Welcome to Shashamane Land
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2006
1
50
60
Trip End
Jun 02, 2006
Shashamane,
Ethiopia
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Brother Desai treats me like a little youth. I had to tell him I traveled by bus all the way from R.S.A. He took a little pressure off. The whole ride he was pointing out sites like the lakes that make a chain descending from Addis Ababa to Awasa in the south. He also pointed out the railway that still connects Addis to the Red Sea at Djibouti Town.
Ethiopia is well plagued by western agriculture. Trees are too scarce on this vast plateau. The soil is still black and deep for now.
Coming into Shashamane, the trees reappeared as did a painting of Bob Marley welcoming people to Shashamane. Brother Desai pointed out some of the Rasta-run businesses and the new recording studio being built
Bird on my Doorstep
. The bus let us off at a newly built, almost open hotel run by one of Desai's brethren.We walked across the street to his house. This is part of the land that His Majesty granted to all Afrikans of the diaspora to live on and steward upon their return to the continent. Surrounded by a fence of juniper was brother Desai's house and garden. They also have a small restaurant and general store on the edge of the yard. I was introduced to the plants and found a new favorite fruit they call kashmir. They gave me the guest house and are feeding me plenty of fried fish, injera, bread, herbal tea, a new grain, called kinche, like rice, but better like wild rice, and I try some meaty gravy here and there.
I have lengthy conversations with one elderly sister. Some youths here chew chat, which is much fresher and leafier here than in Kenya. We celebrated sister Janet's 47th birthday with pineapple wine. I met an Asian sister from California. Saki introduced me to his father, brother Flippin (the one with three sets of twins, all with the same woman).
Today I visited the JRDC School. There are 418 youths in attendance this year. The school's only fee is for registration - 50 birr. Almost all their funding comes from outside. They'd like me to do a permaculture training for their teachers next week. The youths wear khakis with red, gold and green patches on the shoulders. Lunch at the school is ital and only 2 birr (25 cents).
I've come into Shashamane town to use the internet. A pretty little secondary school girl, named Eyerusalem, guides me. We ride a chariot around. Some of the horses are beautiful, some are well beat up. The fourth place I check has the web working.
Comments
This spot of ground.
would love to visit Ethiopia. Have never been as yet. It's taking $20,000.00 to come from where I am. Will get there in the right timing though! Jah love.