Southampton, UK

Allison lives in the quaint city of Southampton.  It's a very old place with it's striking stone architecture, a western wall dating back to 1339 which encloses parts of the city, the beautiful green foliage, the abundance of parks and the waterfront.  An interesting fact is that the RMS Titanic sailed from the port of Southampton in 1912.  This is actually quite a successful port city both for commercial and leisure ships. The pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sailed from Southampton.  Southampton is also the home port for such well known transatlantic passenger cruise ships as the RMS Queen Mary and Queen Elisabeth.

Memorial built for the engineers of the RMS Titanic

So on my first day in Southampton, I walked the city streets with Kat and Steph while Allison spent the day teaching at Ryde Academy.  Pretty sure I had the better day!  I hope the pics to follow give you a sense of the place.  The weather was perfect for walking around; mild and sunny.  There is little evidence of fall here as the trees are green and few leaves have fallen.  Southampton's low lying and sheltered location means that it is among the warmer and sunnier locations in the UK.  Nice choice Al!

Main street: anchors away.

Sailor's Memorial Church

Anchor marks the spot

Courtyard of the Sailor's Church

Oiii, when in England, try the phone.

Love all the stone.

More quaint flats.

Here's the church, minus the steeple.

Love all the lane ways.

Different angle of a row of flats down this lane way.

Parts of the Western wall still stand.

What does it say Kat and Steph?

Cruise ship in port

Starbucks is in port.

Waterfront Casino.

Waterfront.

Hard to believe this is fall.

So many parks and green spaces.

Street view.

Buildings are so amazing

I'd like to keep my money in THAT bank.

Street view

So amid all the history and the age of many of the buildings you enter into the market area, which is very reminiscent of Sparks street back home.  The streets are cobbled and there are no cars permitted, just lots of pedestrians.  There is a huge mall (West Quay) with lots of stores, some familiar and others not. The more interesting shops are all along the Above Bar area. On weekends, vendors set up kiosks featuring food from around the world.   At the end of the pedestrian street there's a stone passage way marking the end of the Above Bar area.  I must say I left it with some reluctance, but I will definitely be going back.   Ethiopia has given me an appetite for shopping.

The exit to the Above Bar shopping area.

Well this was a nice way to spend my first day in Southampton.  Al came home from her day of teaching and it was time to get ready to go with the girls to their soccer game.  They have joined a league that meets Tuesday nights and it was good to see Al on the field.

Sneak peak of our next adventure.  Stonehenge, y'all!

