Smilin’ Sam

This was sent to me in an email from Carol, because all blogs are being blocked right now in Ethiopia, until after elections, so I had to post this for her.

There are as many good restaurants in Shashemene as there are good bookstores in Brigham City.  Because of this well known fact we agreed on a Friday night outing and an eatable meal in Awasa.  This would be the fearsome foursome, the women who survived the Adventure of the Traveling Suitcases (or not), the women who have proven themselves equal to the task time and time again!!!

Wally has often described driving in Ethiopia as a cross between Donkey Kong and Death by Diesel.  That’s about right.  I could go on and on about roads having 3 lanes, all three lanes going both directions.  The big Isuzu trucks we have lovingly renamed Al Kaida because they kill everything without discrimination.  The donkey carts with no headlights or taillights not to mention the goats, horses, wart hogs, camels, dogs and people also with no headlights or taillights.  Now imagine all of this on the road at once, after dark with no streetlights.  There you have it!  Awasa is a very fun town about 25 minutes away and the trip there is a great adventure!

Earlier this week our boss was here with us in Shashemene for a day or so.  When he left he ask if he could trade cars.  We had a Kia and he had a Parado Land Cruiser.  Who can say “no” to the boss?  After we had agreed to the trade he said his conscience got the better of him and he confessed that it did shimmy when you hit 80 (KM not MPH) oh and yes, there was only one of the four speakers that worked. 

He earned his new name, Smilin’ Sam the Flim Flam Man, the next day when, on our way to VOH in Kirsa Ilala we hit 80 and felt the shimmy!  Acquired a vibrato!  And lost 20 lbs apiece!

OK, back to our Friday night date-nite-out!  We are prepared, think ahead women so we stopped for gas.  And realized, as we sat there at the gas station, that we had no idea weather this was a diesel or regular gas guzzler.  The glove box was no help as it held only instructions for the radio.  No help even with the speaker issue as the instructions were written in Amharic or maybe it was Oromifa.  Finally, one phone call later we discovered that the gas tank opening size is the clue. Imagine that!!  We got our gas and started out.  The first ten miles were great and we’re headed for some real food.  Life was good!!!  That’s when the right rear tire blew! 

So now we are part of the extra stuff on the dark highway except that we have flashing taillights and headlights.  The next question would be.  How many Ethiopians does it take to change a tire?  The answer would be one to change the tire and 35 to watch and shout instructions!!  We were surrounded!  Luckily enough the one worker knew what he was doing and had us on our way in lickedy-split Ethiopian time which would be a little over an hour.  Thank heavens Carolyn can communicate fairly well.  I just kept saying “Galatoma” over and over and shaking lots of hands.  A jolly time was had by all!  Even the lady who kept shouting at us through her cactus fence.  I think I’m glad I don’t know what she was yelling.

The frosting on this cake is that the spare looked worse than the one that blew.  That Smiling Sam the Flim Flam Man!!!  Luckily, when the jack came down the tire held and got us back to Shashemene, the Lilly of the Valley Hotel and that same ole spaghetti with meat sauce.