Museums, Thanksgiving, Shipping, Hiking....all this and much more in Ethiopia

The day finally arrived. Our shipment with our car and household goods made it-most of it. As many of you know homeland security rifled though our goods looking for "weapons of mass distraction" and only found a bottle of laundry detergent and packed it with my beer making supplies. It spilled, resulting in a moldy sugar detergent soup that would make anyone vomit after a quick whiff. The added bonus was our repacked truck with a guitar and amp on bicycles. No consideration for other people's property.  

Not pictured is the flat tire.

5 months later. We were also charged a extra. The school messed up on our paperwork-so we get to pay. I think this is how the shippers, school, etc. makes extra money. They aren't incompetent, just smart business people who know how to shakedown customers. 

"Hey boss, there might be AK-47's in dat der painting, let's cut it open!"

Thanksgiving with our neighbors. 

A gigantic art billboard made of circuit boards.

We finally got around to visiting the National Museum. Olmeca Head. There is a roundabout called Mexico, and I think this is where it came from for safekeeping with all the construction. Olmeca is also a duty-free tequila that should be avoided.

Haile Selassie 

What we once looked like.

Lucy and not Ricky Ricardo's media naranja (better half)

Haile Selassie's chair

Better than live sheep's wool. 

You'll have to come and visit for yourself to see the cool artifacts and art. 

Communist era art.

Meskel

Ethiopia is this scenic.

If we grew up being a punker in the 80's, I bet your first thought is the Bad Brains. 

This why we moved here... 

...and this too.

We stopped by the annex building for the Nigs exhibit by Mezgebu-a heavy hitter in the Ethiopia art scene. Think hyper realism.

Another afternoon out-of-town adventure. We parked at a spot and noticed several men leaning against their cars sitting on the ground chewing qat (chat). That seemed like a good spot to hike. 

Qat power! Monica in the middle is holding a rock, we've been chased by dogs during our past two outings.

A couple of goodies from Addis.

Not much to post word or photo wise, but there are a couple of gems in the mix. If you get an itching to see how well snail mail works in this part of the world, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a postcard and we'll do the same. You can write us at: ICS c/o Bob and Ana Medina  Mauritania Road PO BOX 70282 Addis Ababa Ethiopia. That's right no zip code.  

New year chickens that didn't make the cut or end up on a plate.

Albert is looking good as is the human brain.

Corndog pointing out Africa on the map. 

If someone did this in the states, I'm sure homeland security and PETA would chase you down. 

The girl bear on the top has something funky going on. 

The Teletubbies grow up and grow boobs. Outside a Kindergarten school. 

Saturday morning hike.

Lost in the woods.

Cool looking moss.

Lost horn. 

Driving down Entoto

The real New Year in Addis.

How I spent New Year in Addis.
By Robby Medina

Construction site equals green and yellow fences. Why green and yellow? Rumor has it that someone in the government likes the Brazil football team.   

Rocking the cool street art. 

Yes, those would be sticks.

A goat peddler chatting with our van driver. $40 will get you a nice goat.

It was Mexican week at the Radisson. BTW, happy Mexican Independence Day.

The Mexican embassy flew out the high school age musicians from Oaxaca and a chef from Guadalajara for the week.

Remember the sticks surrounding the building above? 

A story about a drunk little tree.

In our free time, Ana, friends, and I stumble around construction sites...for fun.

Probably not California building code friendly.

Just a short walk over the hill from where we live.

This is what out place looked like 3 years ago.

It is always nice to have a group of children follow you to practice their English and laugh at you.  When we parted ways they said "we love you" and giggled off into a field.

Progress is a real shame. 

Gotta get the Pepsi and beer up the hill somehow.

"We love you" 

Gotta keep the electricity flowing. 

Female gender symbol and 420...what does this mean? 

Nothings says happy new year like a skull.

Somebody likes the Broncos.

Stopped by for a beer at a local bar and meet these nice fellows...

...and our server. The hairdos are amazing in Addis. An added bonus of living here,

Good thing we don't have to travel far to buy our new pet goat.  These nice gentlemen were eager to assist us.

It was a tough choice...

...but we settled on Birriacita. 

We also get fresh chicken delivery at home.