Trip To England

My flight to London Heathrow airport was October 14, 2013.  I departed from the airport in Addis Ababa at 10 am.  My Canadian Thanksgiving was spent in the air. All in all not a bad thing as my final destination would be Southampton; temporary home of Allison and Kat.  The flight touches down in Rome for 1 hour to re-fuel.  An interesting fact about Addis Ababa is that due to its high elevation, planes are unable to sustain the weight of the necessary fuel to carry them for extended flights.  So it's great for those people going to Rome, but for those of us going on to London it's a very necessary pit stop, even if it adds an additional hour to our flight.  Having landed and re-fueled we were back in the air for the 2 hour flight to London Heathrow.  We arrived there at local time 6 pm (8 pm in Addis).  Customs was relatively smooth except that Ethiopian Airlines neglected to give us our Customs landing cards.  I remember thinking that perhaps Heathrow doesn't require this paper work? Wrong, as it was the first thing they asked for.  So I had to step out of the line and find and complete the landing card.  Fortunately I had remembered to get Allison's address so completing the form was easy.  No where on the form were any questions about declaring duty free items, so I briefly worried about this, before signing the form and getting back in line. I approached the Custom's officer and handed her the form and my passport.  She asked me the purpose and length of my stay and where I would be staying, then stamped my passport and I was in.  Well okay then, why didn't I  buy more alcohol at the Addis duty-free??  Here I had thought a l litre bottle of Gray Goose and a bottle of white wine might have been pushing it, not!  Oh, well live and learn.  Now I needed to find the bus and train connection that would take me to Southampton.  Heathrow is huge and crowded, but fortunately the signage is very good.  Once retrieving my bags I just followed the signs for Central Bus Station.  It was quite a ways, but once there I just went to the ticket counter and gave the woman my destination.  Visa is accepted everywhere, well everywhere except Ethiopia.  Ethiopia is a cash society, crazy for most North Americans who love their plastic.  I had to think for a minute, when the PIN request came up as I have not used my PIN since leaving Canada in July. So I was extremely thankful that it worked  (muscle memory when it comes to shopping is amazing)  I of course would test that out on my first day of shopping and browsing in Southampton, but hang on I still had a 2 hour bus and train connection ahead of me.  The bus to Woking was supposed to arrive a 7:01, but it didn't arrive till closer to 7:30.  This worried me as I sure hoped that I would not miss the train connection.  I kept asking people if they knew when the bus was coming, IF the train would wait and mostly, what is the name of our bus.  I kept forgetting the name WOKING, go figure! Anyways it did finally arrive and we were off. Nice comfortable coach and they even have seat belts. We arrived at Woking station @ 20:06 and as I quickly scanned the board I saw that my Weymouth train with stops at Southampton Central was scheduled for 20:10.  I quickly asked the attendant who said I needed to be on the other side. Okay, but how do I get there?  Oh he says, pointing vaguely down the tracks on the side I am on, you just go up and over.  Cool Story Bro!   So I walk (fast as I can with two rolly suitcases) looking for this up and over ramp.  I see the sign  lift and realize that I need to use an elevator.  You get in this corridor and there are numerous lift doors designated by Platform numbers.  I do not know the platform number so I have to guess and given that I have less than 3 minutes to be right, I hope I am!  Phew, it was the correct lift and I am standing on the right platform as the train approaches.  I follow behind a girl which is fortunate because you have to press a button to have the door open otherwise I may have still been standing there, blank faced, waiting for the door to open. I sit down in a comfortable seat and slide my suitcases in. The train is not at all crowded which is nice since I need two seats for me and my bags. So after around 55 minutes the third stop is Southampton Central.  I am so excited and I start to smile when I hear the announcement, "Mind the Gap!"  Kat had written that in her blog, so it reminded me  that "Yes, I have arrived and now I too will start living these English moments!"  If there is right or wrong exit to go to, you can be sure I would choose the wrong one!  Well, given how smoothly it was all going, yes of course I went out the wrong exit.  I looked for Kat and knowing that the train was late, I was pretty certain she would be there.  Well yeah, she was there, but of course it was on the other side.  I determined this when I asked the attendant if there was another exit.  He was so helpful and gave me another ticket so I could exit from the other side. That is one thing you need to remember, "Hold on to your ticket cuz you need it to exit the station!"  I was no sooner heading towards the lift (not going to fool me again!) when I saw Kat coming towards me.  She had suspected I might have gone out the wrong door and the equally nice attendant on the other side had allowed her access to come look for me!

We walked the short 2 minute distance to their flat.  How wonderful to be so close to the train especially since Allison and Kat spend a lot of time on trains as they head to their teaching placements.    After a mere 30 minutes after arriving at Kat and Allison's flat, Allison arrived home from school.  Woot!  Hadn't seen Allison (aside from Skype) since July so it was sweet!  Allison's first comment, "Ma!  You're here in our home!!"

From arriving at the Addis Airport at 8 am that morning to sitting in their |Southampton flat, I had basically been travelling for 12 hours.  Small price to pay.  I had arrived and my UK adventures were just beginning.
Stay tuned!

