This is what i love about you. You have good stories to tell.

Thank you for the story. But you haven’t posted the pictures you’ve described in your text either you are keeping them aside or haven’t taken the pictures while enjoying the scene.

Regards
The observer

welcome back!

There are very beautiful spots right out of Addis if you drive on Nazareth Addis Ababa Road towards Bale. I am especially fond of being in Asella and around Mt.Chilaalo and it vacinities. You may not need to go far away to see the beautiful water fronts of Lake Zuway. Just veer off towards Ogolcho from Maki and drive to small town of Ogolcho to stand face to face with the beautiful summit of Mt. Chilalo. Then just drive
about 1o miles crossing the river Katar bridge
to Market place called Laaki; it is a local
market where people from the five islands of Lake Zuway and the main land do their shopping every Saturdays. Then continueing towards Cheffe Jilla you come to the beautiful
Mountain called Aluto it borders the southern end of Lake Zuway. If you want, you can just drive to Adami Tulu or move towards the Arsi highlands towards Kersa where you will come to see another prespective of Mt.Chilalo from the South. Also the beuatiful spot I recommend to anyone intersted is Bokoj. If you go up a small hill at the center of Bokoji you will see the vast land of Arsi plateau towards the west all the way to Gurage Highlands. Bokoji was chosen by Emporor Haile Selassie for a site of a new Palace;but he did not get a chance to build it.
The twon is situated about 12 to 20 miles from
Asella towards Bale. On your way to the places I just mentioned there were some European settlments they were used as modern farm lands in the Valley around Asella in the Rift Valleys. There were farmers who did farming in Arata, Bosha and Dugda. If you inquire about those spots, you get a good lead from the
local people. As recently as twenty years or so ago there was a clinic that was run by Swedish missionaries next to Lake Zuway next to Laki Market. I imagine the nurses and doctors at that
clinic were enjoying their water front dwellings.
They used to drive to the clinic during the weekends. Their main hospital was in Asella right about 3 miles out of down town.

I grew up in these area; I had so much fun growing up there; the sad thing is what there used to be is gradually fading; especilly the forests and huge trees at the base of Mount Chilalo. It warries me a lot as defforestation is creeping south graudally. My ancestors used to
tell me that Nyalas were roaming the vast agricultural fields of Eteya when they were young. Today Nyalas are very much confined in Mount Chilalo and a local place called Nyaaroo
right about 10 miles west of town of Eteya in Hetossa district. Be careful about the gorgeous
faces of young women; their looks and beauties
are very tempting and amorous.

Try it you will have a great adventurous moments;
right at the backyards of Addis Ababa, Adama and Asella. Darartu Tulu's Hotel in Asella is a great place to be; I had spent few nights recently; I enjoyed being there and the services were great.

Gedewon Bussery
San Jose, CA

Many thanks for all that Gedewon. As soon as my wife gets back with our only driving license, we will try all of those recommendations. They sound beautiful.

really nice pictures.

Enjoy reading your stories - It feels that I have not quite left Ethiopia...