Sore Tummy...

Monday 28th April

Groan groan – definitely feeling the effects of too much food.

VSO health warnings said it was not a question of if but when - having escaped major disruptions to my health for 3 months, my stomach protested vigorously at the onslaught of meat. If that wasn’t enough to turn me into a vegetarian overnight, I went out early to buy some rolls for my guests breakfasts and walked past a pile of goat/sheep skins with various limbs scattered around the neighbourhood. A severed head by the house, covered in flies turned my tummy over!

A very quiet day at work – nobody around. Decided to leave early and try to book my tickets for Addis. That is such an understatement. Booking anything in Ethiopia is a mega activity. First, I go to the airline office. I wait patiently for about half an hour trying to work out who I might be following. Had just about got it sorted when a young woman came in and jumped up the minute an operator became free – I jumped as quickly and indicated in my best body language that there were a number of people waiting!

I booked 3 flights – one for the conference, one meeting Monty and one for saying goodbye. On the final flight in the middle of June, the operative informed me that I was the only person booked on that flight. I enquired as to whether that might mean the flight would be cancelled. He patiently repeated that I was the only person booked on the flight – only Englizawit would think of planning so far in advance! My enquiries as to whether I might pay with a credit card met with a blank response – cash only. I promised to return in the afternoon and started the long trek up through Gonder to the bank. The bank cannot give me cash on the credit card. Because of my impromptu decision to book the flights this afternoon, I didn’t have everything I needed e.g. bank book or traveller’s cheques. Nothing for it but to return home.


Small yellow bird in my garden

After lunch and a phone call from Matt at the Ethiopia Link office, I braved the fleas and caught a line taxi up to Gonder. Changed the last of my traveller’s cheques and trekked back down to the airline office through the heavy rain. I finished the afternoon with a visit to the LinkEthiopia office and negotiations with Matt for some funding for the CCU.

Back home to cook a very simple meal of pasta for my guests and an early night nursing a sore tummy.