Thanksgiving Y'all

To all our family and friends, Happy Thanksgiving!!  Thanksgiving may not be celebrated here in Ethiopia, but I'm devoting this blog to giving thanks and a bit of reflection.  Paul and I feel blessed that we were given this opportunity to assume a work/leisure (me) posting in Ethiopia.  22 months ago the prospect of Paul returning to Ethiopia seemed very grim and highly unlikely.  We were reconciled to the fact that Paul would not have the opportunity to work at an International posting.  As Paul's progress following his stroke in November 2011 continued to improve the possibility became a reality.  We are both thankful for Paul's recovery and restored good health.  The preparation to come to Ethiopia involved a complete upheaval of our life and existence in suburban Barrhaven.  We are thankful for Gail who took us in when we only had an empty house (contents which had been purged, stored or shipped) and put up with us, our two girls (Al and Jenn) and Al's boyfriend Alex (visiting from Switzerland) and of course Lexxie.  We lived with Gail the last two weeks before we flew to Ethiopia.  And though we left after two weeks, we left behind boxes of irreplaceable family pictures, cherished Royal Doultons (from my Mum) and even our car that Gail is generously storing for us until we return. Thank you to Brooke who also generously offered up storage space for all our Christmas decorations.  It is so reassuring to know that household items that hold so much meaning to us are housed safely with family.

It was hard leaving home because it meant leaving our children behind.  Sure, sure they may be young adults, but as parents they will always be our "children".  We are thankful that our kids have shown us that though of course they miss us, they are becoming self-sufficient adults that we are so immensely proud of.  Aley and Daylan have had their fair share of their Dad's extended travels.  For Allison and Jennifer this was a first to have their Mom away for this length of time.  Allison's adjustment perhaps has been made easier by the fact that she was moving to Southampton, UK to assume a teaching position.  This leaves my youngest, Jennifer with the biggest adjustment.  Jennifer is fortunate that she has her Dad  and step-mom (Janet) and her step brothers (Phil and Paul) and step-sister Laura. But I know how it wrenches my heart that I am not there as she begins 3rd year of University and that I can't be a part of her ringette season.  I am thankful for Jenn's strength  and courage.  She amazes me with each email she sends me and I sometimes marvel over the fact that at times Jenn is the one supporting ME during this time away.

We are thankful that we will have the pleasure and joy of seeing all our children, including my sister-in-law Johanna and my brother Wayne at Christmas this year.  We are wildly excited despite the fact that the trip is less than 12 weeks away.

I am thankful that being in Ethiopia has given me freedom to indulge in things I wasn't able to do because I was employed full time.  I am currently tutoring a 4 year old Italian child in English.  This has been such a rewarding experience as I push Anna to find the "h" in words, a letter she tends to drop.  She is such a quick study, but teaching her through conversational English has been pushing me to research phonics and ESL strategies.  It is so rewarding when I hear her speaking with more confidence, better pronunciation and in the right tense.

Freedom also gives me the opportunity to travel.  I am thankful that I am able to travel with Paul when he goes on a road trip.  Bahir Dar was our first trip together, but there are more in the offing.

I am thankful that I am able to share birthday celebrations with my first born, Allison.  The journey begins tomorrow, October 14th as I fly to Heathrow, followed by a bus/train to Southampton where I will meet up with Allison, her flatmate (soul-mate!!), Kat and her sister Steph (visiting from Ottawa). As I said earlier, it's been hard being away from our children.  When Paul "suggested" I visit Allison, I literally jumped on the suggestion and made it so.  Who's having the hardest adjustment, eh? Stay tuned for more blogs on our UK adventures!!

