The next two days were filled with the impressive scenery. We drove to the mountainous village of Chencha at ten thousand feet. There the Dorze tribe gave a lesson on how to get the most from their natural resources of bamboo, banana trees, and cotton. We stopped in Sodo for lunch at the same spot as we had on the way down. Again, I ordered the same fare as I would get at the Blue Nile Restaurant in Ann Arbor. The basket/tables were the same here, but these local stools were quite tipsy. They had honey wine, but I opted for a local beer. From there, we had word that some Aja tribal fighting had taken place, and houses were burning. Hassen seemed to think it was minor. As we came into one town, many threatening men were assembled along each side of the road. I was pleased to see they were only carrying spears. No women or children were to be seen. Despite the seriousness of the situation, most men wore a woven top hat resembling The Cat in the Hat from Dr. Souse. I held my hand over my mouth to hide my smile. About two kilometers from town, the first isolated huts were smoldering. Probably fifteen in all had been burned.
Shortly, there was another village with groups of men wielding spears. We passed without incident.Beyond there, the city of Awassa’s large lake had an assortment of waterfowl. An overnight stay and dining at Pinna Hotel worked out. On the road back to Addis, we stopped at a crater lake warmed by a dormant volcano. At this point, I reached a satisfaction with my Ethiopian stay. Rather than put Hassen through any guiding routine in Addis while waiting for my midnight flight, I opted to pay for a room at the Ghion Hotel for a relaxing dinner and collecting thoughts for my next step.
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