The 2 day Resilience Conference was held in the new capital in the recently constructed city of Semara. It's an interesting concept that they built this Government town so that there was place for the seat of government. It consists of mostly governmental buildings, but most people live miles outside the Capital. How new is new? Well let's just say that as we were landing I remarked to Paul that it must be pretty windy because there was a lot of sand blown across the airport runway, It was only when we exited the plane and began to walk to the 'airport' that I realised that the runway was not paved and consisted of sand, gravel and dirt. Paul said it reminded him of runways in the early 60's when he and his family travelled in the Congo. Amazing how little has changed, though Paul felt the use of steel drums in the 60's to outline the perimeter of the runway were more 'technologically advanced' than the white painted boulders used by Semera's airport The 'airport' consisted of one large room for check in, security checks and seating for those passengers waiting to board once we had deplaned. An Ethiopian Air Land Cruiser drove out the outgoing luggage and once they had made the switch drove over to where we were all standing. We were handed our respective bags from the back of their truck. Who needs a long wait watching your bag circle past on a conveyor belt? The airport is extremely new so who knows if in time this will change, but for now it's primitive, but it works.
We were met by one of Paul's Team Leaders, Habtu from Mekele and his driver, Girma. There were a number of people on our flight from Addis who were also attending this two day conference. We were able to easily identify them as they, like us were met by Land Cruisers. Paul says in the development world Toyota has made quite the mark. Where you see Land Cruisers you are sure to find donor agencies, NGOs, government counterparts, and project leaders all connected to development. You've heard the expression "Gaggle of Geese", well here in the development world it's called "Obscenity of Land Cruisers". They were all lined up (UN, UNESCO, Save the Children, US Aid, Italian Aid, GTZ and SNSF, just to name a few), waiting for their passengers!
The hotel wasn't far from the airport so we went there first to drop off our luggage. Afar (just for reference) ranks as one of the hottest places on Earth, yet this time of year is considered their COOL season! Really? What a contrast from the cool, dry heat of Addis. It was 9 am and already the temperatures (26 - 28 C) exceeded any day in Addis. Afar region is also predominantly Muslim so tank tops aren't recommended, though I did compromise by wearing cap sleeves. I have no idea how women in the area stay cool wrapped in layers and layers of cloth.
The agenda for the day was to load up the numerous Land Cruisers and head out on a field trip to various community development initiatives. The 'sightseeing groups' were divided into 2 convoys of between 8 and 10 Land Cruisers. Our convoy group began with around a sixty minute drive to a Dairy Co-op in Aysaita. We were invited inside their Co-op and offered fresh milk, cheese and yogurt and their traditional bread. It was all very good, but since I don't drink milk I declined trying it beyond a sip of Paul's. It tasted fine, if that's your thing. The Co-op sells the milk received from local pastoralists and they sell enough to sustain themselves, their families and turn a profit. Questions from the group of donor agencies were basic SWOT queries (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). The Assistant Chairperson, a young girl in her early twenties, seemed more comfortable in a behind the scenes role, but nevertheless she answered all the questions through an interpreter. Pasteurisation isn't in place here, so it was good to hear that they sell everything produced daily and there is little to no spoilage. Sure, it wouldn't pass North American production standards, but it appears to work here. TIA.
From the Co-op we drove a short distance to look at newly created re-forestation site. This initiative is attempting to grow indigenous trees that can help ward off the invasive effects of the prosopis weed. In the Afar Region in Ethiopia, prosopis, a kind of mesquite, was introduced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Little was it known at that time that the aggressive growth of prosopis would lead to a monoculture, denying native plants water and sunlight, and not providing food for native animals and cattle. The Regional government with the non-governmental organisation FARM-Africa are looking for ways to commercialise the tree's wood, but pastoralists who call it the "Devil Tree" insist that it be eradicated. Like the invasive nature of the purple loose strife in Ontario, prosopis are quite widespread and this re-forestation is one such initiative, though in very early days, attempting to address the problem.
We had lunch at a local 'hotel'. I use the term lightly as there was no evident building and the eating was all outdoors. It appears for a good price you can get accommodation under the stars. For the really intrepid, there are of course nets for these outdoor beds. Food on the other hand was very good. It was buffet style and all traditional Ethiopian fare. This 'hotel' also boasted a lovely view, when you climbed the stairs and went past the open concept 'bedrooms'.
