Thursday, August 23, 2012

Quick Update


Well the Summer is coming to an end. School starts September 3 and after that I have just 36 weeks of teaching and then my Peace Corps service will essentially be over. I can’t believe that the summer went by so fast, but I think it is because I had such an awesome time. Here are some highlights:
-          Meeting the new volunteers and helping out at their training
-          Visiting the tallest waterfall in Cameroon
-          Making homemade pizza, dough and all
-          Seeing some of my good friends COS (Close of Service) and getting to see a little bit of my future, since it’ll be me in a year!
-          Visiting Ethiopia for 31 days
o   Seeing crocodiles, hippos, and zebras up close
o   Visiting some of the famous tribes of Ethiopia in the Lower Omo Valley
o   Hiking for 7 days in the Simien Mountains in the rain and hail (this was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen or done)
o   Seeing the rock hewn churches in Lalibela
o   Going to the 4th holist Muslim city, Harar
o   Feeding hyenas
o   Going to a spa resort
o   Seeing the Dark Knight Rises
I loved my time in Ethiopia and really didn’t want it to end, I know for sure that I want to go back there and do things that I wasn’t able to see this time due to time and money constraints. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. I was grateful for the opportunity to see another country in Africa and I would love to see more. I know its surprising but Ethiopia was more “western” than Cameroon so I was able to get a little taste of America while I was there, I even got to play ski-ball.
Tomorrow I am going back to post to get settled in before school starts. This fall will be busy with teaching my English classes, teaching other teachers how to use computers, teaching English at the preschool and hopefully working with girls at the primary school. Also I will be applying to graduate schools for International Relations with a focus in US Foreign Policy. So it looks like I have a lot to look forward too!

When I have more time I will write about my time in Ethiopia, but I just wanted to give a little update now. And here are some pictures to tide your over. 

Sean and I at the largest waterfall in Cameroon, over 80 M tall

Hippos at the "Crocodile market" in Arba Minch, Ethiopia

Zebras in Neichesar National Park, Ethiopia

Sean with kids in Gondar, Ethiopia

Gelada Baboon in the Simien National Park

Our camp the 2nd night of our hike with our guide and mule-men

Our scout, Yassin, with a "view"

Simien Mountain National Park

At the top of a mountain, which is actually taller than Mountain Cameroon!

Sean and Sammi, our guide, walking along the road

Walia Ibex in the Simien Mountains

Our camp for the 4th and 5th night (the the tallest peak, I climbed that!)

Rock-hewn church in Lalibela

St. George Church in Lalibela

Kids going to Mass in Lalibela

Camel Market near Harar

Kids hanging out in the walled city of Harar

Feeding hyenas, I'm not scared haha


At the best restaurant in Ethiopia in Lalibela