We are thankful that while we are in Ethiopia we enjoy a very, privileged existence.  We are so fortunate that  Paul is paid by Canadian standards and the cost of living in Ethiopia being so low means our Canadian dollar goes a long way.  We enjoy a housekeeper/cook, gardener/handy man and a nightly guard, privileges we would never dream of having in Canada and yet here it is within our reach.  We are thankful and yet saddened when we drive around Addis and see the stark disparity in standards.  There is shocking evidence of the have's and have nots.  Driving down main street Tele-Bole we are continually approached by beggars that come to the car (Mothers with children, cripples hobbling along on crutches, old men and woman). We always have birr in the car to give; a small price to pay and yet any offering is always met with such gratitude. We often wish we could do more.  I am thankful that Paul is working on a project that is helping to promote Ethiopians' capacity to provide for themselves. There are approximately 14 million people in Ethiopia that are chronically food insecure and who experience a hunger gap between 2 -5 months a year. This is an unbelievable fact that most of us cannot relate to.  I am thankful that through networking with colleagues and associates of Paul I am being better positioned to help with this need which is rampant throughout Addis.

Living here in Ethiopia, has made us extremely thankful for the standard of living we take for granted.  Paul has been telling me for years that our North American standard of living is not the norm in the global sense.  I never quite understood that until coming here and living in the middle of it.  I am thankful that living here is giving me a clearer perspective and a greater appreciation for the blessings we have.

So when you all sit around enjoying your turkey dinner this weekend (which we would be doing if we were home), be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving and We Miss You All!

Weather's Improving.............at last!

Yes like a true Canadian I feel it's time to talk about the weather. I was told when I first arrived in Ethiopia that there are two distinct seasons in Ethiopia, the dry season which runs from October to May and rainy season from June to September. Altitude is another factor which influences the climate of Ethiopia's large surface area of about 1.2 million square kilometers. Addis, because of its high elevation, experiences much lower temperatures than Bahir Dar or Awassa. I first visited Ethiopia in April and I was met with sunshine and 24°C - 26°C. It was a different story when I returned at the end of July. It was cooler (18°C - 20°C) and it rained (thunder and lightning) daily. I was told that after New Year's, (September 11th), the weather would drastically improve. This did not happen. I was then told that, Meskel (September 27th) marks the end of the rainy season. Well, yes there has been improvement to rain every day, but nevertheless rain and cool temperatures continue to be more the norm than the exception. So I decided to break it down into terms that I could more easily assimilate. After all, there isn't a country anywhere (meteorologists, please calm down) that can accurately predict weather with absolute certainty. The Farmer's Almanac love to make predictions but, let's face it, they have a 50-50 chance of being right. How often have you been "fooled" by a weather forecast? Seriously? My hair is a fair testament to being caught without an umbrella.

So I started looking at the climate of Ethiopia and discovered that Ethiopia has in fact broken down their 2 distinct seasons into 4. Well I thought this makes total sense because breaking the year into 3 month increments gives you a better chance of getting the weather right, right? Wrong! Wrong in the sense that from my North American perspective (what other perspective would I have?), their "names" for each season has added less clarity.

Yes, but hold on, this is not North America so the names of our seasons need to be applied with an African twist. (You say tomato and I say tomatoe.) Let's look at the seasons, the TIA way:

Kiremet or Meher: June, July and August are the summer season. During these 3 months (and I can fully substantiate this), the city experiences heavy rain, thunder and lightning. NOT a pleasant experience for my Lexxie-Bear. The temperatures are cooler as well. (18°C - 20°C)

Tseday: September, October and November are referred to as the spring season. The rain has definitely slowed (not over ) down, there are more sunny days and the temperatures are getting warmer.

Bega: December, January and February are the winter dry season. Rain (I will take this at their word!) has stopped and there are seasonal highs of 22°C - 24°C and sunny.

Belg: March, April and May are the autumn season, with very occasional showers. May is typically the hottest month in all of Ethiopia. For we in Addis, we're talking nice, dry temperatures of 24°C - 26°C and mostly sunny.

So you see, it's all making more sense. (TIA) Here in Addis we are experiencing Spring-like conditions, as days are getting warmer and the sun is staying out longer with less rain interruptions. I know I can hardly wait for winter because by then the temperatures will be up in the 24°C - 26°C range and the likelihood of any rain will be extremely low. Before we have a chance to tire of winter's lovely conditions we will move into autumn and its promise of more sunshine, dry conditions and warm temperatures. But alas, once that ends we will be back to summer, rain and more rain. Thank Goodness, however, because with spring comes the promise that the rain will slow down and eventually stop and the temperatures will improve. And then before you know it the much anticipated and glorious winter will be back!!

