Journey back to Addis...

Day 48, November 23

I was up at a ridiculously early hour to participate in the disorganized mania of loading my bags and catching the bus to addis.

I tipped a boy to save me the seat up front right across from the driver. Our trip started off in the arid, scrub-covered mountains of the Lalibella area before progressing to flat, cultivated, relatively-treeless plains.

We made pretty slow progress; especially on hills with the driver grinding gears in a way that reminded me of my struggles with Beulah. We passed through town after town all clustered around the highway with their shacks constructed from all manner of bric-a-brac. The seeming impermanence of the towns' construction gives the impression that they just sprung from the ground.

We finally came to very mountainous terrain with verdant green peaks rising up all around us as the bus clung to the cliffside road.

After a very long day we came to the lively but unremarkable town of Dessie - our halfway point. I found a cheap room moments after leaving the bus station and later had some tibs (lamb with injera) at a local restaurant where I was clearly not welcome. I took an early night.

Day 49, November 24

I was up at 4:15 this morning to wander over to the bus station and wait for my seat in the cold. We finally got moving at about 6:20. We travelled through more of the same mountainous terrain and a few tunnels.

I don't know why I was so eager to to get the front seat, itkilled my knees and the bumpy ride bruised my tailbone the entire way. I spoke with an Australian couple (the only other faranjis besides me) who had been travelling for a month and were en route to the Omo region of the south. I wish I had enough money and time to head in that direction.

We finally came to the crowded outskirts of Addis after a long day's drive. I started to notice my skin colour again after a long time without caring. The bus station was hectic but I found a cab to the National Hotel. It feels like I've been travelling for ages and its only been three weeks.

I'm going to have to while away the time here in Addis before the Mount Kenya trek that I am greatly looking forward to. Although, the prospect of Nairobi does frighten me.