Jonathan Hanson
Supporting Sponsor
This is Jonathan relaying information from Roseann - for some reason the server she's on wouldn't let her upload directly to Expo.
Anyway, she made it to Addis Abeba safely, in a torrential downpour, and is having a great time. I'll insert her comments with the photos:
Me on the mountain overlooking the city of Addis Abeba. It's over a mile high, and in a basin surrounded by taller mountains. Picture taken at 10,000 feet. Like Denver. The forest below is planted eucalyptus - they deforested everything for firewood ages ago but replanted. The eucalyptus smells heavenly, was full of birds though likely not the original suite of indigenous. It grows quickly is renewable and easily cut (the women do that here, of course - I saw a little girl no more than 4 dragging some with her father and brothers - who were of course not carrying anything. . . Check out the post of AfricanConservationFund.org for more on the upcoming women's group visits.)
Addis is a thoroughly modern city of 4 million, and absolutely gorgeous. It's an ancient country - one of the oldest countries in the world continuously in existence - 3000 years - and of course it has the singular distinction of being the only African nation to successfully and thoroughly repel colonial attempts by Britain and Italy. A proud nation of truly gorgeous people - everyone is so slender and tall and lovely here! (Despite the population, there is a fantastic system of taxis - some 20,000 of them, all painted blue and white - either ancient Ladas from Russia (ET had a several decades love affair with communism), Toyota vans, or ancient 22R Toyota 2wd pickups with special caps on the back that have seats for about 8 people but of course are regularly stuffed with at least 20 people (hanging all over the outside too), 2 goats, and anything from tires to washers on top.
Across from my hotel is where the Addis towing services wait to be called - and they are all old Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols! There was a line of about 10 of them - I tried to capture it driving by. Great exo-cages. They work really hard and are still just chugging along - rescuing all the newer vehicles that break down.
And sorry guys, but the ONLY vehicle I saw towed by one of the Land Cruisers was - yeah, sorry Graham! - a Land Rover! I could not get a picture fast enough. But I pictured the caption in my mind for all the ExPo LC fans: No Caption Necessary.
I go offline for the rest of the week I think starting tomorrow, off to Arba Minch in the south, through the Rift Valley and seeing some gorgeous scenery.
Anyway, she made it to Addis Abeba safely, in a torrential downpour, and is having a great time. I'll insert her comments with the photos:
Me on the mountain overlooking the city of Addis Abeba. It's over a mile high, and in a basin surrounded by taller mountains. Picture taken at 10,000 feet. Like Denver. The forest below is planted eucalyptus - they deforested everything for firewood ages ago but replanted. The eucalyptus smells heavenly, was full of birds though likely not the original suite of indigenous. It grows quickly is renewable and easily cut (the women do that here, of course - I saw a little girl no more than 4 dragging some with her father and brothers - who were of course not carrying anything. . . Check out the post of AfricanConservationFund.org for more on the upcoming women's group visits.)
Addis is a thoroughly modern city of 4 million, and absolutely gorgeous. It's an ancient country - one of the oldest countries in the world continuously in existence - 3000 years - and of course it has the singular distinction of being the only African nation to successfully and thoroughly repel colonial attempts by Britain and Italy. A proud nation of truly gorgeous people - everyone is so slender and tall and lovely here! (Despite the population, there is a fantastic system of taxis - some 20,000 of them, all painted blue and white - either ancient Ladas from Russia (ET had a several decades love affair with communism), Toyota vans, or ancient 22R Toyota 2wd pickups with special caps on the back that have seats for about 8 people but of course are regularly stuffed with at least 20 people (hanging all over the outside too), 2 goats, and anything from tires to washers on top.
Across from my hotel is where the Addis towing services wait to be called - and they are all old Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols! There was a line of about 10 of them - I tried to capture it driving by. Great exo-cages. They work really hard and are still just chugging along - rescuing all the newer vehicles that break down.
And sorry guys, but the ONLY vehicle I saw towed by one of the Land Cruisers was - yeah, sorry Graham! - a Land Rover! I could not get a picture fast enough. But I pictured the caption in my mind for all the ExPo LC fans: No Caption Necessary.
I go offline for the rest of the week I think starting tomorrow, off to Arba Minch in the south, through the Rift Valley and seeing some gorgeous scenery.
