Traveling Ethiopia

We traveled as a family to pick up Mita and Enu. This is not the usual way of doing things, but it is what we as a family needed. So it was Hubby, me, Meg, Elle and Grandma. We had so many plans to travel with the girls and see the sights of Ethiopia.

Once we landed in Addis and met with our agency’s supervisor we realized that our plans were a bit overdone. Some things we had not considered. Our new girls were not used to going on family vacations. We should have realized this. In fact they had never been out of the city of Addis Ababa. For those of you without kids currently, a trip to the 7-11 is a big process, let alone traveling around a country you are not used to. We decided to cancel most of our plans, but we did spend the night at Bilen Lodge in the Afar region of Ethiopia.

We went through a travel agency and they provided a huge bus for just our family. We went out of town and Mita and Enu were excited to see some country side. The guide knew where to eat and where to stay. It was a good time. Our tour including driving through the Awash National Park. Baboons jumped on our bus, and we saw warthogs, birds and all kinds of deer-like animals. The only lion we saw was in a cage. He had been raised as a pet and given to the park when the owner was caught with him. The poor thing looked pitiful and probably wasn’t getting all the meals he needed. He did have a roar left in him though! Most of the big game is not longer in Ethiopia, as hunting and draught has moved them south towards Kenya. While I would have adored seeing some of the larger animals, I wanted to stay in Ethiopia and enjoy my kid’s homeland. Our tour-guide told us that she has heard lions and hyenas in this area before the draught hit last year.

The Bilen lodge is an eco-lodge. Meaning it is a tourist place that respects nature, it’s surroundings and the local people. It is to help, not hurt the area. The Afar tribe “owns” the lodge, but it is apparent they they have some outside help, as it has what Americans and Europeans are looking for. The food is good, they have electricity for about four hours a night, and provide just enough realism to help us learn authentic Afar culture without scaring us to much! After our night in our hut with water (cold, but it was so hot it felt great) we toured a village and it was amazing.

The Afar tribe live in short, hut-like houses they are filled with smoke to keep the bugs out. The smoke is very strong, almost like incense, and Meg had a hard time with watering eyes and the smell. Hubby barely could crawl into the hut he is so tall. The kids ran around naked and the older girls took care of the younger kids. Meg’s eyes got so big when she saw a little girl pee down her sister’s back as she rode piggy-back! Very natural here!

The woman who let us tour her home was so proud of her family and her home. She showed us how she cooks, cleans and cares for her kids. She let it be known that the woman do most of the work, but it didn’t translate as bitterness, just fact. It really taught me that families are families no matter where they live or how “hard” life can be.

The thing she told us that stood out in my mind the most was how she talked about the improved of the tribe’s health since they stopped the female genital mutilation. She said that half of all women used to die during childbirth due to complications with the FGM (also known as Female Circumcision). The mom was so happy that they had been taught differently by an NGO (non-governmental organization, I don’t know which one) and that her daughters were not touched. She proudly lifted up her baby girl and showed us her genitals! It was a moment I will never forget. She is proof that education does work!

After the tour of the village we had camel rides. They are noisy, bumpy and a lot higher up than I had imagined. We got great pictures and I can now say I’ve traveled by camel!

I have included a few photos of our visit. I hope if you travel to Ethiopia, that you will be able to visit more than just Addis and get to know some of the countryside.

(If you are not familiar with FGM, I suggest you look it up and read, especially if you are adopting a girl from Ethiopia. It still happens and we need to be prepared for how to help our daughters if they have experienced it. FGM is a blog in itself that I may expand on in the future. )

Photo Credit P.M. 2009

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