Lake Side
Trip Start
Feb 04, 2008
1
7
9
Trip End
Feb 18, 2008
Awassa,
Ethiopia
Thursday, February 14, 2008
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.
