September 25: Axum by foot
Scott and I snuck around the side entrance of the Africa Hotel to avoid a guide we knew might be stalking us. We simply wanted to amble with purpose around Axum on our own. The Haile Selassie library had several workers to escort guests and guide them through the collection. I had a comic moment when the librarian encouraged me to look at the American collection by saying "Lyndon B. Johnson?" Scott snuck close to the camels so I could get a picture with my faulty camera. We also yet a young man who showed us a crafty shortcut up the mountainside to get to the Yeha Hotel. Our Seattle friends Yaddi and Hewan had recommended a visit there after they spent part of their honeymoon there. Scott and I were pretty sure that military honchos came and dined there shortly after we arrived. The rest days were the saving grace of this vacation. They allowed us to soak up the culture. We sat with two Coca-Colas (the only time I've ever seen Scott drink soda) along the street and just watch passerbies for hours. Scott happened to meet a local English teacher Hagos Johannes this way and it gained us an invite to the Sunshine English School. The youth packed in on benches to spend a couple hours learning English and they were given the option of asking us questions. We were asked: * Western clothes are impacting the way young women behave and traditional Ethiopian values. Do you have advice on this? * How can you find love when there are so many mistakes to be made along the way? * What do you think of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony? * Who is more beautiful? (Scott or I? And Scott answered correctly!) ...and one of my favourites, "Why don't men wear dresses?" We cracked them up. Scott tends to be so reserved in public in Seattle, so I was tickled to see him really ham it up for the kids. For example, we were asked if we ever cried in our relationship. Scott said "Sure!" and that things couldn't always go right and sometimes we would cry, punctuated by an overly-dramatized bawl. They loved it! Three of four little boys in the front row couldn't stop whispering and giggling after that. It added much needed spontaneous and meaningful interactions to our trip.