Hey, my fellow North Americans and those in the UK, who knew that I, who have always considered summer to be my favourite season, would now be looking forward with such anticipation to winter? Yes a country can change and confuse you, but you need to roll and change with it. Even though I still do not understand why Spring follows Summer and Autumn follows Winter, I'm loving the many twists that TIA brings.




Pictures are currently delayed as I need Paul (he's at work!) to transfer the pics from his camera. Yeah, I like to write, but can't be bothered with the techie stuff.

Paul's home and the pics are ready for viewing. Spring is in the air.

Spring winds, tidings of good weather to come! 

Summer rains bring Spring flowers. Yeah right it does!

Kids, check out our Christmas Tree.  It's waiting for you guys!!

I enjoy sitting out on our deck above as the weather improves.

Flowers help hide our gated existance.

Side Patio door leads to: Watch the first step!

Spring view of our front yard.  Time to put out the patio furniture.

Did someone say it's spring?

I will just sit and wait!

....for the green, green grass of home.

Our first African "Road Trip" to Bahir Dar

Waking up at 5 AM on a Sunday is never pleasant, but knowing that we had a 7 am flight to catch made it at least bearable.  Of course waking that early to no power was totally unacceptable.  At first I told Paul not to worry about putting on the generator because it’s noisy and I didn’t want everyone else to wake up.  That thought was short-lived as it was pitch dark and it would have been difficult to shower, make up, dress, etc. in the dark.  It seems my concerns were unwarranted: everyone was up regardless.  Aynalem came in to get Lexxie as she would be dog sitting for us.  At 5:45 Robel (our driver) arrived to drive us to the airport.  Temesgen was up to carry our luggage to the car.  We only had 1 suitcase, but we were also transporting two large, bulky bags of dog food for Geri’s bouvier.  Dog food is not always available so when you find some, you buy it.  Geri was very appreciative that we were able to bring it. Once on board we settled in for our first “road trip” since arriving in Addis Ababa.  One of the advantages of not working is that I am able to accompany Paul on business trips.  I only had to rearrange my tutoring and we were set to go.  The decision to fly early on Sunday to Bahir Dar gave us the opportunity to enjoy the sites together before Paul would be called away to work on Monday.   Bahir Dar is a short 1 hour flight north of Addis Ababa.  Upon arrival it didn’t take long to notice some striking differences.  The airport is small, not crazy busy and is still under construction.  We were the only plane at the airport so baggage claim was quick and easy.   Ethiopia is hoping that Bahir Dar will eventually become a vacation/tourist destination.  This is the reasoning behind the airport construction.  The first thing I noticed as we drove from the airport is it’s rural, peaceful setting is a sharp contrast from the hustle and bustle of Addis Airport.  Addis Ababa is a hectic, heavily congested city whereas Bahir Dar is like a breath of fresh air.  In Addis you are over run with volumes of cars, trucks,  blue taxis and buses.  The roads at times have trouble keeping up with the volume.  In Bahir Dar the roads appeared smooth (less potholes and road wear) and of course were less crowded.  Really not that unusual given that Addis has a population of around 4 million to Bahir Dar’s population of around 225,000. The Bajaj replaces the blue car and bus taxis in Addis.  They are basically a covered 2-3 seater, 3 wheeled vehicle, with a driver.  You see the odd one in Addis, but in Bahir Dar they are everywhere.  Geri refers to them as the “Blue Virus”.  They are certainly less intrusive then the taxis in Addis because they are so small and they appear to be the easiest and cheapest means of getting around town.  

