About Mr Silver

I am Michael, this is my blog.

What have you been up to?

Jack of all trades; here they are having me build desks. This is what will save Africa!

Jack of all trades; here they are having me build desks. This is what will save Africa!

Often not an easy question to be asked, but I guess I can give it a bit of a blast after the last 20 months here in the heart of rural Ethiopia and the fine city of Adola. Okay it’s still only a town, but just you wait it’ll be a city one day – watch Addis!

Time Management - hmm the word late or similar comes up a lot.  I wonder why...

Time Management – hmm the word late or similar comes up a lot. I wonder why…

“Just saving Ethiopia!” could be my reply.  Fret not, I am not so arrogant to assume that my actions are going to turn this place into a developed country overnight, but I do hold some hope that what I have shared here is part of a massive effort on the part of countless people who have given a little of themselves and their experience to guide the country to new opportunities.

Students working

Students working

As I think about previous blogs I realise that mostly I have written about experiences I have had and very little about what I actually have been doing here.  I want to take the chance to share some of this now, as I look back and reflect on my time.

The main purpose of my recruitment by VSO was to help out with the Higher Diploma Programme, which, in brief, is about developing different teaching methodology in schools – specifically in my case for primary schools.  In order to work on this I was sent to a rural teacher training college in Adola- a town whose praises I have sung more than enough in the past.

Biology practical - 5 points for each Lab safety rule being broken!

Biology practical – 5 points for each Lab safety rule being broken!

As mentioned in a previous blog post, way back at the beginning of my time here, it took a while for the course to get started.  In spite of some frustration in this, I soon adapted to the rather laid back approach and rather than get stressed out and angry, I decided it was better to go with the flow and make the best of it; making use of time when it happened.

Derese with the Grade 8 girls.  The project was his idea.

Derese with the Grade 8 girls. The project was his idea.

At times it was an uphill struggle- there is understandable reluctance for change especially where the only experience people have had is in lecturing to students or being lectured to – imagine a teacher trying to lecture to a class of 7 year olds in the UK… for the whole 40 minutes (the length of a lesson here) and that followed by 5 more 40 minute lectures.  I don’t think they class would survive until the end of the day!

Getting the students involved at primary level- good job HDP participant!

Getting the students involved at primary level- good job HDP participant!

There were many arguments why they couldn’t encourage their students to be more active participants in their learning-“We don’t have enough time to deliver the course content”; “The class sizes are too big”; “We don’t have any resources.”  What they couldn’t say was the real reason: “We’re scared to change.”

And using local materials as teaching tools - double points!

And using local materials as teaching tools – double points!

I realised I needed to encourage them to believe that they could change, that they can have an impact and that their students would actually learn far more by being active, rather than passive, in the classroom.  I wanted them to change their focus from them “teaching” to their students “learning”.  The overarching idea being that they then pass on this philosophy to their students- the teacher trainees- who in turn take it to the schools with them.

3rd year trainee on teaching practice trying to involve the pupils.  The message is seeping through!

3rd year trainee on teaching practice trying to involve the pupils. The message is seeping through!

While I would love to say that Active Learning is now the norm here in Adola, I am not so foolish as to not recognise that these things take time.  Some staff adapted more readily than others, but I have to say I was impressed by how willing they were to at least give the whole thing a try.  And I wasn’t gentle – I really made them work hard and this became clear when, at the end of the first year, I went with two colleagues to the moderation workshop.  The standard of what the participants here had produced far exceeded that of the other institutions.  Not only was their work complete, it really showed depth and that they had engaged fully in the process.  Most importantly their lesson planning clearly showed their efforts to implement active learning and assessment for learning – two key areas of the HDP.

One lecturer's imaginative contribution - active singing and dancing!

One lecturer’s effort – active singing and dancing!

The second year I handed over the mantle of the day to day running of the programme to local colleagues, which gave me a little more time to focus on some other areas.  The Dean had not been shy in asking me to work in several areas and was open to my insistence in each case of working with a local counterpart to encourage a transfer of skills and sustainability.  This certainly kept me pretty occupied during working hours.

Physics practical

Physics practical

Working with colleagues, we have helped the college to open and resource an ELIC- English Language Improving Centre (sic).  It is still in the early stages, but has potential to be a great place for students to go and experience English in a lesson rigid and formal environment.  This place has been a focus for two other areas I have been keen to work on- the quality of English language teaching and raising the performance of girls in education.

Students using ELIC

Students using ELIC

In the first case I have been really fortunate this year to be able to work with some of the students who have chosen English language as their focus.  For the third year students this was a mixed group, but for the second years I asked to concentrate on the female students.

2nd Year Language focus students

2nd Year Language focus students

In general they are more reluctant to participate in classes and by bringing them away from their male peers I was able to give them a chance to be more involved and the efforts that they have made have made it highly worthwhile, with some of them shining in a way that would not have been possible in a mixed class.

2nd Years Role-playing

2nd Years Role-playing

When one of the English Lecturers at the college came to me to ask for help in delivering a programme to G8 girls I was delighted.  Instead of being asked to generally help in one area, this guy had actually a focused plan on what he wanted to do and he wanted me to help him out.

Grade 8 Girls with Fikirta, a second year trainee

Grade 8 Girls with Fikirta, a second year trainee

This, for me, was a key moment and at this point I realised that all my efforts had been worthwhile – the local community was not only identifying its own problems it was also coming up with solutions too.   This for me is exactly where development needs to be- rather than someone from the outside coming in and dictating how the community should change.

G8 Girls using computers for the first time

G8 Girls using computers for the first time

I have loved the variety of tasks that I have been able to get involved in here.  I have given ICT training and technical advice- it gives some idea of how much people here have to learn if they are coming to me for the technical advice!  I have worked with lecturers, teachers and students as well as the college management and local government and have enjoyed every interaction.  I have built desks and planted trees and all this was just my day job!

ICT training for support staff

ICT training for support staff

If anyone were to ask the secret of my success here though, I would have to concede the glory to the people I have been working with.  They have been open to new ideas, new ways of doing things and trying them out to discover what works for them.  They have gone out of their way to involved me in the community and to make me feel welcome.  There is no doubt that it is their effort that has made all of this possible and, as I reflect, I realise the part I played was really very small in the grand scheme of things, but I am glad that I have been able to make my little contribution to sustainable change in Adola and Ethiopia.

