Aging Adventurer

Christmas in Ethiopia

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Agingadventurer

Maregu, the young man who is studying to become a tourist guide, just happened to be in the right place at the right time when I visited Addis Ababa and agreed to take me on a full day tour of various sites outside the city. He was most helpful, agreeable and delightful the entire time, arranging transportation and sharing his knowledge of the country, culture and the people.
Hopefully he will not mind me sharing his explanation of the Christmas Holiday in Ethiopia.

“I wish for you a happy merry Christmas and a prosperous new year of 2016 and best of all in life.
Christmas is one of the most celebrated of holy days . For Ethiopia, which has its own our calendar ,the holy day occur after a week than many western countries celebrate the birth of Christ .The spirit of Gena brings elation to Ethiopian Christian ,and people in the cities begin exchange gifts and decorating Christmas trees one day prior to the exact day. Residents in rural areas, however celebrate differently and preparation for holy day begin even earlier. Especially in my place Lalibela,it is highly religious festival that it will be celebrated by more different from here.
Here ,women buy a new dress ,or launder their favorite traditional one. Young men go in to the forest and find stick which they carve and set aside for traditional game played on Christmas Morning ,called Yegena chewata .
At day break, the players gather on a designated filed with their sticks and wooden ball, they group themselves into two teams, and the game begins with each member hitting the ball as hard as possible toward the opposing end .
Villagers choose side, cheering and singing an old song, Begena Chewata Ayekotam geta,meaning every one is allowed to play and even the lord lets his servants take part on Gena! this game is believed to have started centuries’ ago with the introduction of Christianity to Ethiopia ”

Maregu Biru can be reached at maregubiru@yahoo.com and would be happy to take you on tour if you are ever headed his way!

Posted in travel | Tagged Christmas, Ethiopia, Lalibela, Yegena chewata | Leave a comment

Happy Holidays

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Agingadventurer

Hope you all have a wonderful 2016…full of travel, fun or whatever you most treasure!

Posted in travel | 2 Comments

Lucy in the Sky….

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Agingadventurer

The National Museum in Addis Ababa is impressive, especially the basement floor where Lucy, the 3.2 million year old ancestor of humans is displayed. Lucky for me there was an expert who just happened to be there filming a documentary. He took time to point out various treasures including the earliest child, even older than Lucy!

There are other places of note to visit in the capital city like the Addis Ababa University campus that also houses the Ethnography Museum. By starting here, I was able to take in a few places without getting lost like the Holy Trinity Church, the Haile Selassie Museum and the Parliament buildings.

Because the names of the streets are not mapped one does have to stop and ask young adults directions…and one of them happened to be a young lady who now lived in Minnesota and was back in Ethiopia visiting relatives! With their help I was also able to visit the Piazza area too.

Getting out of the city was a must in order to see how the majority of people lived. I enjoyed seeing the villages, the farms, the markets and of course, the children!

Posted in travel | Tagged Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, Holy Trinity Church, Lucy, National Museum, Piazza | 8 Comments

Eating in Ethiopia

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Agingadventurer

American fast food franchises are ubiquitous around the world but my last two trips were to countries without any. However, there are many places in the city of Addis Ababa where one could get burgers and pizza. But why would you when you could enjoy their national dish of injera with wot and other condiments like beets and rice?

I had recently watched the CNN’s Anthony Bourdain episode when he visited Ethiopia with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelssen so was not surprised by the tasty cuisine.

In the villages one could easily find both coffee (said to have originated in this country just like humans!) and beer. The alcohol was advertised with a can on a stick with a white rag wrapped around it, usually sticking out the window of the hut. While I did not indulge in this I did try the coffee.

Posted in travel | Tagged Anthony Bourdain, beer, coffee, injera, Marcus Samuelssen | 2 Comments

Traveling in the Time of Terrorism

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Agingadventurer

People have asked if I’m afraid to be traveling now, especially when some of the countries I visit are not always the road most travelled. Some would argue that as a “Westerner” I’m safer going to the unusual places. And then there are those who would be correct in saying that violent extremists have been around for a long time.

My first foray into such a world came in October of 2001. I had planned a Round the World trip for months, was packed and ready to go when 9/11 happened. My itinerary was centered on sites I considered Great Wonders of the World like the pyramids, Victoria Falls, the wildlife of Africa, Agra, Mount Everest, the Petronas Towers and the Great Barrier Reef. The solidarity with the USA was never stronger, in each and every one of the places I visited.

Rick Steves, a famous travel advisor, wrote “there’s an important difference between fear and risk!” And I believe that to be true. I do fear any sort of violence and greatly admire the French, the Bostonians, the Brits, the Lebanese, and all those facing terrorism and destruction in their countries for declaring that they will not let this horror change their lives.

I am also a realist and know that we all are changed by this, and that terrorism will not ever be entirely wiped out. I mourn for those who have suffered and hope that I will not experience this first hand but I will continue to travel.

There are definitely a few things I will practice in order to decrease risks. Because of incidents like Amman, Mumbai and Male, I stay in smaller local hotels. I avoid assemblies of people protesting; I respect local customs and dress and act accordingly. I expect there to be delays now going through security and strangers rummaging through my suitcase, but it’s really about those wonderful new experiences, new sites and incredible people on the horizon.

Posted in travel | Tagged 9/11, Steves, terrorism | 3 Comments

Utopia?