There are obvious perks of travelling with the Director of SNSF (Safety Net Support Facility). We are fortunate to have access to project vehicles, so we had Habtu (our driver) in a comfortable Toyota Land Cruiser waiting at the airport to pick us up.   We drove first to our hotel, Kuriftu Resort and Spa , but given that it was 8:30 am it was too early to check in.  We then drove to Geri’s house (Paul’s Capacity Development Advisor at the Bahir Dar office.)  We delivered the dog food to a very exuberant Udolpho.  Not sure about the significance of its name, but this black bouvier is a dead ringer for Dexter with his lanky (all legs) frame (he’s actually on the small side for a bouvier) and the way he prances and runs and so like Portia with the way he stares at his ball until you throw it. We enjoyed his antics and a cup of coffee before heading out to view the Blue Nile. 

The Blue Nile originates at Lake Tana in Bahir Dar.  It follows its southerly course and meets up with the White Nile at Khartoum.  The Blue and White Nile are the two major tributaries of the Nile.  The name "Blue" Nile is a bit of a misnomer as the water, due to the effects of a long rainy season is rather brown in color.  The Amharic translation of the Blue Nile Falls is Tis Abay or "smoking water".  We travelled around 45 minutes on an unpaved, back wrenching road to arrive at the power of the Blue Nile: the Blue Nile Falls. The vehicle only goes so far and then it's quite a trek by foot before you can view the magnificence of these 45 metre high falls. Entreprenneurship is alive and well as kids try to sell you woven scarves, flutes, decorative pots of some sort, lunch boxes covered in animal skins and beaded jewellery.  My problem was not in buying, but in trying not to offend as they all shout their names out and tell you to buy from them personally when you do decide to buy.  Good Grief, I wasn't planning on buying anything on the way up (didn't want to carry anything) and on the way down I had forgotten all their names.  Oh well, I did come away with a lunch pail, a decorative pot, 2 scarves and a bracelet and a lot of guilt from those that I missed!  But again, shopping is distracting me from the real purpose of our trek: Tis Abay.  The falls were beautiful and I hope the pics to follow do them justice.  They are the second largest falls toVictoria Falls in Zambia in all of Africa.  

The trek to Tis Abay

Come on Paul, the Falls, the Falls.

The water way leading from Lake Tana.  All the black volcanic rock is covered during rainy season.

Another view of the approach to the Falls.

The foot path follows a steep incline.

Nice background noise, eh Paul?

Blue Nile Falls

Now that's a pretty panoramic view.

Yup, let's see it from another angle.

............and now with people scenery.

But this pic says it all.  Tis Abay.

Hard to choose just one picture!

Smoking Water.

Who said goats don't climb trees?

There, there Don-Kay!

Our Guide and Habtu explain, "No it's not Niagara Falls , but pretty impressive, no?" 

No, seriously Paul, ask the driver if he can give me another moment or two.

Once we were finished with the all the beautiful "scenery" we headed back to Kuriftu Resort and Spa to check in.  What a wonderful resort. It is situated on the shores of Lake Tana and all rooms with their spacious balconies offer a wonderful lake view.  The whole resort is an original blend of native Ethiopian architecture and decor. Our room had a canopy bed with netting and a large balcony complete with comfortable chairs, an outdoor bed and fireplace.  The weather in Bahir Dar is much warmer than Addis.  It was so nice to enjoy the warmth and presence of the sun in such an idyllic setting.  After enjoying a delicious pita wrap at their restaurant we decided to take a little cruise on Lake Tana.  The cruises vary in length, but in order to see the 4 monastaries and given the size of Lake Tana this would have amounted to 4 hours.  I am really not a boat person so I was pleased when Paul negotiated a trip that would be under 2 hours.  We were both more interested in seeing the hippos, but unfortunately they are not usually around in the afternoon.  We were a bit disappointed, however, it was still nice being on the water, seeing the mouth of the Blue Nile, seeing amazing colored birds fly by and visiting a monastary that dates back to the 4th century.  After the cruise we sat at the pool and read.  Boring?  Oh no, after being up since 5 am it was so nice to just kick back and relax.  Reading is something we both love to do though I must admit I'm pretty sure Paul was reading his eyelids part of the time!  Later that evening we enjoyed dinner in their restaurant which has a superb regional and international cusine and a decent wine selection.  It was nice dressing up and having a nice venue to enjoy it in.  