Tree of teaching - HDP work

Tree of teaching – HDP work

Gotta Get Out of This Place…

Country roads

Country roads

Don’t worry my enjoyment of life in Adola has not suddenly dissipated, nor am I in desperate need of an airlift to safer climes.  Nevertheless, it is always good to get out and explore the local area rather than staying sat in at home watching films or reading the e-book; two activities which have possible occupied unhealthy proportions of my time here. 

View from the hill

View from the hill

Adola, in spite of its many plus points, does rather lack in providing distraction.  Consequently any opportunity to break out and enjoy the countryside is welcomed.

A resting place on the road

A resting place on the road

Unfortunately having no transport of my own (certainly a feature of my top 5 things I have missed the most) means that I am reliant on friendly others to fulfil this desire.

Green fields

Green fields

Fortune has favoured me to some extent in the local community of Catholic priests.  They don’t reside in Adola – rather they stay about 30km to the west in a beautifully tranquil place called Qillenso and come every week in turn to Adola.  After Mass in Adola they travel out each week to different rural communities and have kindly invited me on several of these expeditions.

Country home

Country home

Not only is it a chance to see more of Ethiopia, it also has allowed me to experience very rural life in the Guji zone and helped me to appreciate all the more the little Adola does have to offer- and there were you all thinking that Adola was the remotest place on Earth- wherever did you get that idea?   Most importantly though it goes someway to dispel the myth of Ethiopia land of desert and famine as I have had the opportunity to experience some of the most incredible vistas of lush green valleys throughout the year.

Massina Community

Massina Community

Illala Community

Illala Community

Being able to take part in these visits has been a great opportunity to explore how the communities have grown and developed over the time I have been here with progression from small wooden hut to extended wooden hut or, in one place, direct to concrete church – although they do need to fix the doors there.

First choice for a community

First choice for a community

Zambaba Community with old church - now replaced by a concrete church.

Zambaba Community with old church – now replaced by a concrete church.

The roads to the majority of these places are a little rougher than the lovely stretch of tarmac that now serves my beloved Adola and there have been one or two occasions where I have wondered if I might be walking back to town, however somehow the cars have always made it and long may that continue (as I think about the potential journey this coming weekend – sadly my last).

Country Roads

Country Roads

On Good Friday this year (one week later here) I somehow agreed to join the Catholic community on the way of the cross; imagining this to be a little jaunt around the town and then a couple of kilometres into the countryside to climb a hill.

Walking on the road

Walking on the road

It soon became apparent that I was right on the first account, but not on the second.  It turned out to be a walk of several hours, concluded with a climb up a pathless and steep hill.

Crossing a bridge on the walk

Crossing a bridge on the walk

Clearly I am still in need of some fitness training in spite of the huge increase in the amount of walking I have done since arriving in Ethiopia.  I also needed to bring a larger water supply as we were “blessed” with a beautiful sunny day.

Freshening up

Freshening up

Although I was assured it was nowhere near as hot as the first year they had done it, when no one had brought any water.  I must confess to taking advantage of my friendship with the priest to take a ride back in the car.  Most people had to walk.  We did go back and collect a few after dropping off the first load though!

The hill approaches

The hill approaches

Climbing the hill

Climbing the hill

At the top

At the top

The college has also been great for getting me out a few times.  Recently we took a walk to a place a few kilometres from the college to plant some trees – several thousand, but light work for so many students and staff.

Hunduma needs a break!

Hunduma needs a break!

The walk involved a fantastic bridge across a river, through some forest and up a hill (there’s always a hill!).  I was one of the last to get to the planting area as I had been photographing the students crossing the bridge, of course I wasn’t hoping someone would fall in, but seriously 600 students – at least one!

The great bridge!

The great bridge!

Getting there so late there were only a few trees left, but I managed to plant some.

Saving the planet!

Saving the planet!

We have also  been able to visit neighbouring districts as well as the longer trips to Negele (see previous blog entries).  One particular trip was to an area called Seba Boru.  It took most of the morning to get there via Shakiso (the gold mining area).

Miners' Huts

Miners’ Huts

We met with the district officials for a couple of hours and then drove back; the purpose being to collect some data.  Sadly (or conveniently!) there was no power, so, no data.  Of course they promised to send it on later.  The trip might have taken place more than sixth months ago.  We might still be waiting.  Naturally, I have no comment…

These mischievous girls are great fun.  They kept hassling the priest to take them out and finally he relented.  He couldn't keep them out of the tree though!

These mischievous girls are great fun. They kept hassling the priest to take them out and finally he relented. He couldn’t keep them out of the tree though!

 

The remotest place on Earth!

It may seem a little extreme to make this claim of somewhere like Adola and yet at times it can seem a little like that.

Every so often there is a news report or documentary about someone giving up technology and exploring how they cope.  In these cases, of course the people have made that choice.  Now it may of course be argued that I did make a choice by coming here.

I wouldn’t want to imply that I never have access to technology – clearly being able to put up this blog is a clear indicator that I do and for most of my time here that has been the case.

Adola remains the beautiful town it has always been – lush green hills spreading out as far as the eye can see and filled with friendly and welcoming locals.  I still consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to come and work – most days!

Yet there are some days where life becomes a little challenging and which have shown that I clearly have an addiction to technology.   When the power goes, which is a fairly regular occurrence, I can at least last for a short while on battery; the tricky part comes with cooking.  Naturally at times like this the electric stove is just a useless kitchen decoration.  The kindly supplied kerosene stove (from VSO) is useless as there is no kerosene available so out comes the charcoal stove and the chance to prove my manly fire-making skills.  I clearly still need some practice!  However, with perseverance I have discovered that I am able to get it going.  It takes a long time, so if there is an alternative- such as the trip a couple of kilometres to a restaurant- I must confess to taking that option.

