Caught in the Rain, Seeking shelter in an Animal Shelter

Traveling in rainy season is not ideal in most African countries. The land gets boggy, and mud gets sticky. Handwashed clothing tends to never let go of the moist cold feeling no matter how long you leave them out to dry. Parts of the country are covered in Mud making visiting regions impossible. while other parts of the country are desperate for rain. Farmers loose land as the unstable ground washes away, or a sudden hail storm crush's any hope of a crop this season. Rain makes things difficult. Road ways can become streams in a matter of minutes, a quick coffee turns into an hour waiting game as you try to predict if the rain is getting lighter or heavier! Carrying a rain jacket is essential, everyday, even if it is sunny in the morning! Taking a risk and wearing light slip on shoes result in them sitting out to dry for days to come. It is a good thing my hair does not Frizz with humidity!

Oh African, rainy season, unique, but still moments of beauty. Here at my house in Addis, I have two photos posted above my bed..... one of the rains in Conakry Guinea through a taxi drivers windshield, and the other is of a BC ferry in Active pass with rain drops clinging to the window pane. So Vancouver has prepared me for this African Rainy season, a true love of rain and the blue colour that comes with a storm. By rainboots are well used, to the point I cannot use them any more! Holes have cracked through. My umbrella made an early exit... literally falling from my bag never to be seen again. Oh any my trusty old green rain jacket.... not so trusty, sly little think has decided to draw rain inside! Thankfully I claimed my sisters jacket when she left me!  Now its a game of... 7 weeks left of rainy season.... I'll be fine with only my sisters rain jacket and Leather boots?!?! 

TIA (this is Africa) is a phrase that is cliché and well known. But it is cliché for a reason. For some travelers the struggles and lack of punctuality dive some people mad. But learning to grin and shrug your shoulders and say to your self TIA will lesson the blow of challenges one must expect on a daily bases while living/traveling abroad.

 

After a last minute tour of the Church in a cave, Kaylin, our tour guide Kanu and myself climbed back into our Van, our next stop was to be the Airport! After a few clicks of the ignition and a failed attempt to Bump Start the van, the three of us walked through the rural village to the road way. Kanu was quick to call and make arrangements for another car to pick us up. If this happened in Canada I may have been stressing about missing our flight, but out in the middle of the beautiful hills of Lallibella there was nothing we could do but wait and enjoy the scenery.

All around us the hills where green and plunged deep into the valley below. Grey clouds gathered above us and then the rains came thrashing down! Lucky for us we just happen to be standing next to a Goat shelter! In we stepped taking cover under the aluminum roof. Kanu apologized, we just responded with “no worries, at least it has a good roof!”.

More phone calls were made and the rain continued to come down, a chicken popped into the shelter, taking cover from the rain, kids hung on the outside laughing and chattering away while asking for chocolate and stickers. As no car was coming yet, and the time was ticking past…. 40 minutes or so, we hopped into a Baja (Ethiopians version of a TukTuk, a three wheeled covered vehicle) and headed down the bumpy unfinished, pothole filled, wet slippery road through the hills and valley’s to the Airport!

In true Africa fashion when we arrived for out flight, it was delayed by a couple hours! 

Always trying to enjoy the view and the moments we are forced to slow down and wait. I know once I am home I will be to busy to stop, and will miss the mist and the layers of muted colours when the rains come.