Journal Entry 3- Feb 4th 2008

We woke up today and reconfirmed our flight home with Ethiopian Air (which you must do for some reason upon arrival), and checked out after eating a small breakfast. I felt sick all night-I am not sure if it was from the raw meat that I ingested last night or just the thought of eating raw meat. I was actually praying that I would throw-up last night (which shows you how desperate I was). This morning we met Cheur, Mesfin, and Cheur's wife for coffee. Cheur's wife is an American from Chicago; she was traveling the world and met Cheur and they ended up married 1 year ago and her family has not even met him yet. They seem like good people-they talk about opening a traditional Ethiopian restaurant in Laramie-we will see. After breakfast we started on our week-long journey south.

We first visited a rock church-Mryam-that was hand carved out of rock 100's of years ago. It is hard to explain how amazing this structure is-it is also mind-boggling to fathom how they carved a rock church out of the Earth. You actually walk down under the Earth to see it. I felt as though I didn't deserve to be there-it had an energy about it that was uncomfortable for someone with my religious ideals. To say the least it was amazing and must have taken decades to build-although it was not finished and the priest there told us that there is a similar dwellings up North-in Lalibela-that are finished. The structure was well thought out-it had a moat around it where the water would drain into during the rainy season.

We then went to a warrior burial ground at Tyia. The road to get there is either gravel or paved with multiple potholes. The roads are in horrible condition-probably due to a diversity of reasons: flooding, wear from the cattle and those that travel back and forth to get their daily chores done (gather wood, get water, etc.). We drove all day-a distance that would have taken a couple of hours in the US-quite an experience. We ended up in Wondo Genet at a hotel (Wabe Shebelle Hotel) with a hot springs. I am not sure where we ate lunch at, but Dylan ended up having a large piece of gum melted and stuck between his fingers at the table. I guess...it is one of those...you had to be there...it was extremely funny. He just sat there with it stuck to his hands...to embarrassed to go to the bathroom and wash it off. At lunch I ate spaghetti-wanted to play it safe-my stomach still hurts a little-but it has been almost 24 hours since I vomited last-so hopefully I am on the mend. The shower in our room...was lets say...less than inviting...so I showered with the local women in the hot springs down the road. We then had dinner and went to bed; as we have another 10 hour day of traveling a head of us.