Yesterday morning we worked for about an hour dividing the sessions between the local facilitators and then decided it was time to play before 3 hard days of work. There are not that many tourist attractions here but the Blue Nile Falls is one we were told not to miss. Since the rains usually start in the afternoon we decided to go in the morning.
We squeezed the 6 of us in the rented SUV, just barely doable for the 45 minutes ride each way over an unpaved washboard-like road. I was thoroughly shaken by the time we came back to town. I was also exhausted from the hike up and down valleys, over the 400 year old Portuguese bridge and along a mountain path that led us to the plateau from where the water tumbled.
Electricity, when it is there, comes from a hydro-electric dam that catches the power of the Blue Nile. The engineers have created an alternative route through which they lead the water to and through the hydro dam. This reduces the enormous natural falls to a narrow trickle, still impressive but clearly no comparison to the real thing.
Apparently, the flow is routed back to its natural course every 24 hours or so which makes the falls quite spectacular. Our double bad luck was that the water was routed through the hydro station so we did not get to see the river falling down naturally while also not benefitting from the generated electricity that day.
My colleagues told me that the Ethiopian government blames the WorldBank for its power problems and the WorldBank blames the government for unacceptable equipment and designs and thus withholds funds. I am not sure this is the real story but whatever is happening, no one seems to take responsibility for the fact that half the time businesses like hotels, restaurants, copy shops and internet cafes have no power. Since it is not anyone’s fault, everyone has learned to live with this state of affairs. It makes you want to take certain people by their shoulders and shake them. What are they thinking? (or, what am I thinking?)
Along our hike we met a dozen small kids, all speaking perfect tourist English, selling their wares (decorated gourds and woven shawls) with the perseverance of encyclopedia salesmen. On the way up to the falls we promised ‘later.’ When we came back they reminded us of our promise and eventually accused us of being untrustworthy. We were indeed, shame on us, but what do I do with a decorated gourd and yet another shawl?
Because of the power outage there was no water in my room when I returned to the hotel. My request for a bucket of water was met with incredulity. Why? I finally convinced one eager young man to get me the bucket if only to please me. The absence of water and electricity every other day is considered entirely normal in this hotel. I am still counting the days: three more, of which two with electricity and water and one without.
Today we start our workshop in the conference room of the dirty hotel (but with generator). Life is full of surprises.
Sylvia's Journal 
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