Annami: First unexpected day in Awassa

1 June 2009

Lodie has been feeling ill for a few days now.  Last night I felt a fever brewing.  By bedtime I had a throbbing headache.  After dosing myself with a variety of medication I fell asleep.   Shortly before twelve o'clock I woke up with the immediate realisation that I am in dire need of a toilet.   

The next morning Anja came to see if I was okay.  She told me that they had decided that we were going to spend another day in Awassa.  It would be better as I was in no condition to travel not knowing where the next bathroom would be.

According to her the night had many surprises.  Somehow I succeeded in sleeping through two explosions. A building next to our sleeping quarters caught fire. Lodie wanted to move the vehicle to a safer place, but the car guard claimed that everything would be safe.

This was a day to gain strength.  We spent a very calm day in Awassa.  During the afternoon I visited at least three internet café's in an attempt to find internet.  One actually had internet, but it was so slow I could only open my Gmail account.   

But perseverance paid off and eventually I managed to post the blog entries.

Somewhere along the line I started to warm up to Awassa.  The little blue and white three wheeled taxis stole my heart.  After a while they became the heart and soul of this African city. 

During the late afternoon I decided to visit a church with majestic golden domes.  It was right at the end of the street we were staying in.  This was also my first opportunity to experience one of the blue and white scooter-cars. 

Anja and I drove there for a mere 4Birr (R 3.00)

At the church the faithful silently congregated as the sun set.

The last ray of sunlight tinted the Ethiopian flag as we drove back to the Yamare hotel.