My random ties to Ethiopia

Ethiopia - A country I have heard about since I was 3. The name has rung in my ears off and on since then. My first impressionable memory of "Ethiopia" was standing in our makeshift dining room in our house when we lived in Sudan back in 1980. We had some Ethiopian people in our home - to this day I dont remember who exactly - as this did not matter in my tiny mind. Our guests had brought and prepared a tradtional Ethiopian food for us. At some point during the visit my older brother Aaron decided to announce that "hey - little Sarah needs to come try this" So I do - I come over to the table and he gives me a taste of Injawa...a VERY spicy dish, especially to my naive tongue. So hot - I cried...and this was of course cute and entertaining to our guests - but maddening to me. Throughout the next several years I hear my parents talk about their 2 years in Ethiopia as Peace Corps workers in the mid 60's. How this experienced changed the course of my fathers career and how beautiful the country really was. Seeing their photos of green scenery and happy well dressed people was always somewhat of a shock to me - because I too grew up hearing about the ethiopian famine and seeing its images. The "we are the world" stuff - and in my mind that too was ethiopia. It wasnt until I saw a recent travel show - well nature show really that was filmed in the Ethiopian highlands did I sit awed at the beauty of what was on the screen, splayed out before me. A rich beautiful countryside with much to offer the natural eye. My mother to this day rermarks about its beauty and varying differences in climates and features - much like Peru. She also always mentions that it is known as the last resting place of the Arc of the Covenant, and that Ethiopians can be difficult to communicate with - this may be due to inherent complications with the translation of their main language of Amharic. But it took a TV show to convince me that this would be a place worth experiencing. I keep thinking - man Anthony Bourdain needs to go there - especially because they do have a set cuisine that I believe is very different from other African nations - and involves a lot of Spice!
So - now my husband is over there, he is loving it he says. Cheap food and dry heat....(humidity is his arch enemy) He is out closer to the arid eastern border in Dire Dawa - which to my suprise was on a world map. He said the capitol was at a high elevation - and modern, and nice. Much different than western Africa. So - after his trip I will update this post - and see if his 5 week experience matches my hopes.