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| Water draining from Awash River |
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| 'Hotel' with a view |
Following lunch we continued our journey to a Date Palm grove. Am I the only one who didn't know that dates come from palm trees? Really?
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| Date Palm Grove |
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| Paul and his 'dates' |
After the palms we went to the Tendaho Sugar Factory. This factory is in its first phase and we were shown the plans for the second phase. As it stands the overall footprint encompasses a very large area and despite the fact that phase 2 is still under construction, they are churning out impressive amounts of sugar. 85% of the labor force is local so this factory is a big boom for the area.
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| Tendaho Sugar Factory |
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| Sugar Factory, Afar Region |
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| Not me ......check out the Sugar Factory |
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| Phase 1 and 2 |
After a lovely and tiring day of interesting sights we returned to the Agda Hotel. The workshop is being held here as well and since this place is brand new and rated a 5 Star Paul chose for us to stay here. I should also preface this by saying that unfortunately Ethiopians don't seem to understand the 5 Star rating concept. The place has only 'just' opened so I am hoping that because everything is not quite finished that it might get better, though I doubt it. They have a huge pool area, with another building which I assume will hold the spa services, but it's not ready and the pool has no water. No worries, I didn't bring my bathing suit anyways. Afar is so incredibly hot and it was hard to believe that this is actually their 'cold' season. Apparently tempertaures can rise to the 40's. That pool, in time, will be very nice. The rooms themselves are very basic, but clean and there is a ceiling fan and a/c which both work well and are definitely needed.The bathroom is modern and sleek with nice tiles and it's a good size. The Queen bed has a nice wooden frame, but I think they may have used left over wood to line the mattress. Yo, it's like sleeping on a wooden plank. I like a firm mattress (with my pillow top), but this is extreme. We still slept well, cuz we were so tired after our day's adventures.
The last adventure of our day was one we had over dinner. Afar is 250 kms from Addis, but it is a world away. They even speak their own dialect (Afar). We were told that it is similar to Amharic, but it really makes little difference to us since we speak neither. The hotel staff, I am assuming, consider fair is fair because they don't seem to speak or understand English. You should have seen us trying to get another towel for our room. Pantomime and charades at it's worse and we eventually had to resort to 'Show and Tell'. When we went to the lounge to quench our thirsts after a long and dusty day, ordering a few beers was easy enough. Our experience ordering dinner would prove quite challenging. We were told (according to the itinerary) that our group would be on the 2nd floor. We go up but it's empty. We go back down to the other dining area and ask where our group is. The answer we're given is equally unclear since we're speaking English and they are speaking Afar.We see a few people from our group scattered at a few other tables so Paul and I decide to just grab a table and order. We sit down and after 5 minutes we have to get someone's attention and ask for a menu. They ask, "2 menus?" We say, yes and they bring us 1...............so it begins. We ordered fried chicken and a breast of chicken from the offered menu. They come back 15 minutes later and we're told that they have neither of our choices. Okay, what do you have? Can I have a 1/2 chicken roasted? Yes. And Paul will have the fish goulash. Seemed simple enough since we've pointed to the menu choices, and stated our choices, albeit in unintelligible English. She comes back over 15 minutes later and asks me,"Do you want a whole chicken roasted or a 1/2 chicken"? To be fair the menu does have both options, but I had specifically pointed and said 1/2 chicken. So I say, yes, 1/2 chicken. Two she says. No, what? No just ONE 1/2 chicken roasted. Anyways, and I'm not exaggerating, 1 hr later my chicken arrives, looking very good and she sets the plate down and walks away. I look down and I have no cutlery or napkins. We call her over and ask for cutlery. My bad cuz we only said cutlery so I had to make do without a napkin. At this point Paul asks her if his fish goulash is still coming. Oh yes as she nods her head. She nods her head, but that could have been yes or it could have been a mild form of tourette syndrome. What was becoming abundantly clear was that when we spoke, I honestly think it was the equivalent of adults speaking on a Charlie Brown cartoon. They appear to be trying so hard to be helpful, but the end result is just plain frustrating. So I'm eating and Paul's watching. It was a lot of chicken, which was delicious, but everything else, rice, sliced potato, spinach and carrots were all cold. So then the girl comes back around 15 minutes later and starts to ask Paul about his fish goulash. Paul heard 'fish" and by this point he almost lost it. We've been there over an hour and they are still trying to figure out his order? Are you kidding me? Needless to say, Paul said to forget it and not bother with his order. There was still enough on my plate for two. After enduring this whole ordeal we had lost our appetites and almost the desire to live.
