It’s Ethiopian New Year’s on Tuesday, September 11. I love having something good to look forward to on Sept. 11. This is by some accounts the biggest Ethiopian holiday, celebrated by Muslims, Orthodox, Pentes and the small percentage of people not covered in those three groups. To get ready, we have a steer in our … More Animal Update. Adis Amet!
These are just for fun. Because we love our little Sundae! And it looks like Mbwa does, too, which is just scratch your head strange.
About a month ago, we bought a sheep. Every year for Genna, Ethiopian Christmas, we buy a sheep and roast it for our staff. Sheep are getting more and more expensive, and it seemed logical to me that instead of buying a ram every year, we should buy a pregnant ewe and raise our own … More Sheep in a box
Friday was a kick-ass day. Ethiopia recently passed China as the country with the largest population of donkeys–seven million–according to Chale Chaburte, the Mercado clinic head for The Donkey Sanctuary. Seriously? We have more donkeys here than all of China? Fifteen thousand of those animals live and work in Addis and about 200 of them … More Unto The Least of These
Thoughts on Djibouti–if being anywhere for two days gives one any authority to have an opinion. Still, I’ll give it a shot. We visited during Ramadan, so during the day it was a ghost town. Djibouti is too hot this time of year, and too expensive all year round. European prices and developing country charm. Fuel … More The Slow Train Home
This is the year I turn 50. Which is why Bruce planned a trip to Djibouti. That, and because we’re researching the new Ethio-Djibouti railway. My actual birthday is in July 4th, so this birthday trip comes a bit early, thanks to the three-day weekend. We won’t have a holiday over US Independence, but Ethiopia … More Surprised by Dolphins
(This post is mostly for people living in Addis who might also want to do this.) We knew the train was running, but there’s not easy information available about how to take it, unless you know where to look (which we didn’t). So one day Wondwesen, MCC’s logistics officer and I, decided to try to … More How to Take the new Addis-Djibouti Train
