This and That

Good Morning!  Here we are at Tuesday morning, Valentine's Day, the 14th of February.  Cupid doesn't seem to be revered or even noted here, but Happy Valentine's Day to all.  I thought today I would post some unrelated photos that show a bit more of life here.  The first one is one men building a cobblestone road. They were very skilled in what they were doing, and as you can see, the results are impressive: a lovely swirling pattern.  Working all day in the intense sun on a project like that takes a lot of patience and energy. I was most impressed. This road was at Desta Mender, a new road being built to connect the new administration building and clinic with the library and computer facilities.  They were just beginning, and had at least a couple of killimeters yet to go.
The next photo was taken on the way up to Entoto Mountain, where yesterday I showed you photos of the women carrying huge loads of eucalyptus branches downhill. This was a young man herding donkeys uphill. Donkeys are seen fairly frequently carrying large loads, though they don't seem to be as common as cows walking on the streets, or goat herds on street corners, for sale to someone who wants a goat for a special feast.
The amaryllis blooming is the first one I have seen outside of a pot.  It was wonderful to see it in its natural habitat! They thrive here, along with geraniums, poinsettias, acacias, jacarandas (purple flowers), canna lilies, roses, which shoot 12-15 feet tall, calla lilies, tiger lilies, water lilies in ponds, allium, and many many flowers I cannot identify.  I am told that you can take a 3 or 4 inch piece of root from a rose bush and plant it, it will come up, grow, bloom and thrive. No need to graft onto an old root here. God has blessed this land with fertile soil and a wonderful climate for growing things.  We have had a bouquet of flowers picked from our yard in the house the whole time we have been here.
That last photo is of the market place on Saturday. I didn't get a good photo, too many cars in the way, so you can't see all the little shops, the sidewalk and street thronging with people, and every once in a while people crouched down on the sidewalk for their cup of bunna or macchiato (coffee, both). It is invigorating to be amongst all these shoppers!
Yesterday we spent the lunch hour and early afternoon in an oasis. We were invited by Gemetius to join him and his beloved teachers, Norwegian Jonnie Bakke and his wife Marit, and Swedish Agne Norlander and his wife Karin to lunch at the Hilton. I'll add a photo tomorrow, but we sat in an outdoor cafe near the swimming pool, surrounded by palms and beautiful flowers, with sounds of kids playing in the water floating by. We sat in a shady bower enjoying good conversation and the warmth of the sun without its glare.  I even ate fish and chips--first western meal in awhile. Afterwards we visited Bambi's, a western-type supermarket.  It was the closest to a supermarket I have seen here, somewhat like we would see in a SuperAmerica store. A lot of variety compared to what we have in the local souks, but I found the prices very expensive--probably similar to what we would pay at home for laundry soap, cheese, meat or dairy products. I should note, though, that I really haven't seen milk for sale here, except in powdered form. I don't think drinking milk is part of the typical diet.