Day 31- Gonder - 3/11/12

A leisurely start to the day (again, we felt we deserved it) for "chilling out" and, in my case, trying to catch up with emails and "the blog" after non wifi for some ten days. Officially, this is also a chance for us to acclimatise ourselves to the altitude (we are already 2000ft higher than Ben Nevis) as we shall be going higher still - and there are dire forecasts from our leaders of what may be ahead of us health wise. In some ways, this "incarceration" was no bad thing as the weather outside showed a distinct change to what we have been used to in the Sudan - best summed up as COLD and damp. (However, google would imply that it is far colder back in the UK so perhaps should not complain too much). Worryingly, the advanced weather forecast here is not at all good, even though the wet season ends in September. We shall see.

The six of us had been waiting for this day as we were to be joined by another 14, and they have slowly been arriving. Apart from more Aussies, we now have a Canadian, Swiss, German, Filipina and an Ethiopian! Aden left home at 16 nine years ago, and is revisiting the land of her birth for the first time via a Dragoman tour.

Rather interesting to be sitting here in Ethiopia and typing while listening to MU v Arsenal just around the corner, with a few score locals avidly glued to the screen.