Hawassa

I came here directly from the Bale Mountains. In contrast, it is very low and has a tropical feel. Because of it’s clean streets, fresh air, and friendly people, it is probably my favorite city in Ethiopia so far. There is also a large lake with an eponymous name. Great birding in this area.

The central of town is marked by a twirling spire that stands in front of the main church. I took this just after dawn. Below is the start of the annual ½ marathon in Hawassa. First place time was 62 minutes, incredibly fast.

 

Fisherman primarily catch Tilapia here. It’s usually prepared by frying it in oil and serving it whole. One of my favorite Ethiopian foods. In the background you can see Bajajis, 3-wheeled taxis that are numerous in towns outside of Addis.

Pink Backed Pelican Marabou stork (almost as ugly as my brothers)

Hippos – One of the most impressive animals I’ve seen anywhere. They spent a lot of time under water and emerged suddenly with loud snorting sounds – it can be quite startling if they come up close to your boat.

Bale Mountains Trekking

As I was hoping, I was was able to return to the Bale Mountains for an extensive trek. The weather was very cold – there were blistering winds, hail, and rain. We also got a day of very sunny weather though! Altitude was ~4000m. It’s a beautiful park with a significant amount of endemism because of the unique environment.

Finally got up close to some warthogs. They hobble around on their front knees to get their snout down on the ground in order to eat. Looks quite awkward but they can still move pretty quick while doing this.

Rock Hyrax

Very shy rodents about the size of a house cat. They live among rocky areas and small caves in cliffs.

Web River Falls – About 30m high with a small cave behind it.

Sodota Plains and Muracha Valley – thousands of mice and mole-rats are constantly scurrying around these areas. The ground under my feet caved in more than once because of the extensive tunneling going on there.

The vegetation of the park was quite different from anything I’ve seen before. With temperatures frequently dipping below freezing, there were still a bunch of miniature looking palm trees and bright Red Hot Poker flowers. Very strange to see in an alpine environment.

Ethiopian wolves (zoom in) – The rarest canine species on the planet, only ~450 left. They have beautiful red-brown coats and mostly hunt rodents. We were really lucky to see them.

Ethiopan Easter

Easter for the orthodox church was on May 5^th (sorry, just now had a chance to upload this). After 2 months of fasting, the whole country is now enjoying a “feasting period” for the next 2 months. Almost every household that could afford it slaughtered goats and chickens on Easter – it was bizarre to have the streets so crowded with livestock for the weekend.

Grass Market – the streets were lined with grass vendors from outside the city. Ethiopians tie grass around their forehead throughout Easter weekend and also spread more fragrant grass on the floors of their homes for holidays and special occasions.

Herds of goats and their owners were on every street corner. Animals reserved or already purchased are marked with paint.

Savior of the World Cathedral – crowds of pilgrims filled the area around this church for the week leading up to Easter. I went on Easter day to observe the festivities, but the place was eerily quiet and almost deserted. I was very surprised – it turns out Ethiopians spend Easter in their homes with their families and friends.