20150506_184458

The charcoal burner – starting to glow after much fanning

The Ethiopian power company is also a bit of a tease.  Imagine the situation.  You have prepared the food you plan to cook and the moment you are about to start the power goes out.  Following a brief period cursing the power suppliers and hoping for the power to miraculously return you finally decide there is no alternative but to break out the charcoal.  You collect all the bits together – crumpled up paper to start the fire, a few sticks to catch light first and then the charcoal.  You light a match, the wind blows it out, you light another – repeat.  After two boxes of matches the paper is finally alight and you switch between blowing on the budding fire and fanning it with a convenient bit of cardboard.   If your luck holds the fire catches to the wood (otherwise it’s back to the start) and after several minutes of fanning and blowing you may begin to see the charcoal glow.    More energetic fanning and blowing and the heat eventually gets to the point where you can start cooking- generally this take about an hour.  Following a whoop for joy you collect all your prepared materials together and at that point – the power comes back.  I kid you not that that has happened almost every time I have managed to get the charcoal fire started!   It’s tempting to just cook with the charcoal anyway, but I have returned to the electric, while keeping the charcoal going, just in case!

The challenge of power aside, the thing that is particularly tough is when the network goes off.  Sometimes this is in concert with the power at other times just all by itself, but it is at these moments that the isolation of Adola really comes clear.   Suddenly the world seems much further away and I have no idea what is going on.  Being the only volunteer here makes that seem all the more difficult- there is no one to communicate with in clear English – the staff at the college are great and try hard, but English doesn’t come easy for them and I have struggled to learn the local languages to a sufficient degree to communicate.  These are the times when I realise how isolated I am especially when several days pass in this manner.

Glowing nicely- this is the point that the power comes on normally!

Glowing nicely- this is the point that the power comes on normally!

As I have said before, water was delivered to the college by donkey and cart.  I was surprised how little I found this difficult.  I enjoyed the novelty and as long as I remembered to put out the jerry cans they would be filled and waiting for me by lunchtime.  In January of this year there was great excitement when the college was connected to the mains supply from the town.  The staff had been asking for this the whole time.  However, the charm soon passed and I suspect there were people other than myself who began to become nostalgic for former days of donkey and cart.  Now the water is turned off for several days on end and the lack of reliability means that the college accommodation for students still can’t be used.  Finally I have felt the pinch of water shortage at one point running out – fortunately I was able to track down someone to fetch a jerry can of water for me- at a premium price!

Rather bizarrely the only place I can get water from is the shower!  So I am still filling buckets and jerry cans to do everything – and making sure I keep up a good supply when the water is flowing.

Somehow I have survived, but there have been times when the lack of one or all of these has certainly made me appreciate the challenge of living in rural Ethiopia.  There will be many things I miss when I leave, but those mentioned here won’t be among them.

Downfall

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Oscar Wilde

One of the many wonderful things about Ethiopia is the evenings. On clear nights the sky is truly spectacular, with the universe at its finest, something I was never truly able to appreciate back in Britain. Even on the rare occasion there is power through the evening, the minimal street lighting does little to take away from the moment. I often lament the street lights there that steal away so magnificent a sight in the UK.  I always thought that if more people back there could see more stars they would appreciate it more, but here no one seems that interested, but then perhaps there are more pressing issues than pondering the infinite.

Last week the education team from VSO came to see Adola, I have no doubt that it was the highlight of their year; the beautiful scenic drive, especially the delightful stretch from Hawassa to the junction of the road to Adola, which has kindly been ripped up to deliver a more authentic experience of Ethiopian roads, is only the first of many delights before the hunt for quality accommodation in the town. The hunt is not a very long one, there may also be some comment on the success; I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. The many diversions offered by the town are sure to thrill and, after all, who can tire of tibs, where there are so many ways it can be prepared?

After some work during the day and the earlier mentioned hotel hunt, we arranged to meet in the evening to take dinner (Tibs ,naturally). Fortunately my game of find the bajaj was relatively successful and quicker than usual, so I avoided the not infrequent standing outside of the college looking lost look.

Tibs and a pleasant evening later, I started to head home at the hideously unseemly hour of 8pm. Surprisingly it was relative easy to get a Bajaj, unsurprisingly it only went half-way to the college (I may well share another time the trials and tribulations of getting a bajaj to the college). So, at the market I realised I was going to have to take shank’s pony the rest of the way.

Still it was a good night for a walk, clear beautiful skies and as a strolled the dark street of Adola I found my mind wandering onto many deep philosophical topics, such as can only occur on such a night. About to give a friendly nod to some locals heading the opposite away I suddenly discovered that the ground below me had disappeared. What I have feared and anticipated since arriving in Ethiopia had finally happened. I’d fallen into one of the many holes that are no doubt put for the purpose of trapping unsuspecting ferenjis. This particular hole was part of the drainage system and I could only be thankful that it hadn’t been raining the past few days.

Looks innocent enough - in daylight.

Looks innocent enough – in daylight.

Recovering briskly from the shock I regained the street if not my self-esteem.  How could I hold my head high again in the town? The locals had politely and quietly passed on, perhaps sensing my embarrassment. No doubt the story of the Ferenji falling into the drain would soon be spreading across the town, just one of the many diversions the place has to offer. Being somewhat unusual here, I am rather identifiable.

View from the other side.  Not the best place to go...

View from the other side. Not the best place to go…

The thing about a place with no street lights is that it’s dark, and the think about holes is, they are also, frequently, dark. It is quite understandable how the sequence of events came to pass and it is a sad indication of the wisdom of the locals who rather walk on the road than the pavement. Realising now my folly I plucked my phone from the pocket of my slightly battered left leg, intending to use the pleasingly powerful LED light to guide me the rest of the way home. I quickly decided that instead I would continue my adventures in the dark, the decision influenced by the shattered screen and the reluctance of my trusty mobile companion to turn on. Now experienced I appreciated the local way to tackle night time walking- I took to the road crossing to at least be sensible enough to be facing the majority of the traffic. I have to admit to chuckling to myself a few times as I made my way back to the campus, wondering what the locals must have been thinking as they saw the ferenji suddenly disappear. It must have looked hilarious from the viewpoint of the spectator.