    Monday Paul had to go to work which left me to have to "endure" the benefits of the Spa facilities.  The massage was part of our package, but I also had a manicure.  It's crazy how inexpensive it is.  A maicure is under $5.00!! I knew this before coming to Ethiopia so needless to say I didn't bring any nail polish, etc with me.  This will be a treat I will continue to use throughout my stay in Ethiopia.  I will miss it when I go home (sigh).   Paul and Geri came by the hotel around noon to pick me up and we went to a different  restaurant not far from the hotel.  Actually nothing is too far in  Bahir Dar. The Dusset resturant has a nice lakeview and we ate outside.  This is the nicest weather I have experienced since coming to Addis in July (the middle of rainy season). After Paul and Geri went back to work, I had another few hours on my own which I whiled away sitting by the pool.  All in all, not a bad way to spend a Monday afternoon.  

     Our flight back to Addis was at 7.  As we approached the airport we noticed the car in front of us had been stopped at the entrance gate by the police.  I assumed this was a just a "spot" check, but no, everyone is stopped.  We had to get out of the Land Cruiser, while it was searched. They even opened the hood to the engine to check for guns or contraband.  Then we had to show our ID and eTicket.  It all seemed a bit excessive, but I was just glad I wasn't on the full bus behind us.  Then we get to the front door of the airport and again we are stopped by a policeman and again we have to show our ID and eTicket.  I personally think, they don't have enough work to do given that we were the only flight.  Once in the airport, it's a lot smaller than Addis, but it's still the same routine, just not on the same busy scale.  You can not enter an airport in Ethiopia without going through a scanner and having your luggage scanned.  So we go through and then we are asked to open our suitcase. This is a domestic flight so it's not like there is any alcohol restriction, especially since the airport doesn't even have the facility to buy anything as construction has not be completed. And besides, we don't even have alcolhol.  Oh well, I can't imagine what caught his attention and by the way he pulls things out from my careful packing, I doubt he knew either.  We then checked in and yes, had to go through another scanner (shoes and belts, jacket off) as well as our hand luggage.  As I said, small airport, servicing our 1 flight, but the same level of scrunity and security protocol as a larger airport. The distance from the first scan to the second scan was maybe  50 feet, so no clue what mischief you could have got into from Check Point A to Check Point B.   Oh well we sat at the only gate with the rest of the passengers and now waited for our plane to come in.  We had been in Bahir Dar for 48 hours with bright sunshine, but sure enough we began to hear the familiar rolls of thunder.  It came down hard, but fortunately it stopped before we took off.  Of course it didn't stop while we boarding, which is all done outside, but some Ethiopian Air personel were going around holding up umbrellas as we walked to the plane.  

   Flight home was uneventful and Robel was there to greet us at the other end.  Bahir Dar is on my list for a repeat visit!  This was an excellent choice for our first "road trip".  Looking forward to more!

Pool view.

No chance of mosquitoe bites.

Rustic walls frame bathroom ensuite.

Other end of balcony has an outdoor siesta bed.

Seating on balcony with fireplace.

Our balcony is an l-shape.

View from our balcony

Lake Tana

View of the Mouth of the Blue Nile.

Hey remember  our DR cruise?  This boat is just fine!!

Vegetation along Lake Tana

Random guy cutting the papyrus which his boat is made from.

Papyrus grass

Papyrus boat.

Meskel daisies are everywhere.

Sure a pelican is neat, but I wanted to see hippos!

Dressed for dinner.

Lunch at Dusset in Bahir Dar

Paul and Geri enjoy the view from our outside seating.