Weekend in Gonder

Gonder is located in a beautiful valley on the edge of the Simien mountains. The outskirts of town are dotted with cattle, farmers, tukuls (straw-thatched circular huts), and dirt roads with people carrying loads on their heads and shuttling herds of goats or a few donkeys along. The town is much smaller than Addis but with similar scenery- small homes made of cement or mud blocks covered with tin roofs, people selling agriculture and other goods along the roadside, and erratic drivers swerving around the mix. Seatbelts are uncommon and driving rules are pretty much non-existant but with the road conditions fast speeds are not possible which offers some comfort. As we entered the city for the first time we came upon a funeral procession. It was eerily quiet aside from Muslim prayer chantings. Several men carried a coffin at the front and at least 100 people all dressed in black walked behind.
We were staying at a hotel in the heart of Gonder with a nice rooftop café. Our first task was “business”- we headed to the PT school where we met with faculty and students and toured the facilities at Gonder University. The facilities were quite the contrast from Regis and all of the people we met were very friendly. The site has an outpatient clinic and an inpatient ward so students regularly were able to practice in these areas during their 2nd and 3rd years.
Later in the day we hit up the “ferenji” tourist spots in the area. Gonder is so rich with interesting history. If I had more time I would go into details- but for now I will refer you to the Gonder Wikipedia page which probably has a more accurate representation. We toured the castles, bath area, and Haile Sellassie church with a local guide. I’m not the biggest fan about history details but I was very intrigued the entire time! And the views were beautiful.
Our second day we drove toward the Simien mountains for a hike. We stopped about an hour outside of town and began our hike with one guide... after about ten minutes we had about 10 children from nearby villages joining us! Their English was pretty good and they got a kick out of our attempts at Amharic. We stopped to watch packs of baboons, birds, and breathtaking views. It was one of my most memorable experiences so far. I spoke with one of the locals for a long time as we walked. He was 26 years old and worked as a teff farmer (the grain used to make injera- one of the most common agricultural products here). At the end of the hike he told me that he was looking for his wife – would I be interested?! (Don’t worry- no lemons were thrown; I politefully said no!)
On our way back to Gonder we stopped at Falasha village, a Jewish community that houses a women’s agricultural training organization. We watched women make pottery, weave baskets, and had our first official coffee ceremony. The coffee here is fantastic. It is much less acidic than what I am used to. They roast the beans right in front of you and serve it in small cups.
We finished off the afternoon by stopping at the local Dashen Brewery and then went out on the town to practice some shoulder dancing!