 

Back home I examined my phone and discovered that it had taken quite a beating and had also contributed to the pain now being experienced by my left leg. Somehow I had even managed to bend the battery. By some miracle I actually managed to get the thing to start and although the hideously cracked screen makes reading difficult, the thing actually still works.

New Screen Style - the latest among the Ferenjis of Adola

New Screen Style – the latest among the Ferenjis of Adola

I know what you are wondering, what is there left to do now surely I have experienced all there is to experience in such a place as this, however there is still one of my fears left to be realised; to be run down my a donkey cart. There is time yet, and after my latest experience, my new way of walking has just increased the probability of this significantly. Needless to say there is little more embarrassing than falling into a drain, but having to head home because of getting run down by a donkey and cart could just about beat that.

Not sure on the new battery design, though.

Not sure on the new battery design, though.

I am not sure on Oscar Wilde’s philosophy, but what I do know is that if I hadn’t been looking at the stars I wouldn’t have ended in the gutter.

School Trip 3 – The journey home or haven’t you forgotten to do something with my dinner

Getting ready to go underground

Getting ready to go underground

It was only a short time later that the vehicles stopped and we clambered down and made our way to the final part- the cavernous turbine hall that had been carved from the rock, partly by machine and partly by hand. From here a machine was grinding its way up to where the lake would be formed once the dam was closed, hoping at some point to meet the tunnellers coming from the lake. One of the officials we had collected from the camp earlier in the afternoon, having detailed the works in progress kindly switched to English to explain everything to me. It occurred to me during all of this and perhaps in part due to the reaction of the staff, that this would make good trip for school science club- a chance to make things more real than just what’s written in the book.

The turbine hall

The turbine hall

This project along with several other similar projects is massively important for Ethiopian development. The irregularity and unreliability of the power supply must be a huge obstacle to progress in so many other areas. The challenge Ethiopia faces at the moment seems to relate to the fears of some of their neighbours that damming the water supplies of so much of East Africa will affect their access to water. Ethiopia seems to be the source of much of this and I speculate that this might be one reason why so much of this hydroelectric project is deep underground.

The staff go underground

The staff go underground

Tour completed, photos taken we returned to the cars, which by this point had turned around and took us back blinking into the late-afternoon. A second group went in for the tour and we were given a short talk about the site before slowly beginning the return journey to Negele. By this time I was detecting some dissatisfaction among the staff, partly I suspect because they hadn’t eaten since breakfast and it had already been a long day. I had also been told that it was to be on this occasion that my trainers would be doing their public presentations of projects they had been working on. I think I knew early on that this was never really going to happen and by this point, with everyone keen for food and to get back to Adola I wondered how much it really mattered. The staff had had a good day out and although there may be some different perspectives on how hard they actually work, they do have to work a lot (especially weekends) and a chance to get away from the daily repetitive cycle was definitely a chance for “refreshment”.

Warning signs!  Good to see that Chinese English has made it here too!

Warning signs! Good to see that Chinese English has made it here too!

Back in Negele we went for food, I think all at the same place this time. It was quite an operation and understandably took some time. Tibs again it seemed – it seems that an Ethiopian can eat this 3 times a day, 5 days a week (fasting days Wednesday and Friday). I’m not sure my European pallet is quite ready for that, but it turns out I didn’t need to worry overly as a special dish called ‘Kort’ had been ordered for my culinary delight. I had previously refused this dish, but had said to just order it in future and I’d eat it.

One of my misconceptions of Ethiopia before I came out, albeit one of which I was not really conscious, was that they would eat, for a European, unusual food; you know, insects, lion’s eyeballs and so on. It turns out that they are quite particular about these sort of things, which become clear at the horror on their faces when I told them I had previously eaten horse.   However, one of the things that they do sometimes forget to do is to even show the meat to any kind of heat source and this is the delicacy known as “Kort”.

Yes I ate meat they forgot to cook

Yes, I ate meat they forgot to cook

I thought it would be more chewy and I think I was I more concerned about texture than taste. Turns out that it was a bit like eating Turkish delight- texture wise, I mean. It certainly didn’t taste like Turkish delight- that would have been very weird. Actually it didn’t really have much flavour at all. Dutifully, I tried several pieces and the only way to add flavour was to dip it in a mustardy sauce that came with out. I wasn’t disgusted by the experience, but feel no great inclination to repeat it simply because of the lack of flavour to price value. I often jokingly question my colleagues about the raw meat being most expensive because nothing’s been done to it. The reality is that it is the best meat from the animal.

Looking into the valley

Looking into the valley

Now almost 8pm, it was time to tackle the road back to Adola. Fortunately these days most of it is sealed, but I wasn’t relishing the trip back in the dark. I was certainly relieved to have the “guest” privilege of being able to travel in the college car. It’s much quicker than the bus- especially as I’m not sure Amsala, the driver likes to use anything lower than 4th gear. We were back in Adola sometime around 9.30pm (It took at least three hours to do this by car on my previous trip back in November). However back in Adola does not equate to back at the college. First we drove around the town to try and find accommodation for the camera crew that had joined us for the day from the Oromo TV channel.

Abraham explains it all

Abraham explains it all

At last that was sorted and we began to head to the college only to have to stop again.  This time one of the buses had been stopped by the police about 5 minutes from the college. The police officer suspected that there was some contraband on the bus (this could be something as mundane as women’s clothes smuggled from Kenya). He was surrounded by angry and, by this time, rather tired college staff. The dean stepped it, I think phoning the local police chief. Two more police arrived on a motorcycle, but my hopes of a quick solution were not fulfilled. Eventually the staff managed to get onto the second bus and return to the college, the stopped bus remaining at the side of the road.

Definitely been a day of adventure and new experiences and a chance to get a small insight into Ethiopian life and culture. A reporter apparently once asked the late Meles Zenawi why the police officers were so well fed in Ethiopia- his tongue in cheek response was “Ask the drivers.”

School Trip 2 – Holding back the waters

View from the hill

View from the hill

The buses eventually caught up and disgorged the college masses, but only I after I had had some time to enjoy the relative tranquillity. With the arrival I suddenly became the focus of people’s photographs. I told them that each photo was 50birr, they found it most amusing.

I’m still waiting for the money.