The next day was a workshop which wasn't necessary for me to attend. There were over 200 attendees, so pretty sure they didn't miss me and I was able to catch a few extra zzzz's in the morning. Paul came back to the room at noon and said that there was a break for prayers, followed by a lunch on the second floor. Fortunately the lunch was buffet style so there was no waiting or chance of confusing the servers. Food was again traditional Ethiopian fare, but with an added twist. Tables were set with cutlery!! I was able to pick my dishes and not have to include injera or bread. I find injera just unnecessarily fills you up. Having the use of cutlery meant that injera wasn't needed to pick up your food. Don't get me wrong, I have become quite adept at eating with injera, but IF given a choice ...........!
That evening there was a cultural night of food, song and dance. The hotel clearly lacks imagination because the menu was the same buffet style, but at least we were still given access to cutlery. I like Ethiopian food, it's very tasty, but not for every meal, 2 days in a row. Then the music started, cultural dancing, poetry readings, etc. It would have been even more meaningful had we understood what was being said, but it was still an enjoyable evening. Yayo, Paul's Technical Assistant (TA) in the Afar region was so helpful as he made a good effort to translate some songs and poems. The night was drawing to a close and the main organiser, Aisha gave the closing remarks. She is the Director of the Food Security Co-ordination Office and is proficient in English, Afar and Amharic, She presented a framed picture of two scimitars to representatives from the donor agencies that had attended the conference. She was nearing the end of the framed pictures when she announced that she would like to thank a very special guest, who when invited to attend, answered immediately and also sought permission to have his wife attend as well. I looked around wondering who the other couple was, until Aisha said, "welcome Paul Derksen from SNSF and his wife Katherine." We went to the front of the room and we were both presented and wrapped in traditional marriage clothing. I have learned during my time in Ethiopia that the SNSF project is highly recognised and respected. This was a bit embarrassing, but 'whatcha gonna do'?
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| Marital robes, Afar style |
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| Okay so it kind of clashes, but it's the thought that counts! |
So the last order of business was our flight home the next morning. It may not be much of an 'airport', but they have adopted the typical strict Ethiopian airport security. We were part of a long convoy of Land Cruisers approaching the first check point before being admitted to the parking area. Paul and I, along with the rest of the attendees had to show our tickets and our residency ID. Once at the airport we sat in a row of chairs that lined the wall or stood outside the front entrance. We waited until the police, who perform airport security, called us for check in. I was called first because a female police officer had arrived so that now female passengers could be 'inspected'. Inside was a long table where your bags were meticulously searched. They make up for the fact that they have no scanner, by being overly diligent. Paul had the suitcase so my police woman only had my computer bag and purse to check. Paul, who's check in began after mine, still finished ahead of me. She looked through 'everything"! I had a notebook in my computer bag and she flipped through every single page. Seriously, what was she looking for on those blank pages? She opens my wallet and goes through the bills, the coin, the works. Just when I thought it was over she motions for me to follow her into another small room. I would have preferred, if available, a full body scan! I didn't have to strip, but she was pretty through, right down to snapping my bra. Oh well, this isn't the most sophisticated airport, but they take security very seriously.
After check in we sat in the departure 'lounge', until it was time for us to walk down the 'runway' to board our flight. There ended up being over a 1 hour delay. After all the passengers had completed the rigorous check in process, one gentleman suddenly stood up and walked off the plane. I guess he must have been on the wrong flight, which is hard to understand since there was only one flight scheduled!
We arrived back in Addis later that morning and despite the delay a Land Cruiser was waiting at the other end. Thanks Robel!
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