A Coffee Drying Center & Google Earth

Driving south from Hosanna, and taking just one right hand turn, you’ll be well on your way to Mudula, Ethiopia. It’s an astoundingly beautiful drive through rolling hillsides of fields of grain, enset, some maize, coffee, ginger, and some other crops.

Half way between the right hand turn and the first town,  Hadero, is a new coffee drying center. It’s a large center and just a few weeks ago community members were hard at work preparing the facility.

See if you can find it on Google Earth. The coordinates are below.

It looks like this coming off the Garmin –  N7 11.653 / E37 41.937

It looks like this typed/pinned into Google Earth – 7 11.653 N /  37  41.937 E

Ethiopia: Facts from my notebook

1. There are 57 types of acacia trees in Ethiopia. 7 are endemic.

I never tire of the acacia tree (hello blog header) – here is one in Wondo Genet

2. There are over 6000 types of plants in Ethiopia. About 600 are endemic.

Chat isn’t endemic to Ethiopia – but it’s everywhere in the Sidama region. After having watched the spectacular documentary, Black Gold, I understand why more and more coffee growers are adding chat to their cash crop efforts. In about every plot chat was mixed with coffee trees.

My Wondo Genet guide explained that these young men were herding animals and chewing chat. (It was obvious, but he was doing a good job of guiding).

And then they shared a bit of their ‘narcotic’ with me. I was unimpressed (meaning, I didn’t feel a thing – but I did hike an hour longer than I planned). 

 

Dereje, my guide (in blue t-shirt) was a very motivated young man. He had spent a year following tourists and to improve his English and to learn birding. He could bird by ear and by sight – no binoculars, no bird book. I can’t bird by ear to save my life. I really admired his effort. He was a terrific guide – gentle, kind, attentive (we didn’t have to cross any rivers, so I can’t comment on his strength), and hopeful about his future. He plans to continue improving his guiding skills. I admired how he walked the entire day in flip flops. He then carefully washed his feet in the hot and holy spring. Had I had a bit more time, and been a bit deeper into my ‘experience’, I would have joined the local people in the hot spring (if invited). I can imagine their reaction to my large, soft body. Their giggle over my gear was funny enough, but a hot and holy spring would have been just totally divine. I hope Dereje accomplishes his goals – and I look forward to meeting him again in the beautiful Wondo Genet! You bet I plan to go back and walk with him another time – this walk will include a hot and holy dip in the spring (I didn’t take pictures of the spring, there were many people in it and they declined my request to take pictures there – I respected that entirely and without hesitation).

3. 55 years ago over 43% of Ethiopia was forested. Now, only 3% of Ethiopia is forested.

Lake Langano was particularly dry and deforested - some of that is about the shifting ecosystem as you drive south, some of it is about land use/population/resource depletion in the areas just outside of Addis. (That, and an enormous number of flower plantations that are surely poisoning the groundwater and devastating the soil in the area).

A view from a Bohe tukul. You can see the farms everywhere.

Durgi – Zamaare

When the Mudula Mamas gathered in Durgi we were welcomed with this song. This song is sung when the community sees someone coming and is sung as a welcome song.  

Here is the translation of the Kembatissa song of welcome:

zamaare
Let us sing.

Hano, acha-bachabe
Please, clap hands

Tieninu maghanita angaa
This is the work (hand) of God.

Yesusu Karichoa
Jesus is the Lord

Samhani ulhanie
In heaven and earth

Manaani gizaanie
Among people and animals

Mosson rehonie
In sickness and death

Yesusu karichuabe
Yes, Jesus is Lord.

mazimura = song
zaamaro : to sing
tien : this
anga : hand
Magahno : God
Yesusa : Jesus
Karicho : Lord
Samaha : Heaven
Ulha : earth
Mosso : sickness
Reho: death
manaa : people
Gizaa: animals

(translation by friend, advisor, and mapmaker, Desta)

Mudula; A Very Giving Tree

It is said that the fig tree that majestically sits in the middle of  Mudula Town is 600 years old. It must be true; the tree reaches in every direction, it’s arms holding up the past, present, and future generations of Mudula. It’s a glorious landmark that can be seen as you approach  – - an within which you find smiling faces of the community. And, it’s one place you need to ‘see’ in Mudula. And so, until you can see the tree for yourself, please soak up a little piece of it here.

Bohe Boys Show Their Moves

Blueberry was never far from my mind – and I could see him in the multitude of little boys who ran, wrestled, waved, yelled their greetings, and showed their stuff (literal and figurative) all along my Ethiopian route.  Here are two little Bohe boys, showing their moves. (Oh how I wish I had taken more video!).

Wordless Wednesday

Mudula Tree, 2011

Yirgalem; let the world be a stable and peaceful place

Yirgalem - beautiful, lush, sweet, stunning, welcoming, coffee, countryside. Destination Aregash Lodge. Overnight sensation with 3 hours of countryside walking in the village of Alakena. I walked around the corner and saw this man harvesting coffee. He was above me, up in the tree. I was startled by him – we both laughed.