Rather bizarrely most of the people wanting pictures with me were people with whom I had never really spoken or people I don’ think I’d met before – the novelty of the ferenji has probably worn off for most of the teaching staff. Paparazzi moment over, some people were impatient to leave and horns were being blown in the hope to facilitate our onward journey. Clearly I have still not yet adjusted to the Ethiopian ways as I was back down to the car while everyone else continued to mill around the hill top (probably trying to put off continuing the bone shaking transport).

hilltop view

Finally we managed to carry on arriving at the entry to the dam where were stopped at a checkpoint – it seems that it is felt that there is some risk of terrorism (or maybe they have got confused with tourism here too [see previous blog – lost in pronunciation]). Although we had a letter from the zonal office as well as a zonal official with us there seemed to be some reluctance to let us through. Possibly because we were supposed to have been there in the morning and by this point we had crept into the afternoon. Colleagues on the bus had to line up and be searched, but it seemed those of us in the college car were exempt, although I did seem to be an object of curiosity. Some time and several chats on the radio later we were waved on. Everyone was back on the buses and we continued on to the recently built camp for the workers. It was striking how well built the site was, especially in comparison to the college buildings. We had another wait here, once again because we were running so far behind schedule that the officials for the dam had gone for lunch.

Dam under construction

Dam under construction

When you can’t understand the language it’s tricky to know what’s going on exactly, but somehow it all came together and we followed an official up to the site of the dam. I have been to see dams before and Itaipu is far larger than the humble offering here, but this was under construction and that made it fascinating in its own right. There was a refreshing lack of health and safety and an opportunity to apply common sense- fortunately I still have some after years of being cotton wooled in Europe. It turns it’s shockingly easy to avoid being hit by the myriad of machinery by maintaining a healthy distance and keeping an eye on what is going on around you- amazing that nothing whatsoever happened to anyone in our group and none of them had any health and safety training.

Just don't fall down

Just don’t fall down or walk in front of the digger when it’s moving… 

Being on the dam was great and having a passing interest in the world of Physics I put forward some questions about where the turbines and generators were going to be as it was clear that they weren’t going to be at the dam itself. Speculating aloud that it would be good to see these I rather fear that arrangements were made to satisfy the ferenji and we returned to our transport and were taken to the site, several kilometres away despite it starting to get late in the day and really time to start thinking about heading back. It was hard to get too worried about this when there was a fresh buzz of excitement as we collected hard hats and clambered into the backs of several pickup trucks ready to head underground where the turbine hall was being dug out under a mountain.

College staff on the dam

College staff on the dam

It’s quite a feat of engineering and not something I expected to see in Ethiopia. Many development projects in Ethiopia are currently in progress, particularly with regards to infrastructure and energy development supported by several foreign nations. This particular project is being taken with the support of Chinese workers who appear to have brought the expertise that is still being developed in Ethiopia.

Safety hat- there is a little thought given to this after all!

Safety hat- there is a little thought given to this after all!

We descended into the darkness in a buzz of animated conversation, gripping tightly as the vehicle bumped its way along the tunnel …

School Trip 1 – The Long Road South

College trips are a little different here, they’re for the staff and not the students. It is a chance for the staff to go for “refreshment”, although it rather relies on the budget being released. This was done with about a month left in the financial year and so there was a mad rush to spend it all- as seems to happens in other countries with budgets, if you don’t spend it, you lose it.   Consequently, and not unusually for Ethiopia a last minute plan somehow came into fruition and early one chilly morning the staff were standing at the entrance to the college compound waiting for the buses to come and collect them. Being a foreigner I had been given a start time half an hour later than everyone else – I am expected to turn up on time and not the local requisite 30mins to one hour later. I always feel for those colleagues here who actually turn up at the stated time- they must spend a lot of their lives waiting for the latecomers, but seem quite sanguine about it all – maybe it’s the chill of the early mornings that stops the blood running to hot, or perhaps just a more relaxed approach to life.

Dawn crowds awaiting the bus

Dawn crowd awaiting the bus

Naturally the buses arrive considerably later and it gives an indication of why many people here don’t tend to worry too much about hurrying to places. Nevertheless there is a tangible sense of excitement in the air, the like of which I had yet to experience here and I realised that the staff are actually really looking forward to a day out involving a considerable amount of travel, in a standard local bus. Perhaps not the height of comfort, but filled with camaraderie and that’s better than a cushioned seat any day.

View from inside the bus

View from inside the bus

The staff did seem to end up divided, with support staff on one bus and teaching on the other, which was a shame – it would have been good to have seen a bit more mixing, but it was pleasing that all staff were invited irrespective of status within the college. Loaded up, we pulled out of the college and onto the road, the adventure about to being, only to grind to a halt 10 metres down the road. A hurried conference of management was followed by large flags, one Ethiopian, one Oromo being attached to each of the buses. How close we came to forgetting this essential item I thought as a tried to keep underwraps the disappointment that there had been no effort to get the Sussex flag put up on the bus with the Ferenji. Next time I know to come prepared, although I may need to explain what and where Sussex is – that’s next year’s project sorted.

Our destination was Negele, the principal town of the Guji zone (think Chichester and West Sussex if you want a comparison) or more specifically a dam being built about an hour’s drive from Negele.

One of many stops - note the Oromo flag!

One of many stops – note the Ethiopian flag!

The thing about journeys in Ethiopia is that they cannot pass without the prerequisite stops every so many kilometres. There are a plethora of purpose behind these ranging from a horde of teaching a support staff running through a small village to find an Ethiopia delicacy particularly renowned in that area, to a toilet break (mostly just for the boys) to just stopping for the heck of it because the view is sort of nice. Based on the last idea I’d never get anywhere – this area really is stunningly beautiful. Nevertheless we finally made it to Negele where we stopped for breakfast.

Breakfast is one of my favourite meals in Ethiopia because they have this amazing dish called “full”. I was especially looking forward to this as the first time had had it was in Negele. The great horde of Adola College staff emerged from the buses and spread out to find food places; I attached myself to some of them and went with the flow into a place that served nothing but Tibs. Now don’t get me wrong I like Tibs, it’s a fantastic lunch or dinner option, but when you have spent the last three hours dreaming and having Full while being shaken and bounced on unsealed roads there is an avoidable feeling of disappointment when it is not available and a little piece of you starts to question if you can push your colleagues (who by this point are pretty hungry) to moving to a new place. I finally resolved myself to the Tibs, although I refrained from joining my colleagues in the customary accompanying beverage.

