TravelStream™ news feed for member cpricci on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/cpricci en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 01 May 2008 12:14:47 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1203326400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1203326400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1203326400/tpod.html Thu, 01 May 2008 12:14:47 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Durango, Colorado, United States

When I leave Ethiopia, I feel like I'm being regurgitated and spit out by my own mother. When I'm back in Amerika, it becomes immediately apparent I'm in the belly of a violent and vulgar beast.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1203153600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1203153600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1203153600/tpod.html Thu, 01 May 2008 12:10:17 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

We headed back north. Saying farewell to friends in Shashamane was hard. Clearly, we should be building up Shash to be fertile, educated and safe. Thank Jah the process has begun.The bus up to Addis was long and hot. We found Leah's place and settled in. Leah's is a guesthouse near the south end of Bole Road. They boast British food. The rooms are reasonable, and they're about a mile from the airport. Nuff rases come through this house and we were blessed to be in the company of so many raspectful people. Brother Yonas sold us some Ethiopian calendars he had printed. I had been looking for one. We also me a man who had worked closely with Crown Prince Zere Yacob. He said the prince is pure love.Twice on our way out I was encouraged to continue reading the Book. Sister Bunny said that your spritiual growth stops when you stop reading. Another brother had read it three times already. It takes 3 and a half years reading a chapter a day.We got a nice taste of modern Addis Ababa exploring the Bole area. Everyone uses public transportation. It's cheap, quick, and reliable. We tried some Ethiopian pizza and bought some coffee and incense to take back. Dr. Abate cooked us a huge dinner at his house. The fried oyster mushrooms were delicious. We had a coffee ceremony.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202376000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202376000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202376000/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:03:15 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

We found Dr. Dawit Abate early at his office on the campus of Addis Ababa University. After giving him some books and cultures of maitake and reishi, we set out for the biology lab. He told us he would have the maitake growing on agar media before we leave the country. He showed us some pictures of mushrooms he'd grown or collected in Ethiopia.The biology lab was what I imagine an American bio lab looked like in the 1970's. They were sure getting their work done, though. One student was trying to coax a termitomyces variety into fruiting, without any termites involved. Most of the sterile transfers are done here in a wooden box that has been wiped down with rubbing alcohol.Later, we rode in Dr. Abate's slow, diesel Land Cruiser to the outskirts of Addis Ababa to his wife's mushroom farm, Africa Mushrooms, PLC. He insists that he only offers technical expertise on occasion. It was quite impressive. Three or four grow rooms, from 100 - 400 square feet in size, were constructed out of poles and scraps. The roof and walls were mainly made of tarps or old bags, with some corrugated metal added. The shelves, also made of poles tied or nailed together, were full of blocks of mushroom mycelium either fruiting or preparing to fruit. One house had oysters, one shiitake, one agaricus brunnescens, and another had some experiments going with all those species plus enokitake.Substrates that they used consisted of cottonseed hulls, sawdust, straw or bran, or some combination of those. Agaricus was grown on aged compost from their perfectly layered and watered compost piles. Water was from a hand dug well. One nice cultivation method they used was to stuff ceramic pots with moist substrate, put them on the fire to pasturize, and them inoculate with oyster spawn. The mushrooms would then grow out of holes in the side and top of the pots.We had the girls harvest and package some oysters and shiitakes for us, and we made plans for a mushroom feast at the doctor's house when we would return to Addis Ababa, before leaving the country.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202030400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202030400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202030400/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:50:36 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Denver, Colorado, United States

More snow was coming to add to the three feet already around our house. We left at dawn to stay on the front edge of the storm. Wolf Creek Pass had over ten feet. Snow tires are a good investment in Colorado.Yes, we did make it out of the snow. We were blessed with warm and clear weather on the other side of the divide. The Patriots lost, and Ken, Katie and Judah blessed us royally.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202980800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202980800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202980800/tpod.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:23:40 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Awassa, Ethiopia

