Archived Blog
Langano
So on Wednesday morning, I left Bingham compound and grabbed a taxi to the city center, then on to the city limits, to find a bus headed down country. Memories of taxis and their frustrations came flooding back. They always wait until they’re full, and even at that they aren’t content and drive slowly down the road looking for more people to cram in. Once I arrived at the bus station, I was about the 4th person on the bus. Which is about the worst result because the bus again won’t leave until it’s full. Anyway, about 2 hours after I left Bingham, I was on the way down to Langano. The journey took about 6 hours or so, after which Brian met me on the road, and took me back to the compound on the back of his motorbike.
Langano is amazing, it really is a beautiful place. The compound has been upgraded a lot since the last time I was here. The SIM project Sports Friends has set up camp down here, and they paid for electricity to be brought out to the compound. Laura and Brian also have internet directly in their house, it’s obviously fairly slow but it works! Amazing. It has been so great to spend time catching up with Brian and Laura, and meeting their son, Levi. Brian had taught him to say "Uncle Niall" before I arrived so he calls me that now: so cute. It is great to see them as a family. 
Brian Hall, pushing Levi around the compound.
Everyone here is fairly stressed at the moment, as they have been having trouble with things going missing around the compound, and they aren’t sure just how to deal with it. It seems to be quite a low time for them here, I’m sure they’d appreciate prayer for wisdom in dealing with the delicate situation down here.
On Thursday and Friday, Brian had a camp going on which he was helping organize. They have a number of Ethiopian kids down for games, and some local and foreign young people to help run and teach at it. Brian had me video some stuff to make a short video which he could send back to his supporters, so I enjoyed spending a lot of time videoing all the goings on.
Friday afternoon, we headed back around the lake to grab his other bike which he had lent to one of his friends here. Saturday we took a trip out on the bikes, off for an adventure just like old times. We set off and rode over to some of the lakes nearby, through a national park. There aren’t many animals in Ethiopia, but being super close to Ostriches and camels is still pretty fun. Brian rode to some nearby sand dunes which he loves to ride around on his off road motorbike, and insisted that I give it a go. Riding in sand is tricky, as the back wheel tends to snake around especially if the sand is loose. Also, some of the dunes drop away suddenly. Sometimes I feel that he eggs me on to do these things just to see me wipe out; he didn’t have to wait long. Suddenly, I hit a patch of very soft sand, and the front wheel sunk straight into it, stopping the bike dead. Fortunately I wasn’t going very fast but the bike fell over and pinned me down, meaning I needed his help to lift it up. He of course cracked up. 
We headed down to find some hot springs which Brian had been to before. Numerous stops to ask locals for directions later, we found them. Just as we started to get in, it started to rain, hard. So we sat in the thunder and lightning storm, in the pouring rain and hot water. Pretty crazy, but then that’s how we always were. Good craic. We made it back to the house soaked and muddy. 
In by the hot springs, lightning overhead.
Today we left to go across the lake on a boat Brian has borrowed off a friend. A really relaxing day spending time with friends, chilling in the sun and tubing out on the water. 
The family Hall
Laura was out visiting a local house this week and saw this on the wall. Apparently local Ethiopian people will decorate their walls with old magazines and such. A couple of years ago, Bingham Academy sent down some old scrap paper which was blank on one side so that the local schools here could use it for the kids to write on. However, this piece wasn’t used as scrap paper and had been turned into wallpaper instead. Jen Sims, a teacher we knew, was displayed on the wall. It made us laugh to think anyone who ever taught at Bingham could potentially be decorating some Ethiopian person's wall somewhere. 
Must head on for now; may try and blog again in Langano if possible, otherwise from Addis again.
More pics, here as usual. The album is the same as before, the newest pictures are at the bottom.
Niall
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