Beer for breakfast?

Beer for breakfast?

And not just one!

And not just one!

Breakfast done we returned to the buses and drove a little way through the town before stopping again while waiting for an official from the zonal office to join us. Enough time for a shoe shine and coffee before the ferenji was upgraded to the college car. In an awkward moment I felt great disloyalty to the colleagues with whom I had already travelled so far, but felt I could not refuse the courtesy proffered by the Dean of the college. My guilt dissipated rapidly as we drove down the country road to the dam significantly faster than the buses could travel and certainly in much more comfort, even with time to stop and enjoy the view from a hill looking toward the soon to be dammed river.

The road to the dam

The road to the dam

 

Don’t miss part II – to see if we actually make it to our destination!

The last loop

Like many of the bus journeys on this trip I was once again greeted by stunning vistas across unspoilt countryside.  Ancient terraces, still in use, cut into mountainsides up steep valleys, wrecked lorries and buses lying crushed a few hundred metres below where they had left the road.  It occurred to me that these had been missing on the road to Axum and somehow it seemed the lack of tarmac made the drive safer – perhaps drivers are more cautious there.  After a few hours driving we started our descent towards a large town.  It was too soon to be Mekele and there were no other large centres of population on the route so I knew that I had successfully boarded the right bus- ahead of me was Adigrat It would have been a great to stop and take a few pictures, but one of the trials of public transport means that that is not an option – for the driver this was work not a guided tour, Mekele beckoned.  Once down in the town I alighted and began to soak in the atmosphere watching the bus fade into the distance.

 

The Catholic Cathedral in Adigrat

The Catholic Cathedral in Adigrat

Adigrat had a special draw for me.  Early on in the stages of preparation for Ethiopia this was the place I was supposed to go.  It seems distant history now, but I had invested a lot of time and energy in finding out about this place and its surroundings as well as investigating the local language, Tigrinya.  Naturally I was extremely curious about the place.  As with so many of my stops I was lucky to be able to visit a fellow volunteer and the local knowledge as always proved useful.  My time in Adigrat was short, but it was enough to get a feel for the town and to visit a few places.  I wandered down to the Catholic Cathedral and running into a member of the local clergy asked if I could be let into the locked building.  Obliging and even providing some information about the building I entered into the tranquil calm of the church a far cry from the bustle of the Adigrat streets.  It was a fairly modern building and the priest was clearly extremely proud of the ecumenical work and spoke of a recent funeral where members of a variety of denominations and religions had been in attendance together as well as a weekly ecumenical prayer session.

Inside Adigrat Cathedral (Entry = 0 Birr - Take a hint Ethiopian Orthodox Church)

Inside Adigrat Cathedral (Entry: Free – take note Ethiopian Orthodox Church)

There is also a painting above the sanctuary which includes symbols or buildings connected to all the Abrahamic religions.  One of things that Ethiopians seem to be very good at – at least publicly is religious tolerance.  Most, if not all, of the countries I have visited previously could learn a thing or two on this front.

Adigrat Street Scene

Adigrat Street Scene

One of the things I enjoyed most about Adigrat was just walking the streets.  Since the war with Eritrea this former border town has suffered economically from the border remaining closed and gives the impression of a former glory now slightly decayed.  However, it is also a town under construction and perhaps has a brighter future ahead.

The new growing behind the old

The new growing behind the old

It was also the first place I managed to get the elusive “doro wat”.  This is the famous Ethiopia chicken dish that in spite of seeing chickens everywhere and the name featuring on numerous menus no restaurant seems to have.  It lived up to its reputation of being a fine dish and one that is definitely worth hunting for.

Which came first the chicken or the egg? - well here they come together.

Which came first the chicken or the egg?    Here they come together.

 

The volunteer I was staying with was, by coincidence, heading to Mekele the final place on my tour and I was fortunate enough to be able to join her in the hospital car that was taking her to the city.  As the car pulled out of the city I found myself hoping to return because there was one thing I had not had time to do.  When I had been doing all my research I had read about the rock churches of Tigray and one of the biggest draws when I thought I would be working in Adigrat was that I would be able to take trips out to see several of these.  On this occasion I had not had enough time to do see even one.  This is the one thing at the top of my Ethiopia “to do” list before I leave.

Is this doro wat made with nestlings?

Is this doro wat made with nestlings?

Mekele is quite the city and in many ways more developed than many of the other places I have visited in Ethiopia.  Apparently this has happened over the last 20 years or so.  I had no particular plans of anything I wished to see there – most of it is modern anyway, but again it was good to wander the streets and just get a feel for the place.  It is also the launching point for those who wish to head out to the Danakil Depression – the hottest place on Earth (I think its claim comes from having the highest average temperature) and also to where the remains of “Lucy” were found – everyone’s great, great, great, etc., etc., grandmother; this leading to the claim of Ethiopia being the birthplace of modern humans.  However, more recent discoveries have led to several other countries nearby countering this claim.  The reality being that this was now so long ago we’ll never know for sure.

Streets of Mekele

Streets of Mekele

From Mekele I broke my land only rule and took the plane back to Addis, mainly because the bus seemed to be permanently booked for the next “x” days.  I had unsuccessfully tried to get the bus from Addis to Mekele previously and then heard, while in Axum, of another volunteer unable to take the bus from Mekele to Addis for the same reason of it being booked out leading to a convoluted and difficult several days travel.  It didn’t seem worth the hassle and I get a glimpse of the Afar region as the plane flew via that way.  Definitely glad that I hadn’t been posted there, although it may be worth a brief, very brief, visit one day- if I have time.

