Letter from Bill

Coffee..$900 million Arabica exports
Coffee ceremony on the photo. Beans are sold everywhere in huge bushel- like sacks. Small sidewalk coffee shops are so numerous....small cups of fresh strong coffee. Self- roasted over charcoal .
Local consumption would drive Tim to an excited frenzy.
Never seen an Ethiopian smoking or obese or drunk!! I can count on one hand the number of people wearing glasses. 
Shoe washing/ polishing, basket weaving with long strips of recycled       
Plastics like coffee sacks is the main sidewalk economy.... Mattresses of brilliant colours are for sale everywhere as are teeth cleaning sticks.
The streets are crammed with people and commerce...closet- size gift shops are everywhere.
Gorgeous palms , tropical trees line the boulevards.
The cost of living for foreigners is almost laughable....
A large loaded pizza, all types of hamburgers , local foods on huge circles of flatbreads( you eat with right hand only) rarely more than 4 or 5 dollars. The best coffee and mugs of freshly squeezed juices less than  $1.
Tuk tuks ever on the move... About $1 for us to go wherever.
Just a glimpse of day to day Bahir Dar.