Dear ECS: Multi-sport Thanksgiving

Dear ECS,

A very happy holiday season from our family to yours!   

It is a good time of year to be in Addis, great weather and sun (as my mild sunburn can attest).  It is a bit disconcerting to see the rough weather for football games.  Here, a beanie is solely decorative.  This is a huge contrast from Maine, let me tell you.

Honestly, Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday, but something about being abroad reinforces the positives of this holiday, and the others throughout the year.   Being in a diverse group of Americans allows everyone to bring their own special dish, or tradition.  The mixing of those traditions is the very essence of our country. Some of our friends hosted a feast for 36 people with folks contributing their own family's take on roasted vegetables or stuffing; and you liked pumpkin pie for the first time.  
There was also a cool wrinkle of having our holiday in the middle of a week – when it was just us Americans celebrating.  Because Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, no one else was taking the time to gather, gorge and give thanks.

This week has been wonderful; from Las Vegas, we have my parents and, from SF, your godfather, Tony/Tote, is visiting. You have loved being with your extended family, and every morning you wake up and ask – “where are my babas at?’  As they are sleeping, you are quite keen to wake them up, and I can assure you that being woken up by you is the best way for them to start their day.

With the extra time off from work + the great weather + the ability to sneak off with the extra adults = a chance to explore the Addis mountains which we took advantage of over the last week.  On the day before thanksgiving, your mom, Tony and me headed up into the Entoto mountains for a half day climbing session.  We had been up in the area before but this was the first time we got to get the rope out.  It is a gorgeous 45 minute walk from the parking area up to the crag, through forest and tilled fields. 

The crag is a ballast rock, which makes sense with all the volcanic lakes in the area and the Rift Valley.  Getting on the rock again after a very long time away felt so familiar.  It was especially familiar going to the crag with Mu and Tote, who I have had the pleasure of climbing with all over the world for more than a decade. The cliff is tall, and stunning, and I really enjoyed the long climbs we did before the sun set and we heading back down to the car and on to a cultural restaurant to feast on goat tibs and gomen and injera.  Not the traditional day before thanksgiving feast and night out, but really enjoyable.

The next day, tote and I (mostly Tote) got our mountain bikes ready to go and we go dropped off about 10 minutes from our house.  We rode into the forest, picking our way through the rugged terrain.  When the truck went by us with a couple of guards and their weapons, we went the other way.  That was a little different than my prior rides with uncle Tony.  Then a few minutes later, we started passing woman carrying an immense amount of freshly cut firewood.  One woman had easily a hundred pounds of wood on her back and was doubled over at her waist as she inched along the trails.  The contrast between us on a mountain bike ride and this woman working so hard for her family was quite stark.  The rest of the ride was interesting, fording some creeks, doing a steep ascent up to a 9/11 memorial, riding down a creek bed.  My first ride here in Addis, first of many.

As you can see honey, it was a great couple of days with your godfather, our family and many new friends. I think you love pretty much every holiday.

Love,

dad

Dear ECS: You never forget your first safari

Dear ECS,  

You never forget your first safari.  Unless, of course, you are not yet writing permanent memories to your brain.  We took a family trip to Kenya a few weekends ago and you got to go on your first safari.  

Wow!  2 years old and on a getaway weekend to Nairobi....If you had told my childhood self that I would be taking getaway weekends to Nairobi, I would have been incredulous.  And excited.   This trip was awesome in every sense of the word and you loved the trip so much.  I had been looking forward to taking you on this trip basically since we arrived in Addis, and really even before.  You have loved animals since you were a very little baby and what better place to see animals than on safari in Africa?

A few days before we left for Kenya, I was talking with a friend at work – mostly talking about how much I was looking forward to watching you watch animals.  He casually mentioned that he had taken his daughter on safari in Zambia when she was three and had thought the same thing, but then she didn’t remember it.  Of course she didn’t; remember it – she was 3!  And you probably won’t remember this first safari either.

This short conversation kind of threw me for a loop, as it liquefied some (incorrect) assumptions I had about all our adventures together.  I know intellectually that memory starts to fill in when you are older than your tender age of two.  I know that most of my earliest memories, if not all, are based on pictures of those events.  Where does my actual memory begin and what is a fill-in memory based on the photos and our family narratives around those moments, and pictures.  On this front, you will have many, many pictures to create your own memories from, probably terabytes of pics and videos.  Your mom and I will tell you as many times as you let us about our adventures, like your first safari.  And I will have my memories of these moments as long as I am alive.

The highlight of the trip, by far, was taking you on your first safari.   I went on my first of these about 5 years ago to the day we went, when your mom and I went on a couple day safari in Tanzania.  One of thosedays was one of the best of my life – a day spent continually in awe of the various animals.  A few weekends ago was different from going into the Ngorongoro Crater, but indelible in the same fashion.

