This was the most relaxing day of the trip so far. Everywhere we have been going has required nearly an hour of driving each way. It isn’t because the centres are particularly far apart, but it is the sheer volume of traffic. Traffic being cars, as well as people, scooters, horses, donkeys, goats, herds of sheep, oxen, mule carts and big semi’s. Seriously. They all share the same roadway (including their version of our major highways), and traffic circles are what is used to keep them moving. Horns are beeped and the smog thick as engines are constantly revving as they lurch down the road.
Kari, Matt and Dick went to church, and Lee, Alynne and I slept in. We then went and picked up some more groceries for the week and were able to laze around for the morning. There was an award ceremony we went to at the Amengela centre for the students and their top marks where they did a coffee ceremony for us, as well as a feast of “normal meat” sloppy Joe’s on a bun that would later come back to haunt Alynne for nearly 36 hours. It was here that our song of the trip was born. Malemequoi was performed and we all loved it. Apparently there are artists here that are taking the old tribal music, and digitally remastering it into funky beat songs that are very popular with the younger crowds. After the awards ceremony we went back to the house to have a dinner in honor of the scholarship students who have graduated from school, graduated from the program and now are enrolled in either technical college or university. There were games and traditional Ethiopian food and then it was time for bed again. We are ally pretty tired at this point of the constant go go go pace. Bye!!!!