Addis chaos

Addis chaos

Addis was Addis; the same hustle and bustle and craziness as ever.  I stayed a few days before heading back south with just a brief overnight in Hawassa and then an early morning bus to Adola.  There was something pleasant as the bus turned off the main highway onto the side road to Adola and began to climb up into the green hills.  Yes, the north had the majestic beauty of the Simian Mountains and Nile Gorge, but it didn’t have the life of the mountains in the south.  Both have their charms and the trip north was unquestionably amazing, with special thanks to all the volunteers who accommodated and helped me out.  Still, it was good to be heading home.

Ancient Empires

Peering through the murky window reveals spectacular vistas as the bus climbs its way up and down the sides of mountains.

Yes, the bus did go down that road...

Yes, the bus did go down that road…

When the tarmac gives way to dirt tracks it comes as some relief that I am doing this particular journey in the dry season and that unlike many of his countrymen the driver of the bus has a healthy fear of his own demise; taking the sharp bends with steady caution.

One at at time - thank goodness for the dry season

One at at time – thank goodness for the dry season

One of the most striking differences between Tigray (the region where Axum is found) is the buildings.  As soon as the bus crossed into the region the houses started to be built from stone rather than mud (or the rarer wood).  It gave a different feel to the area along with the starkness of the landscape – the mountains steeper and barer and with dry season starkness absent in the green south.  It is undoubtedly impressive, especially in the contrast to the lush mountains and hills around Adola.

Historic sites of Axum 1 - the stelae field

Historic sites of Axum 1 – the stelae field

I have done the journey now from Gondar to Axum by road – I don’t need to do it again.  I am not sure if I will have the chance or inclination to visit Axum again, but if I do the plane seems a far better option.

The one the Italian's took

The one the Italian’s took

This is not to say that Axum is not a place worth visiting, but the sites available for public visitation are rather limited, although not without interest and once again the historic sites of Ethiopia trump the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.  But a handful of Birr, about the price of a coffee, is enough to get in to see most of the historic sites of the town and nearby and even without the local residence card it comes in at only 50birr (less than £2).

Tomb at stelae field

Tomb at stelae field

underground at stelae field

underground at stelae field

St Mary’s -the “most famous” church in Ethiopia, where it is alleged the Ark of the Covenant is held, is 200birr to all of pale complexion.  For a visitor this is not much, but to a humble volunteer surrendering two days allowance it is not unreasonable to expect something more than this compound offers.  If you ever find yourself passing by Axum way, give this church a miss- it will only disappoint and the remains of the Axumite empire that have been uncovered so far are infinitely superior to the internal view of a modern church with not much going for it and a lame museum.

Inside the church - consider it 200birr saved

Inside the church – consider it 200birr saved

 

There is some evidence to suggest that the Axumite empire, in its day, was the equal of its contemporaries, such as the Persian and Greek empires.  The difference being that everyone has heard of those and the countries connected have made a huge effort to cash in on the tourist money that flows.

Historic sites of Axum 2 - The Queen of Sheba's bath (allegedly)

Historic sites of Axum 2 – The Queen of Sheba’s bath (allegedly)

Here in Ethiopia I have been shocked at how little interest history seems to have for people.  Perhaps the recent past has too many bad connotations or the sense of living for today is more important.  There is nothing wrong with this, but the danger lies in the repetition of past mistakes.

Historic sites of Axum 3 - the Queen of Sheba's palace (only a few hundred years too recent...)

Historic sites of Axum 3 – the Queen of Sheba’s palace (only a few hundred years too recent…)

Just from an economic perspective this could be a massive source of income for the country and lead to huge strides in its development especially of financial independence – however, like the 40 year old child still living at their parents’ house there is a lack of desire to give up the easy aid money that flows into Ethiopia and which has seeped so far into the local culture that the assumption is that any foreigner of European heritage is going to just dole out money to anyone who asks, because that’s where you get money from.

Historic sites of Axum 4 - King Kaleb's 'Tomb' (they forgot the body - actually he is buried in a monastery)

Historic sites of Axum 4 – King Kaleb’s ‘Tomb’ (they forgot the body – actually he is buried in a monastery)

Unfortunately this is a particular issue in Axum and something that may well hinder the tourist trade – the constant hassle there is unlike anywhere else I have been in Ethiopia, with the possible exception of Addis.  Although to be balanced it is only right to say that is nowhere near the level of some of the other countries I have visited.  That after so many years of receiving aid they are still putting out their hand suggests that something hasn’t quiet worked.  I will return to this theme.

A few days in Axum gave me a chance to wash my clothes and take a bit of a breather before heading on to see more of Tigray.  And my thanks to my hosts who have been fortunate to be given a rather nice place to live… all placements are not equal!

How the other half live

How the other half live

Getting a bus to my next stop presented more of a challenge than I had anticipated.  The use of buses does not show the hospitality of Ethiopians at their best; if there were a contest Axum bus station would be at the head of the league table for toughest bus to board – and firm favourites for the world cup.  I failed to get and stay aboard the early bus although perhaps my error was in my failure to employ a small boy to rush on and grab a seat for me – a tactic employed by several older ladies.  The one seat I managed to get, I surrendered to an American Peace Corps volunteer when I was told the bus wasn’t going to Adigrat – my intended destination.

Axum library - an interesting place to visit

Axum library – an interesting place to visit

Finally a little later in the day, reinforced by breakfast and in the daylight I returned to the station and managed to get the bus first to Adwa, a town famous for being near the site of the defeat of a European power by an African nation an unexpected victory for the home team that ended Italy’s hopes of colonisation and left Ethiopia able to lay claim to be the only African nation that wasn’t colonised.  I saw only a little of the town and mostly the bus station from where I finally managed to get a bus heading to Mekele and which was probably going via Adigrat.  With a sense of adventure I set off wondering where I was going to end up – my destiny in the hands of the driver.

Escape from Addis

No doubt several of you are wondering if the lure of a place called Mojo led to the end of my journey.  Sadly the place does not live up to its name and I was happy enough to continue on to Addis in the early hours of the following morning.  We left the hotel at 6am.  This was the time set by the dean and this time he meant it.  He had a meeting to get to!