We arrived in Awasa from Wondo Genet by minibus. We rode in the front seat and played Midnite the whole way. The driver made good conversation. We passed a lot of people wanting a ride, but we were full. It is a hot 20 km walk between Shashamane and Awasa.From the bus, we took a bajaj to the lake end of the main street. Sister Tibebwa was putting the finishing touches on her new hotel, which was to open a few days after we would leave. It was a beautiful spot, right by the lake, with a spacious courtyard, restaurant/bar and many rooms. Surely the jubilees will be grand.As soon as we arrived, Bro. Reuben sat with us and offered his services as an investment consultant. He printed us a booklet that he put together. It outlines the process for earning an investment licence and offers tips for foreigners to Ethiopia. Becoming an "investor" in Ethiopia is as close as a foreigner can get to Ethiopian citizenship. Friends who have been there continuously for 30 years still only have their investment licence. Even their children born in Ethiopia are told to leave Ethiopia and come back for their investment licence. Still, being an investor in Ethiopia is a good thing for anyone. Opportunities for developement are plentiful, and the birr is strong despite the price hikes of the last couple of years.Awassa (Awasa) was hot. It was the furthest south and the lowest in elevation we went on this trip. It is also a large expanse of wide, paved roads. The town looks very modern, even compared to much of Addis Ababa.  Awassa is also one of the smallest of Ethiopia's Rift Valley lakes. Many Ethiopians vacation here, as with the other lakes in the region. An afternoon walk along the lake will take you past many lovers strolling. On my morning walk to the fish market, I must have seen at least 20 different birds including geese, kingfishers, storks, pelicans, raptors, vultures and others.Apparently, the fish market is not free to white people. Entrance will cost whitey more than the fish, unless you go with a local friend. Try to talk the gate man down. The fish is nice. Five birr will buy you a heaping plate of raw fish fillets. Then visit the women on the hill side selling the flat bread and hot sauce. It makes a mighty meal. If you can't finish, the hungry youths will make quick work of the remains. If you visit a restaurant and want fried fish (which I highly recommend), ask for assa tibs.We also visited the big market. There were piles of chiles as big as their booths. We had trouble finding the bananas. Walking through the charcoal aisles seemed unhealthy. The air was dark with carbon. We photographed some of the staple food booths. There's no food shortage around here.One night was all we had in Awassa. We had to get back to Addis with a stop in Shashamane. Tibebwa was traveling north and we caught a ride with her back to Shash.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202462400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202462400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202462400/tpod.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:53:53 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Shashamane, Ethiopia

The bus to Shashamane was long. Try to do it as early in the day as possible. We always got put in the back of the big buses.There are at least two nice hotels run by Jamaicans in Shashamane. One is the Lily of the Valley Hotel. It's pricey, but spacious. The other is the Majestic Rift Valley Hotel. We stayed one night at Lily of the Valley to be close to the school and to our friends on the north end of Shashamane. The Rift Valley Hotel is a staple; it's well priced and has a lot of rooms.One thing has definetly changed. Almost every horse-and-carriage has been replaced by a three-wheeled, gas eating buggy called a bajaj. A one-way trip into town costs 1 birr ($0.11) per person. Our first bajaj was the hardest. The bus put us in the middle of town having to go back north and surrounded by ghetto youths. A few of them went to fetch our bajaj, and we were confused as to who actually found our ride when it pulled up. Aparrently, it was the kid who rode to the hotel with us. I thought it was the first youth that assisted us, and I tipped the wrong guy - pure money karma brutality.We went to visit Joan and Desai our first night in. Joan fed us fried fish and rice, and we felt right at home. We brought them some garments and rizlas to exchange for more garments. They do have beautiful attire in Ethiopia. When we left Shash days later, Joan filled us up with garments to sell for her back in Amerika.The next day, we carried school supplies to the school. It was a lot for them. They had trouble sorting and storing it all. Sister Bunny Asher, the director of the school, was very grateful and gracious for recieving all of our donations. She was already awarding performing students with bags of school supplies a few days after we had left.The vibes in Shash are upfull. Other than some rases watching too much TV, everyone is positive and motivated. There is much work to do. Violent crime is down, but beware around Shash at night. Nuff rases get a beating just for trodding through. There is a dance or two every Friday and Saturday night. Don't miss them, but travel with friends and arrange your bajaj ahead of time.Shashamane town is big and dusty, but still a great place to get out for a juice or coffee, go to the market or get your shoes cleaned. The internet was slow when we were there, but much faster 2 years ago. There are a lot of decent, cheap hotels to check out.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202808000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202808000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202808000/tpod.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:52:44 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Wondo Genet, Ethiopia