As a family, we headed into Nairobi National Park in the morning after our arrival the evening before. I did not know what to expect, having never been to this park.  We had heard good things about the park, with the proximity to one of the largest cities in the region being lauded as a positive.  But I was a little skeptical, thinking that the best parks around the world are usually far from urban centers.

I was wrong.  Thankfully.

We spent the morning and into the afternoon driving on beat up paved and dirt roads, with our own car and driver meaning we were flexible and responsive to being in the park with a 2 year old.  You did a bush pee in the park, which warmed my heart and got you excited to pee near impalas. 

More importantly, we got to see many of the coolest animals in the world in their own natural setting.  Watching a dominant male impala protect his harem of female impalas from a secondary herd of solo males.  Seeing zebras at the end of the day and you pointing to them and squalling in delight – ‘ZEBRAS!’ We saw a lion lounging in the high grass protecting a recent buffalo kill.

Highlights;

- Two separate points in the day we parked near giraffes eating off acacia trees maybe 40-50 feet from the road.  The first time it was raining and the second had the sun out in force.  Both times, you stood excitedly at the nearest window to the majestic animals and looked with such intensity at them eating and walking around the forest.  You wanted to be right there, and no where else.  Same as your mom, same as me.  The second time we watched the giraffes, you kept asking where one of them was going as it circled the nearest tree eating.  “Where he going daddy?”  And when we started to pull away and go look for more animals, you didn’t want to leave.

- A second cool moment came as we parked near a little lake and creek flowing from the small body of water.  This space attracted a ton of birds, and a massive croc.  In the middle distance there was a huge bird, which we thought at first was a ground bound- Secretarybird.  But nope, it was a fish eagle, chilling on the ground right next to the creek.  After a few minutes, we noticed flopping underneath the eagle, and then it becomes obvious that the eagle has a fish in its talons trapped on the ground, waiting for it to die.  A vulture swoops in and disturbs the eagle, which rises slowly from the ground with the fish in its talons.  Then it becomes obvious how large the fish is, maybe 3 feet long and in truth too big for the bird.  The weight of the fish makes it hard for the eagle to fly and somehow the fish wriggles out of the talons and flops into the little creek.  The reality is that fish is probably not long for the earth with huge talon holes in its side, but for a moment it is free and back in its habitat. You ask plaintively – “why they do that?” 

Nature honey, that is why they do that.

Love,

dad

Dear ECS: I go hiking

Honey,

What a great long weekend – a good trip makes a long weekend feel like a week, if not more.  Even though we only left for 3 nights -- we flew up to the Tigray region in the north of Ethiopia on Friday and flew back on Monday evening -- wow did we pack a lot of stuff in those days.

We flew up to Mekele, and then spent the night with a buddy there before heading to my favorite lodge/hotel thus far in Ethiopia, Gheralta lodge.  This lodge has epic views across the geologic scale valley to cliff faces that are thousands of feet of sheer rock.   The lodge has a lineage to the ill-fated Italian occupation of Ethiopia in the mid/late 30’s, and there are even carvings in the rocks on the complex that were done by a forward Italian force in the 30’s. 

On the first day, your mom and our friends headed out for a big hike in the afternoon and you and hung out in our large lodge.  I debated whether to be active and productive and read or do emails during your nap.  My internal drive to make the most of the moments is very strong, often too strong.  But nope, not today.  I opted for the ultimate in vacation, taking a nap with my two-year-old daughter, sleeping when you sleep in the parlance of new parents.  I don’t nap often, so taking a full on two-hour nap was an unexpected pleasure that really reset your dad’s biorhythm and vacation clock. 

The next day, I put that peacefulness and recovery to work with a hike up to Maryam and Daniel Korkor, which are perched hundreds and hundreds of feet above the Hawzien plains far below.  We climbed up through a narrow slot onto an open face of rocks cascading up several hundred feet, with a few false summits until the first church (Maryam) comes into view seemingly in a field of cactuses. We eventually arrive at the church itself, which is carved dozens of feet deep into the white, temperate rock.  The rock inside has the visible scarring of the process used to make this impressive accomplishment – which expands from the humble entrance.  It has an ephemeral quality, with the harsh sunlight outside filtered through the smallish openings and creating relaxing patterns and shadows – with a bit of the tranquility broken by the human remains in graves within the sanctuary.  Quite the contrast. 

On the second hike, we (you, our friends, mom and me) traversed up switchbacks to the cliff faces guarding Abuna Yemata Geh.  You and I brought up the rear together, first in your hiking backpack and then once that got old--you hiked yourself.  Watching you at two years old, telling me –“I go hiking” with a huge smile on your face, I felt good about all the future adventures to come as a Korol team of three. 