Addis was but a staging point and that very same day I headed to the Selam bus office to book the bus to Mekele – preferably for the next day.  The office was crowded and it quickly became clear from the enquiries of others that there would be no chance to take the bus to Mekele until Sunday.  Staying in Addis the extra time would significantly impact of my great travel plans for the North of Ethiopia.  I quickly switched plan B.  My intent was to do a loop around the north so the logical thing was to go clockwise instead of anti-clockwise.  Switching to the company’s back office where suitable buses could be found I was able to get leaving Thursday.  It meant an extra day in Addis, but was preferable to waiting until Sunday.  This wasn’t the only bonus it also allowed for a delightful trip up to Entoto, one of the hills surrounding Addis with one of the people from the VSO office.

View from Entoto

View from Entoto

The bus journey to Bahir Dar, the new first stop of my circuit, was not for the faint hearted.  At places the road dropped away with no barrier to stop an out of control bus and indeed we passed at least one bus that had taken a short cut down the side of the Nile Gorge.  Sadly this type of accident is all too common here.   If you can look beyond the terror, however, the scenery is spectacular, if difficult to capture by photograph; the path the Blue Nile has cut through the mountains creating magnificent vistas that remain on view for over an hour thanks to the roads winding nature as it makes its way first down to the bridge crossing the river and then snakes its way back up the other side.

on the road

Naturally my arrival in Bahir Dar couldn’t run totally smoothly.  The bus did not pull in where expected and the fellow volunteer with whom I would be staying was at one place while I was at another.  After a number of text messages and phone calls he managed to pull on his more local knowledge and came and found me.

With Dr Matthew at Lake Tana

With Dr Matthew at Lake Tana

Bahir Dar is a pretty lakeside town, similar in many ways to Hawassa, but seemingly taking greater advantage of its lakeside nature with a much more built up lakefront.  There is perhaps more on offer for the tourist than Hawassa, with, in addition to Hippos and birds to see, a number of monasteries on various islands and peninsula on or around the lake.  Being in tourist mode I thought that I should venture out to explore some of these with the best manner to do so going by boat.  Given how much I enjoy being out on the water the boat option was a clear bonus.  Setting out with two other travellers – a German lady and an Ethiopian working in South Sudan we left from the hotel where the trip had been booked and walked down to get the boat at a landing area a short distance away.  When we arrived the boat had turned into a minibus and we were driven half-way across the town to a different landing area.  Not the most auspicious of beginnings perhaps but things improved from there.

Typical Church Painting.  This one of St Michael.

Typical Church Painting.

One of the challenges of being a foreigner here is the assumption that you sweat money.  When we got off at our first stopping place we were approached by someone who wanted to be our guide.  When we asked if it was required that we use this guide’s service there was a lot of twisted words, behind which the answer was basically, “no”.  So we head off on our own, with the person from the boat leading us in the right direction.  Had a come on holiday direct from England I may have been more inclined, but was reluctant to pay more than a day’s allowance for someone to not really tell me an awful lot – my fellow travellers seemed to be of a like mind.  In any case, entry to the monastery itself was a day’s allowance, as long as you are not Ethiopian – then it is a fraction of the price.  Being a volunteer means nothing to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.  I tried to negotiate, but to no avail.

Antique books; handle with care!

Antique books; handle with care!

In the end I choose to go into only two monasteries and don’t regret the decision. Both were interesting enough with the main feature being the paintings as well as some old religious books, clothing and other items, but I didn’t feel another place would have anything more to offer.  In any case the third monastery we visited was fairly modern and didn’t have much going for it according to the guidebook.  The Ethiopian in our party went in for 10Birr (10% of the foreigner price) and the German lady and myself went to have a coffee in a small shack.  We had barely sat down by the time our companion re-joined us.  I think we made the right choice.

A long way from home.  What was this doing in Ethiopia?

A long way from home. What was this doing in Ethiopia?

Bahir Dar was most enjoyable, mainly thanks to the company of fellow volunteer Dr. Matthew, but more of Ethiopia awaited and I was soon on a bus heading further north to the town of Gondar – one of the early capitals of the country and famous for its castles.

Italian influence can still be seen in Gondar

Italian influence can still be seen in Gondar

The journey was fairly sedate and a mere 4 hours by minibus.  It didn’t feature the spectacular scenery of previous journeys and unfortunately the road does not go close enough to the lake to be able to enjoy views of that.

Welcome to Gondar

In Gondar I was on my own, the local VSO volunteer helped me to find a hotel and landed me with a local, who 24 hours later he sent a text to be wary of!  A bit late, but actually the local was very helpful and arranged an excellent guide for the following day.  By chance the German I’d met on the boat trip was in Gondar at the same time and so we shared the cost of the guide.

Outside of Church

Outside of church…

We started in the morning and having had some help getting my bus ticket for the following day to Axum we headed up to the oldest church in Gondar.  This had survived the onslaught of raiding dervishes some centuries before thanks to bees attacking the assailants – or so the story goes.  Most churches in Ethiopia seem to have a circular shape, but this was more basilica style.  Again the features were some amazing artwork with an extremely tranquil compound surrounding the church.

and inside

and inside

On our way back to the town, the church being on the outskirts (and probably someway outside of Gondar when the marauders came) our guide stopped us where a woman was making Injera, the local staple.  My German companion, being a woman, was offered the chance to make some injera – a picture can show the results better than any description.   Just in case you were wondering, it doesn’t normally look like that.

Injera- German style

Injera- German style

What Injera should look like

There are two other significant sites in Gondar.  The next we visited was in another part of town and features a large pool, empty at this time, where at Timkat several people will jump in as part of the baptism process.  It is linked to one of the former monarchs as a bathing place.

Bath - but no water (typical!)

Bath – but no water (typical!)

The last place is the main draw of Gondar – the royal compound.  Contained within this area are several castles in varying condition.  Some remain quite intact, one was taken over by the Italians during their occupation and consequently fixed up with concrete and one had a big hole where the roof used to be courtesy of British bombing when trying to get the Italians out.   Having the guide was a definite bonus and he was able to offer a fairly frank and honest perspective.  He told the legends, but made clear that they were legends and explained what the historical facts really suggested.

castle

All in all an enjoyable day with the bonus being that I was able to get in at a local rate as a volunteer.  Historical Sites of Ethiopia 1 – Ethiopian Orthodox Church 0

Next time – The Heart of the Axumite Empire