After taking care of our business in Shashamane, we headed 15 km south to Wondo Genet for some rest. Wondo Genet means Wondo Heaven. Water gushes from the mountains to feed forests and fields of sugar, banana and enset. Some of this water comes out of the earth at over 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This super heated water is cooled and piped into pools and showers at Wabe Shebele. The hotel by that name nearest to the springs is quite expensive. The Abyssinia Hotel at the bottom of the hill is cheap by comparison, and offers the same accommodations minus the TV.Many Ethiopians visit the hot water in the built pools every day. Admission is 3 or 4 birr and includes a bar of pink soap. You can also rent a private bathroom with hot spring water. Flowing through the pool site is a cool creek for cold dips. A bit further up the mountain you can find the source of the hot water and hot pools with a more natural setting. They're free once you know how to get there. High school aged youths will show you the way for a price.We had four days to rest and look around. The market was small and beautiful. There were many good fruits and spices. Half the market was dominated by sugar cane. We visited giant ficus and eucalyptus trees at the College of Forestry. I rode a bike to the Essential Oils Research Farm. Women on the roadside sold kazhmir and coffee.The restaurant at Abyssinia Hotel cooked our shiitake mushrooms with onion and chili. We ate them happily with injera and all the regular injera veggies. They also served a good plate of spaghetti. One of the local music shops played some Midnite for us as we ate injera across the road.We had a blessed time in Wondo Genet, soaking in water, sunshine and good vibes. We continued to feel blessed knowing we were walking in the footsteps of HIM.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202203200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202203200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1202203200/tpod.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:52:04 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, the Earth's center.Customs was a breeze. It was as if they were hurrying us into the country. We found Maurice an hour after we cleared immigration. He was sporting French braids, but otherwise hadn't changed a bit. He helped us get a taxi and get to a few hotels. We got in late and most of them had filled up. We refused a tiny $3 single and a $50 deluxe. Around midnight we found the 3B Hotel near the university with a good bed and bath for $4 per night. We would find out later its $4 per 8-hour use. They served us great injera with fresh potato salad everyday.We got our bearings after a long sunrise. We also got fruit: bananas, oranges, pineapple and mango. Later along the way, we would slurp up our share of papaya, soursop, cazhmir, pomegranates and sugarcane.Finding food, water and a telephone is easy enough. All the restaurants and kiosks have them. I tried calling Dr. Abate, but couldn't seem to get him on the phone, so I went to the university to meet him in person. I found him on campus between offices. The first person I asked for Dr. Abate's office was Dr. Abate. He took me to his office and told me repeatedly about the next day's schedule when he would show Annie and I the university biology lab, and his wife's company, Africa Mushrooms, PLC.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1204591560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1204591560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/2/1204591560/tpod.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:51:47 -0400 Two Blessed Strong in Ethiopia

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Babylon, Italy

We did fine on the planes. I'm glad we flew Ethiopian. The only down side was they played "Bratz" twice, once into and once out of D.C.We spent about 24 hours on airplanes each way and had a ten hour flip in time whenever we arrived. You really have to time your sleeping. If you arrive at night, try to stay awake on the plane. Arriving at noon on the way back was great for sleeping on the plane. We were happily awake at 6 or 7 a.m. for a week or two, allowing us to get right back to work, slaves again.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/return_to_nubia/1144574400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/return_to_nubia/1144574400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cpricci/return_to_nubia/1144574400/tpod.html Tue, 25 Jul 2006 14:14:39 -0400 Exchanging Roots and Culture in the Motherland

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Mombasa, Kenya

Prosper and his dad dropped me by the bus to Mombasa in the morning. It was a little sad saying goodbye, but i'm sure we'll be in touch. I have to try and convince his woman in St. Louis that Tanzania isn't such a bad place to live.The bus to Mombasa was cheap, probably because half the ride is dirt road. It was raining, too, but we didn't slip around much. The driver took it nice and easy. On the way, I bought another fruit that I'd never known before. It was just like a purple-black olive, but fruity and sweet. I'm finding cassava chips as well. They're delicious and 10 cents per bag.Mombasa is busy. This is the second largest city in Kenya and the major port. I got off the bus and wasn't able to contact my people in Kilifi, the next town north. I set off to find a cheap room. The rooms aren't so cheap around here, though. I wandered all the way to old town, where I met a guide named Jamad, who showed me to one of the few guesthouses in old town. They first told me they were full, but they could see I was sweating and it was about to get dark. They said there was a water shortage in Mombasa, so I'd only get a bucket full, and they gave me a small break on the price. I was stoked because I was right on the Indian Ocean next to the 900 year-old port, protected by Fort Jesus (the old slave trading fort) and a thousand year-old mosque, and I had a king-size bed. As soon as I got my room settled, I jumped in the ocean to get some of the dust and sweat off.Later I walked around old town. Old town Mombasa is like a huge Lamu with cars and without all the reggae. They love their barbequed meat here. I ate masala chips and veggie chapati. Islam and India meet Afrika in all its Judeo-Christian glory here on the Swahili coast. I think everyone can tell that I'm Amerikan, but I don't tell anybody. I think the people here are aware of how Islam is bad-mouthed in the western media, and so they go to great lengths to make every western visitor feel welcome. The peace here is protected by the spirit of the people.
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