Ethiopia – The Children
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007The children are everywhere in Ethiopia even moreso than in other African countries. Each time we would pull over on a road, kids would appear as if they were coming out of the rocks rather than the woodwork. Each picnic we had except one (we were on top of a mountain well off a road in Simien NP) involved up to thirty kids (and sometimes adults) staring at me while I ate. I was definitely their freak show. It bothered my guide more than it bothered me. In fact, I don’t think I was ever bothered by it. As I have said, I like being the freak. Go ahead and gawk at me. Look! I use a fork to eat my salad rather than the Ethiopian method of fingers! The leftovers of each meal were given to the kids. I especially enjoyed giving them cheese, watching them put it in their mouths and seeing their eyes bug out in disgust right before they spit it out. Funny stuff! I’d take photos of the groups and then show them what they look like and they would all push each other to get a look before laughing hard. The kids of Ethiopia are almost always entertaining although they can wear on you a bit.
vagabondrick