Awasa, Hawassa, Awassa

For a little getaway, we spent this past weekend in Awassa! It’s a beautiful lake side town in the Rift Valley (said to be the cradle of mankind) which is filled with six giant natural lakes. We spent most of the time at Lake Awassa known for its birds and fish market. We traveled there by bus with our new local tour guide friend, Million, who was one of the adopted children of Dr. Dollar the cardiologist I mentioned previously. In case you were wondering, he does indeed go by the full name Million Dollar. The trip took about 6 hours as we stopped along the way for macchiatos and to avoid cows and goats wandering the roads. The drive was a bit long but a good chance to see rural Ethiopia. It definitely demonstrated the dependence on an agricultural economy that Ethiopia has. There were large expanses of crops sprinkled with huts and children running around after the lifestock and each other. If they happened to spot us traveling by, we frequently heard shouts of “You, you, you!” or “Farenji, Farenji, Farenji!” or my personal favorite “China, China, China!” There happens to be a huge Chinese population here in Ethiopia as they attempt to industrialize the country so we get roped in with them.

The group on the bus

We stayed at a lodge, the name of which has changed about three times so we are unsure of what it is currently called, at the edge of Lake Awassa. The grounds were beautiful, filled with trees covered in bright orange blossoms, and the highlight turned somewhat infestation, grivet monkeys. They were everywhere, rolling around, jumping from the trees, and stealing guests’ Fanta bottles. Overall, it was a beautiful place and a nice respite from bustling Addis!

The lodge

Sandy, Karen, and I

Grivet monkey

The afternoon was spent having a delicious Ethiopian lunch with juice and wandering the edge of the lake taking in the sights and wildlife. There are several different species of indigenous birds, the most notable and arguable the ugliest bird alive is the Marabou kingfisher. These birds were everywhere, stood almost up to our shoulders, and lurked around the fisherman trying to steal their daily catch. We also saw many swimmers, fisherman, and honeymooning couples cuddling by the lakeside with their macchiatos and Coca Colas. After an afternoon of lounging and exploring, we settled in for dinner at Dolce Vita, an Italian restaurant run by an Italian ex-pat. The food was delicious and much to Sandy and Katie’s delight, they even had Pineapple and Strawberry Fanta!

The ugly Marabou Kingfisher

Colorful birds

The next morning we woke up early to grab our breakfast before heading to the fish market. After less than successful bargaining by our very own 80% habbishat, otherwise known as Karen, we headed down to the waters edge to watch the fisherman pick through their nets. Every morning they bring in their nets and work through them, pulling the tilapia and other fish free. The fish then go straight to the beach where others gut them, scale them, and trim them to be ready for sale and frying. Several shanties line the top of the beaches where locals have giant pots filled with piping hot oil for fish frying. We devoured 7 fish and they were probably the best food we have had yet in Ethiopia. As with everything here, you eat them with your hands which can get messy but is definitely fun.

The fishermen picking through their nets

Cleaning the fish

Fish fry

The finished product!

On our way home we blasted Teddy Afro, our favorite, hippest Ethiopian pop star and political truant, and stopped at Lake Langano. We treated ourselves to some cocktails on the beach at the swankiest resort before continuing our long drive home.

Now we are settling in at home, our stomachs filled to the brim, eagerly awaiting our next big adventure!