Trip to Enoto Mountains

These women are known as "women woodcarriers." They walk for miles up the mountain only to walk miles back down with a 30 kilo (about 60-70lbs) of wood on their backs. The people in Addis Ababa (the city) need firewood for cooking and there is no wood in the city so these women provide a valuable service. However, they do all this for about $1 a day, just enough to feed themselves and their family for one day. Tomorrow they will do the same thing and the next day and the next...

I cannot blame this woman one bit for the look on her face. What a miserable job!

We encountered these boys on our way up the mountain. What they hold in their hands is a homemade soccer ball. They played a little soccer for us right there on the road. It is a moment like this that you would give anything to be able to pull a soccer ball out of your back pocket.

Two little cuties we met near the Orthodox Church on the Entoto Mountain. I think they had parents who were visiting the church. I hope.

These adorable boys were near the church. I gave them each a piece of mint gum. The boy in the tan sweatshirt with the orange stripe made a face when he put the strange flavor of mint in his mouth. Katie suggested that they looked hungry and I should give them the snacks we brought for ourselves. They accepted it quickly and began gobbling it up, with both hands. They were indeed very hungry.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church that sits nearby Emperor Melinik's palace.

This is the way these two sisters walked around every place we went. How sweet it is...

The group of us...Marie, Jill, Lilly, Me, Katie and Aliya standing in front of a door of Emperor Melinik's palace. He's the one who made Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia way back when.

There was also a museum on this site, which cost less than $10 for all of us to go into, including our wonderful driver, Z. It ended up being a bit of a surprise with amazing royal robes, a royal saddle, drums, etc. inside. We were not allowed to take pics inside because of the delicate state of the treasures inside, but we all enjoyed it to the fullest! The artifacts inside were gorgeous! WELL worth the money.

If you're going to Addis Ababa and want a day trip, I would highly recommend the Entoto Mountains!

Blessings,

Laura