It's Official! I am a Returned Peace Corp Volunteer.

I am officially an RPCV!  After two years it is hard to believe I am finished with PC Ethiopia.  It has been an incredible two years filled with ups and downs your wouldn't believe.  I can't thank everyone enough for the support and love that has been sent my way.  Now on to India for the next adventure!

Saying Goodbye

Visiting the host family for the last time. The kids are finished with school and getting things ready for tomorrow. On the left they are cleaning the icicle molds, and on the left preparing the food for the restaurant tomorrow. Prep is a long job requiring a lot of chopping, cleaning, and pre-cooking. They get off school, and immediately start serving food, tending the shop, cooking, and cleaning.

Health Center

This is the health center in my town. It is where my site mate works. In Ethiopia there are both local clinics, and health centers or health posts. In the large towns both clinics and centers will have licensed doctors. In smaller towns like mine,

the centers/clinics have either nurses or simply "knowledgeable" people. The health posts are government extensions of the health centers and are usually used simply for getting vaccines etc.

Ethiopia-the Birthplace of Coffee

Making coffee is a pretty intense process. First you sort it, then you wash it, then sort again, then roast it, then you grind it (shown here) and finally you have to make the coffee. Having a buna ceremony is really a common thing here. People invite you to come have coffee, but what you learn quickly is only accept if you have time.

Going Away Party

My office had a small ceremony for me to thank me for coming to Gassera. They all wished me well and told me to come back one day.

Water Lines

As you probably know already we have been having problems with water. To be more precise we have not had water coming out of the faucet in a year. So to supplement the bottled water some of the government offices have started having, water tankers bring in water and each person working for the office can bring three Jerry cans a week to get water. This was actually a slow day, on busy days the line will wrap out of the gate. 

Chat and Getting Arrested

The bus is transporting people, probably to Ghinir, the town I got arrested in.  But if you look on top of the bus you can see it is carrying chat.  In America it is an illegal substance, but in Ethiopia it is completely legal and considered a cash crop. It is mostly chewed exclusively by men, and it can lead to people in your town having a bad opinion of you. While some people choose to chew only in secret, it is still common to see  drivers, and people in similar lines of work chewing. It is supposed to give a euphoric high, with the added benefit of being a stimulant, hense why drivers chew. 
The second picture is a horse gari (cart) commonly used to get around moderate distances. The number seen working varies but is largest during market days when people are being in supplies to sell, or carting away large bags of grains.  There is also a version of gari pulled by donkey, see my previous posts for a donkey gari with a tie.