Yummy yummy buna - the Sidama region has some of the BEST BUNA! If you suck the juice out of them when you pick them right off the tree,  it’s like a sweet citrus treat.And the tukuls dotting the countryside were gorgeous. Alakena was stunning. I stopped at the tukul of Almaz and her family (tukul pictured below) and had a long visit. She showed me the process to make enset, then cooked for me and served me coffee. Her teen daughters helped her prepare the food. (This is for another post). It was a VERY emotional space for me – - enset is a really important food source for the people of this area, and it’s both unique and life sustaining. I thought of Blueberry – especially as tiny naked boys ran in and out of the tukul. Then I shared my Altoids with the kids. Their faces scrunched up and they giggled and talked a mile a minute. The community was full of lively families with productive gardens; enset, avocados, pumpkins, some maize, and lots and lots of buna. I could not get over the green lush of the area and the rich red soil. It was a landscape of stunning colors and incredible friendliness. My local guide’s name was Addisu. He was a nice young man. He didn’t know birds, but he did carry me over the river. That should elicit “holy shit!” – - it was a crazy moment of me submitting to his insistence that “I must carry you Mother. Do not shame me by telling me no!” I think he weighed 78 lbs soaking wet. I’m not saying anything else  – - I’ll let you imagine the rest.

 I did stay at the Aragesh Lodge - which was beautiful. It is just outside of Yirgalem (on the outskirts) with easy access to the countryside. Access to the countryside is the charm – although most people talk about the evening hyena feed (not my interest) and the onsite gardens. The rooms are individual tukuls – and the Lodge is known for their organic gardens and good eats. The rate for the Lodge was about $60/night – midweek. I heard from many people that Aregash is a favorite Ethiopian destination, and that it books up quickly. It’s small-ish (12 ind. tukuls – with a sleeping capacity of about 6 per tukul – I had one to myself), which helps it maintain the charm of the space.  I met some really lovely people at Aregash, and enjoyed sharing meals, talking, and learning more about Ethiopia. (This, too, for another post! I hope one of my dining companions will agree to a guest blog post!).

I will always remember the ‘friendly’ African Pied Hornbill who made tons of noise outside my window and then woke me up at 6 a.m. with a furious effort to open my window. NOT KIDDING. So cool (for me, but perhaps not for you!).

Bajaj in the morning – Lake Awassa

A Room with a View – Lake Awassa (Hawassa)

I spent my first 2 nights of my 14 day Ethiopian journey in the lovely Haile Resort on Lake Awassa (Hawassa). The resort is owned by national running hero, Haile Gabreselassie. Now turned business owner, he’s beloved in his country for his good care of his employees and his concern for fair wages and decent working conditions. I’ll buy that! The resort was recommended by my dear friend, Solomon, as the perfect location for post-flight rest and relax. He was spot on (note:no second guessing Solomon). I loved Haile Resort.. There are all sorts of reasons why; the bed was super cozy, my room had an excellent balcony view of the Lake, the food was great, the place was quiet and gorgeous. And, it was the only place in my entire 14 days where my bed was comfy and the hot water was reliable. I didn’t know that then, but I appreciate the memory now. The Lake was teaming with it’s own liveliness. A few days of birds, gardens, lush greenery – what’s not to love?

I also was lucky to get their mid-day rates (about $70 a night – which is mucho expensive by Ethiopian standards, but which felt like a fair price – it’s twice as expensive on the weekends!)  Note in the image above,  the fish eagle in the glorious fig tree outside my room. That fish eagle treated me to it’s unique call all day long. I was a happy birder in this place. I enjoyed the quiet of the resort (I was told it is more lively on the weekends – as is just about every place on the Lake).  My time, in fact, was rather quiet and contemplative. I awoke early and watched the Lake life come alive and I spent the days exploring the area (Wondo Genet and the local fish market). I spent my evenings quietly enjoying the outdoor patio watching sunsets with a St. George beer. It was a good place for me – and allowed me to sink into Ethiopia with a few days of solo adventure. The solo piece was new to me. While I have traveled a lot in my life, I’ve always traveled in the company of family and/or children. This space started a 4 day solo stretch - alone – in Ethiopia. I would later join the company of 10 other women, but not quite yet. . First, learning how to spend time with myself. (“Really, this late in life?” you ask. My answer, “Why yes.”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was surprised by the number of Ethiopians enjoying the resort – it was refreshing, as I expected to see a hotel full of foreign travelers like myself. I started my trip in full people watching mode – and added some birds to the mix (Hamerkop and Ibis featured in the pictures of mine, by the way). For those who wondered, I felt perfectly safe traveling solo and walking everywhere solo – although I should add that I was always with a local guide. The guides enriched my local experiences by considerable measure; solo is relative. I wouldn’t recommend traveling in Ethiopia without using the local guides – - they know a lot and really enhanced my experiences everywhere I visited.

(Edited commented for folks who asked me to check out alternatives in places I visited. I checked out Lewi Resort – the name came up a lot from others who had been to Awassa. Lewi Resort- it was also beautiful, but much much busier. The compound was far more complex  – it included a puttputt golf course, bikes for taking out in the community, private tukul style accomodations, a pool, and piped in western music throughout the resort. If you are traveling with kids and want something that would allow for more ‘self-contained’ hours, perhaps you’d like it? I can’t comment on the rates – I visited the grounds but I didn’t ask anything about the rates. It didn’t really suit my taste – but I can see how a toddler or young one might find it a welcome refuge on a family adventure. I’d certainly advise that if you are visiting Lake Awassa, make it a weekday trip for best rates).

 

Hadero Welcome

                          Hadero, Ethiopia.

 (Photo compliments of Rogue Mama T – thankful for her keen eye and fabulous sense of place and space).