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Agingadventurer

It certainly is as close to perfection as any country I’ve visited. While there is some controversy about touring in Bhutan such as the mandated “per person spend” I found it to be worth every penny. Staying in locally owned hotels and using travel experts that live in the country certainly add to the cultural experience. I’m not opposed to big international travel agencies but like it when the locals benefit the most.

Bhutan, a small country on the southeast slope of the Himalayas is governed by a constitutional monarchy. Much of Bhutanese law has been designed to promote Gross National Happiness, which basically means promoting and preserving their culture instead of giving in to the western ways. My brief experience here found the people to be happy, content and proud of their country and it’s traditions.

During my research stage I read a raving review about a particular travel agency in Bhutan on Trip Advisor. What caught my eye was the fact that they were willing to offer a driver and guide during the dates I wanted, and during my correspondence with them by email I discovered that they were flexible about the daily schedule as well. It appears that most of the companies offer a similar itinerary for their 7 day cultural trip. I went with the Bhutan Travel Company and they added much more hiking to my delight! And as important, they were much less expensive than companies from the outside (saving $4000).

Posted in travel | Tagged Bhutan Travel Club, culture, hiking, local hotels, per person spend | Leave a comment

Serendipity

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Agingadventurer

Bhutan’s culture is riddled with legends, folklore and a colorful history. So it certainly was no surprise to me to find it lucky as well. From the images of famous monks mysteriously showing up on the rocky sides of cliffs to the phallic symbols painted on houses, one never knew what to expect next. (both photos below show natural images of famous monks)

The Divine Madman is a personal favorite, also known as Lama Drukpa Kunley, and politely called the “fertility saint”. He is credited for enlightening many with his crazy methods and his penis is known as “the thunderbolt of flaming wisdom”. I was able to witness two young couples who came to the temple honoring him in the Punakha Valley who were ceremoniously seeking intervention.

While our tour included many monasteries and temples there was always something special at the end of the hike to the summit. The Nolanda Monastic School that houses around 100 young monks was both fun and uplifting! After looking in on the scholastic exercises, such as repetitive chants and debating, we were invited to tea with the head master. We sat for almost an hour, discussing current events, comparative religions and life in a monastery atop a high hill.

On the final day of my visit was the hike up to Tiger’s Nest. I think most everyone saves it for last as they are acclimatized to the altitude. As I am an eager hiker, my guide warned me against running and to stay on the inside, especially if a horse and rider were to be passed. Apparently there have been incidents where tourists have fallen to their death.

The path was tiring, sometimes precarious and quite scenic, when one wasn’t watching their feet. I was on my way down and stopped for a minute to take another photo when my eyes took in a friend from Argentina who was on his way up. I screamed his name in recognition loud enough for his friends further down the trail to come running up, thinking he had dropped off the side of the cliff or something. What a small world indeed!

Posted in travel | Tagged Bhutan, Divine Madman, hiking, monks, phallic symbols, Tiger's Nest | Leave a comment

Culture Shock

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Agingadventurer

The Bhutanese diet in higher altitudes consists mainly of red rice, some meat like chicken or dried pork, and vegetables or soup with chili peppers and cheese. It is a treat to eat the first couple of days and then even I tired of it a bit, especially when it was served at both lunch and dinner. Our guide said their typical breakfast also included the red rice. It certainly provides proper sustenance but our American tastes demand a little more variety.

My companion on the Bhutan trip was not a good sport about the meals. His taste buds prefer processed foods without any nutrients. We were both surprised to see some of the ceremonial food offerings left on an altar in a Buddhist Monastery.

Some of it was remarkably similar to my friend’s junk food!

Then there was the issue of slow traffic….there is not one traffic light in the country, not even in the largest city, Thimphu, the capital. There are many cows on the road including the poor one that fell from the hillside above.

And the fact that they don’t allow any technical climbing in their Himalayas, set my friend back too….when he told the guide how much money they could make with this type of trek Yeshey calmly told him that Bhutan wants to preserve its environment and its society!

Posted in travel | Tagged American tastes, Buddhist monks, ceremonial offerings, chili peppers, cows, environment, junk food, red rice, roads, society, traffic lights | 1 Comment

Barking in Bhutan

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Agingadventurer

Dogs are everywhere and they seem to belong to everyone. They did not seem aggressive but I was warned about walking at night, not sure if it was because I would not see what I was stepping in or if they might be too frisky. The government has an active sterilization and vaccination program attempting to keep control of the population.

Dogs keep a respectable distance, but do not refuse a kind gesture or morsel of food. The picnic lunch one day proved to be a bonanza for the nearby pack. Yeshey, our superlative guide, took a few moments preparing all the left-overs by mixing the big pot with his hand and then dishing it out in separate mounds circumventing our blanket.

And while many dogs roam the streets and tourist sites they often join a family pet at meal times. One woman said her dog routinely invited eight or nine dogs over for dinner!

The Humane Society International has a program called “Become a Street Dog Defender” which provides sterilization, vaccination and treatment.

Posted in travel | Tagged dogs, homeless, picnic, sterilization | Leave a comment

Gross National Happiness

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Agingadventurer

How does one measure this? I am just back from a great visit to Bhutan and by my standards, it was one happy trip!

While this is a philosophical approach to governing a nation, it seems to be working. The present king’ s father developed this plan with Buddhist principles in mind and not the Western way. He put forth the following goals: sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment and good governance. While not a political analyst, I am impressed with what I witnessed. They also soak up more greenhouse gases than they emit.

I will be blogging about my full week of adventures in the next two posts. What a wonderful place!

Posted in travel | Tagged Bhutan, Buddhist, carbon negative, cultural values | Leave a comment

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