A Grand Day Out

 

government housing in Bishoftu in front of
Lake Chelekleka

I have to leave Addis. I really have to. I am so tunnel-visioned nothing else has existed beyond school for months.

I’d love to go for a few days’ break but i have got too much to do and sort, so i opt for a day trip to some volcanic lakes some 80 kms outside the sprawling city of Addis in Bishoftu. This is where Rob and Anna have spent the last 10 months volunteering to build and open the latest of my Boss’ schools.  They’re a choice English couple in the mid-sixties who met in Ethiopia back in 1970s. Which is how they know Boss. We usually meet up in Addis for either for Friday dinner or Saturday lunch to swap horror stories from the last 7 days and if it is lunch, Ms J joins us.

I have invited dedicated Ms J and her two youngest to join me, and pick them up early on root out of town. I’m far less nervous on the roads, a true sign of acclimatisation to my host city. The rented KIA’s clutch remains fairly buggered but i am confident it will get us there.

The road is sealed but has regular diversions on the way. Many stretches of the road are single lane only and with the amount of large tankers and trucks on the road, it is all too easy for the 80kms journey to take a few hours. 

Bishoftu has seen a lot of recent development and now has burgeoning population of 144,000 putting it into the top 10 most populated towns in Ethiopia It is also been the home to the Ethiopian air force since 1945. However, its rural charm around the neighbouring lakes which has encouraged numerous entrepreneurs, both local and foreign.

There are five lakes in all, which are accessible on foot or garis (horse-drawn carriages). Each one is quite different but equally as tranquil. We only manage to see four of them. 

 We start off at Lake Babogaya, where we introduce ourselves to Yann, a Belgium guy, who, with his local tribal wife run the beautifully located Viewpoint Lodge, a fave with Anna and Rob. His was the original lodge brought several years ago, but now there are several scattered around the crater’s edge. He offers us lunch, but it’s only 10.30 and we have only just finished breakfast at the respectable Ethiopian Air-force and Officer’s Club, so we politely decline.   

 growing beans

Our next stop is to check out Rob and Anna who headed up to Lalibela with 2 of their kids last week, but due back today. We have no problem locating the school with it’s lovely location in front of Lake Chelekleka , but there is no sign of Rob and Anna. 

The Security Guard nonetheless shows us around the school. It has five classrooms and is beautiful. But at the moment there are only 8 students. The shiny imported resources put my school to shame. The guard then offers to escort us to the top of the ridge where there is a quality view of Lake Hora.

  Lake Hora

Having worked up an appetite, we head to Rosemary, where both Rob and Anna rate as one of the best serviced restaurants in Ethiopia. Although it gotta be said, there is little competition. We’re all non-plused as they inform us that there is no bread for sandwiches ordered. Ms J suggests going to bakery and magically it is sorted. My steak and cheese sandwich is pretty good, but Ms J and kids are not impressed with the chicken nuggets and Jody ends up feeding them to the well-fed cat. Nonetheless the order was correct and took a mere 22 minutes to serve.  

We head over to the lakeside of Hora, where we see cormorant fisherfolk and a rich biodiversity of bird-life. However the area is busy with strollers, and Jody wants to swim but has no swimming costume. 

We head up over to the much smaller and quieter Lake Kiroftu close to the beautiful but expensive Kuriftu Lodge. Only Jody enters the water which she describes as cold and rocky. I just lie in the sun and appreciate the serenity. It’s been a grand day out.

 Ms J, Emma and Jody