aware that I can get worms from eating the raw meat.....and I don't want worms.
When we got to Addis on Monday we had lunch at an amazing restaurant called Addis Ababa Restaurant. We had a gigantic plate of injera with about eight different things on it. I had no idea what anything was but I tried it all and all of it was good. I tried a traditional Ethiopian honey wine called Tej. It was pretty rough but most everyone I talked to enjoys it. Apparently Gondar has very high quality honey and thus great Tej. I'll have to give it another shot when we get home.
Today is the Ethiopian New Year (Sept. 11). It's hard to do any kind of celebrating on this day in American history. It's just a weird coincidence.
This morning I witnessed something for the first and hopefully last time.....the slaughtering of a sheep. Our friends bought the sheep last night at the market. When I arrived this morning it was hanging out in the driveway. As soon as the butcher showed up carrying the skin/fur of another sheep our sheep lost it. It was almost like it knew its fate. The actual killing was quick. Blood everywhere. It was the dissecting that took a little while. The butcher strung up the sheep and skinned the entire thing. It was a lesson in anatomy. Every part of the sheep is eaten. Nothing goes to waste. This includes the intestines, the heart and even the tongue. I was blown away.
We are going to venture back over to our friends house to help them eat the sheep now. I feel a connection to this dinner. We shared a moment together earlier this morning. A moment that I will remember, for good or bad, forever.
Good Evening to Everyone
The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the positions, strategies or opinions of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Oh, and forgive any spelling or grammatical errors.
We got a chance to walk around the Merkato in Gondar a few days ago. It was buzzing with life. So many different noises and smells. It was fun. There are different sections of the Merkato where different goods are sold. One section is household items. One is clothing and shoes. Yet another is food and spices. So much to look at. You can buy almost anything and I have to admit that surprised me. Food products are sold in kilos, that surprised me too.
Liz and I have been walking a lot. Walking to the Piazza is perfect and it's a great area. The only thing that really hampers us is the rain, which will hopefully stop here pretty soon. I actually enjoy it in the afternoon with a good book and all the windows and doors open.
Liz and I took our first ride in a Bajaj the other day....uncomfortable.....fun.....
I had kitfo at a restaurant in Gondar. It was unbelievable. They actually cook it at different temperatures ranging from raw to well-done. After consulting a couple of our doctor friends they informed me to stick to well-done. They made me aware that I can get worms from eating the raw meat.....and I don't want worms.
When we got to Addis on Monday we had lunch at an amazing restaurant called Addis Ababa Restaurant. We had a gigantic plate of injera with about eight different things on it. I had no idea what anything was but I tried it all and all of it was good. I tried a traditional Ethiopian honey wine called Tej. It was pretty rough but most everyone I talked to enjoys it. Apparently Gondar has very high quality honey and thus great Tej. I'll have to give it another shot when we get home.
Today is the Ethiopian New Year (Sept. 11). It's hard to do any kind of celebrating on this day in American history. It's just a weird coincidence.
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| Gross right....? |
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| Really gross I know...... |
We are going to venture back over to our friends house to help them eat the sheep now. I feel a connection to this dinner. We shared a moment together earlier this morning. A moment that I will remember, for good or bad, forever.
Good Evening to Everyone
The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the positions, strategies or opinions of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Oh, and forgive any spelling or grammatical errors.
that was a sight to see!
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