Back to the church, which is well over a milieu old, and is very difficult to access – with some barefoot rock climbing up to a church etched into a sheer rock face.  You feel the whole time that humans aren’t meant to be here, yet people have been worshiping at this church since the 6^th century.   I was the last tourist of the day, and the light at the end of the day in this setting was really special.  Walking from the sun and sheer cliff into the dark church, barefoot on a 600 foot cliff, was quite a dramatic switch – from light to dark with these pastel murals in the church depicting the apostles, and even the artist himself.  That priest told me an interesting anecdote, as I was bubbling to him excitedly about how pretty the location and the church itself was.  He said, “all the tourist, when they get here are VERY happy.”  The mix of adrenaline beauty overwhelms.  I was, that is for sure.

One thing was really vivid for us in Tigray generally and in the Gheralta mountains especially, was how similar it felt and looked to believed parts of our own country.  Specifically we were often talking about how much kinship we felt towards southern Utah, AZ and the four corners area of New Mexico.  This is something I really love about travel, that places thousands of miles apart will be somehow be so familiar.  We will be coming back to this part of Ethiopia, hopefully to put our climbing skill to the test on these steep cliffs.  I can’t wait.

We keep exploring Ethiopia, and the region, and there doesn’t portend to be any shift in that approach to this time in the Horn. You are thriving in those trips thus far, which is wonderful to see as your dad. If you weren’t, then we would switch it up and spend more time in our lovely Addis home. But until that happens, you can look forward to safaris, Ethiopian wolves and other things that reinforce we are not in Kansas anymore.

love,

w

Dear ECS: Stockholm is islands, so many islands

Dear ECS,

Well honey, it is so good to be home.  It is so good to be traveling too, and this was a solo trip so that is a whole different animal.  When I got home yesterday and you and your mom opened up our gate and you said so happily (but sleepily, since I just took a redeye) – “Daddy!” my heart melted.

Where did I get to gallivant off to this time?  A place I had wanted to visit since I was in middle school in Maine and teams of hockey players better than me went over to Sweden to have a great time and get their butts kicked.  Muriel had been gone the last couple of weeks to the Sudans, so I thought I would keep the S theme going and head to Stockholm. 

You would fit right in Sweden, there were a ton of blond babies and kids all over the place and the parents take very, very good care of their kids.  I saw so many $500 dollar plus baby strollers (safety is very important in Sweden) and parents seemed to follow your parents' philosophy of taking kids pretty much everywhere.  I also enjoyed fitting in, being anonymous.  Here in Addis, I stand out.  We stand out.  Which is wonderful for the attention, but in Stockholm I revelled in getting to go on a run and not get shouted at on a minute-by-minute basis. 

There were also some nice benefits of traveling solo; I think my favorite is being hypermobile.  I like to be on the move--walking, running, buses, boats, bikes, whatever.  I don’t go for the smartwatch like your mom to track my steps, but if I did I am sure these days would have been record setters.  Being on the move is what makes me feel like I am exploring.  Exploring -- stumbling into new, cool things. Don’t get me wrong sweetie, I had my fair share of coffees and beers and fall apples that made me recall Maine so fondly, but my mind always wants to be moving.

Because solo traveling is great for reflection, one thing I was thinking about a lot over the days was about travel generally.  Your mom and I do, and did, a lot of it; we have directed a small fortune and a large portion of our limited and ever diminishing time on earth on travel – money and time I would spend again on that pursuit again joyfully.  And more.  I hope against hope that you will have the same preferences, and know that you will have seen more of this world at a tender age than I could have conceived of when I was in my early 20’s. 

I have always thought to myself that I travel to see new things. But I want to revise that. I think I travel to feel – this trip I ended up traveling to mourn (Dave, my friend that died earlier this year), to celebrate (I got selected for promotion last week), to appreciate (how damn lucky I am), to be anonymous, and to remember.  

Travel is also great for memories (I wrote about my memory index here: http://livingthekoroldream.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-memory-index.html).  An example of remembering from my Stockholm trip was a great day I had years ago, I guess in 2004, and one that I had not thought about for at least a decade.  Since I got out on the water on ferries in Stockholm to see more than the city in the massive archipelago, I ended up recalling strongly a solo travel day I had in central/southern Chile, heading out from a city called Valdivia.  That day I ended up exploring ancient forts all to myself, just I did a few days ago in Vaxholm.  Both days were overcast, on the shoulder seasons in places that get a lot more visitors during their summer high season.  These places are thousands and thousands of miles apart, but in my mind that distance, and the 13 years, melted to nothing.

Traveling was great and it was made better knowing you were having such a great time back home.  Here is a transcript of a video I watched many more times than I would have anticipated 3 years ago was possible.

Elle: “hi, bye, I’ll see you later.  Bye.”

Mu: “say hi daddy.”

Elle: “hi daddy, I miss you so much. Bye.!”

Mu: “do you love him so much?”

Elle:  “i love you so much!”

- said with a huge grin

I love you so much!

Love,

dad