JT Grade DVM, PhD
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Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Addis Ababa
Even Addis Ababa was memorable. It's a beautiful city but I didn't see much of it this time. The bit that we spent there was mostly in taxi's. These are Ladas. Think of a Soviet-era-Fiat knock-off and you'll picture them nicely. Think of wrapping yourself in aluminum foil and motoring through a major
urban center with no seat-belt and you'll picture me nicely. I think I'm prayed up into the late-2020s. In fact, I may be storing up prayer-points for the populations of medium-sized countries. Nothing like transportation in Africa to prove the existence of God and the need for faith. So, I wasn't sight-seeing. I was staring obsessively at traffic and twitching uncontrollably. Anyway, lovely country. Hope to go there again next year and earn some more gray hair. In fact, we hope to bring a number of Karamojong church leaders with us so they can benefit as we have. We tried to bring Joshua of KACHEP this time but he was turned back at customs - sheesh. At $500 per ticket, that's a major prayer request for October 2012.
urban center with no seat-belt and you'll picture me nicely. I think I'm prayed up into the late-2020s. In fact, I may be storing up prayer-points for the populations of medium-sized countries. Nothing like transportation in Africa to prove the existence of God and the need for faith. So, I wasn't sight-seeing. I was staring obsessively at traffic and twitching uncontrollably. Anyway, lovely country. Hope to go there again next year and earn some more gray hair. In fact, we hope to bring a number of Karamojong church leaders with us so they can benefit as we have. We tried to bring Joshua of KACHEP this time but he was turned back at customs - sheesh. At $500 per ticket, that's a major prayer request for October 2012.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Suri
Non-cluster pastoralists in attendance were the Suri, famous for the women who put saucers in their lips, the Murci, whose men, like the Suri, fight with long poles, the Bunna and some special guests from the Maasai. It was an unexpected pleasure to see several troops of tourists (not unlike a troop
of baboons) drive through while we were there to see this "human zoo" in all its wilderness nativity. Not really. I gotta say, though, the plates in the lips were a little off-putting, perhaps as much as the eating with open mouths and generous (!) bodily scarification. Still, we learned a good bit about pastoralists by seeing them all together and listening to everyone's stories. We met at Tulgit, found only on certain National Geographic maps of south-east Ethiopia, near the Sudan border, and accessible by weeks of walking, or two-plus days of four-wheeling or several hours by helicopter.
We chose "Door #3"!! Whooo-Hooo - never been in a helicopter before (though I have a brother who's been in a helicopter crash; does that count?) so it was going to be memorable no matter what. Thankfully, it wasn't as memorable as my brother's experience.
of baboons) drive through while we were there to see this "human zoo" in all its wilderness nativity. Not really. I gotta say, though, the plates in the lips were a little off-putting, perhaps as much as the eating with open mouths and generous (!) bodily scarification. Still, we learned a good bit about pastoralists by seeing them all together and listening to everyone's stories. We met at Tulgit, found only on certain National Geographic maps of south-east Ethiopia, near the Sudan border, and accessible by weeks of walking, or two-plus days of four-wheeling or several hours by helicopter.
We chose "Door #3"!! Whooo-Hooo - never been in a helicopter before (though I have a brother who's been in a helicopter crash; does that count?) so it was going to be memorable no matter what. Thankfully, it wasn't as memorable as my brother's experience.
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