Bill - Saying Goodbye

While the meat was cooking, we all assembled in one of the largest classrooms and in walked a troubadour!!!. Yes, a hired troubadour. White embroidered shorts and white embroidered shirt, decorated straw hat...sawing away on a one- string instrument.
He , actually, was very good on the bow; wandered around and serenaded the ladies,one by one. It was all in Amharic , but the crowd roared when he sang loud praises to each.

Platters of large rounds of ingera ....like Mexican and their tortillas.....this pancake-like bread, is served with every meal here. It is very large, grey and doughy. Since the dough is fermented then baked, it looks like the bubbly side of a pancake. It is sort, pliable and has a sour taste. Most often it is the plate and  also takes the place of forks and cutlery. Tear off  chunk and scoop up the food......
This time it was all rolled up. The two ladies brought in the  meat ....and plastic plates. Each of us were served the two meats....bones to gnaw off the cooked  bits and the chunks of the other. The ingera was to wrap up small bits of the diced,  cooked meat.

Many speeches and gifts made a very happy ending to the event. The troubadour made sure there were no quite lulls...some of the ladies even did the local dance....
The school I and two others were in (grades 5 to 8) had us and our group leader over , the next morning , to the school , for a traditional coffee ceremony and farewell. The ladies in the " under the mango trees, outdoor staff "cafeteria" had baked a very special local bread to go with the coffee. The risen dough is placed in plastic wrap in a large basin, set on three stones in a campfire cooking pot. Hot water is poured in so that the steam cooks the bread. The lid is placed on, pot is placed on 3 stones over a blazing charcoal fire. 
This was a very touching morning. The vice principal is a very wonderful, kind man. Tall , slim , soft spoken, in his 60s. A cap and suit, and small spectacles,  he could have been an extra in A Christmas Carol.
We were presented with certificates of thanks by one of the assistants to the superintendent's office. A thank you speech by the VP and each of us were presented with a " agelgel".... It is of ancient origin ...is a cowhide covered woven basket that farmers and soldiers have used as a lunch  kit. 
Cone lidded with a shoulder strap and long cowhide straps dangling down as decoration. Quite large...won't fit into a suitcase... Explain this item to Canada Customs.
The bread and coffee were solemnly served. This was a very touching and happy goodbye.
Today, is a special , provincial celebration. I walked for three hours along the thronged boulevards. 
The shoe washers, the tooth stick sellers, endless sidewalk coffee houses, tiny pharmacies and barber shops abound. I got my hair cut in the open stall for $1.00. You'd have thought I had lush locks the time the young man spent. A street ironer, ironed two of my   travelling home shirts, for another dollar. There are men at treadle sewing machines , on corners, sidewalks and make  shift kiosks , everywhere....I had a missing jeans button sewn on for 10 cents..the button had broken off on my importers Chinese trousers. He searched his supply in an old Singer drawer and came up with the large size needed for the fly top...... yellow!! 15 cents.

I bought a hand made shopping bag from one of the bag weavers for 10 Birr ( 50 cents).
A few souvenirs to get rid of some of the Birr was in my wallet. 20 Birr to a dollar!

Our Rotary leader is hosting a farewell last supper , in the hotel. Some carry on on a week's tour , Sunday morning ; four of us fly out to Addis Ababa ...overnight....20 hour flights to Winnipeg....2 more by shuttle to Brandon. 6:00pm, November 24th....to bed.

It has been an experience and then some , believe me.
I will attempt to attach a couple of photos. 
Bill