Vendors in Hawasa

Normally, outside large Orthodox or Coptic churches in Ethiopian cities, you'll find vendors selling wooden crosses (to be worn as a pendant), as well as religious books, Bibles, and photo cards. Dale bought a number of wood crosses from this gentleman.

Some of the many wooden crosses that Dale has purchased from Ethiopian roadside merchants Click this thumbnail image for a close-up view of Dale's wooden crosses.

A Great Market Find in Addis

Dale discovered a market near the training center in Addis. In this photo, he buys a traditional Ethiopian coffeepot costing approximately $1.00.

To see how a coffee ceremony is a big deal in Ethiopia, see Dale's account from March.

Spicy Sales

This woman was in the same Addis market as the coffeepot seller (see in the previous photo).

Dale loved seeing and touching the vendor's variety of locally grown spices and beans: cloves, curry, rosemary, lentils, dried legumes, and lots more.

Banana Fruit Stand

Every time that Dale and his team member David Neibling visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, they buy bananas from this stand. One kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bananas sells for 7 Birr, which is about 45 cents; that's only 20 cents a pound.

Bananas there are very sweet, much tastier than bananas sold in the US.

Happy Maize Seller

Also in Addis are sellers of roasted maize (corn). This young woman enjoys being photographed as Dale asked her about her produce.

Dale is quick to admit that maize in Ethiopia is extremely tasty, fresh, sanitary, and inexpensive.

Nile Baskets

While crossing the bridge over the source of the Blue Nile, in the town of Barhir Dar, one of Dale's travel companions asked him to take this picture of a man, on foot, carrying many hand-woven baskets strategically placed to maximize balance and display.

The bridge is a short distance from where the Blue Nile begins exiting a lake. Dale questions the derivation of Blue Nile's name; he feels it more appropriate to call it the "Brown Nile" from what he saw.

Firewood Bundles

Dale found that firewood was sold on the side of Dilla Road. The stacks and young boy were presented perfectly for Dale's photo. No, the boy was not the firewood merchant.

Harvest Time

Firewood is harvested in mountainous, dry locations, such as this one on Harar Road.

Sold by the roadside, David bought four bundles of firewood to bring down and give to a trainee family in the next town.

Need a Grave Marker?

Atop a high hill on the road from Hawasa to Dilla, headstones and other stone items were on sale in this very rocky area; industrious residents make the most of their resources. Most grave markers appear to be Coptic or Orthodox crosses; one resembles a house.

Life and the economy are simple here. The family that carves and sells the grave markers probably lives in this house. No middlemen, wholesale dealers, or shop clerks in this basic economic structure.

City Marketplace

Some Ethiopian towns such as this one in Harar have a proper indoor market. In this marketplace isle, lots of T-shirts, shoes, and other clothing were the primary items being sold.

What Is This?

Dale could barely believe seeing these mortar and pestle sets for sale; he's never seen this before. What a visual treat! Local people use these to grind corn and other food crops by simple pounding it with a pestle. Ethiopians also grind coffee beans similarly, using a much After the beans have been roasted, they get mashed into coffee grounds, not with an electric grinder but with only a mortar and pestle! A steel pestle grinds beans in a wooden mortar.

The pestle used at the training center measured nearly 8 inches in length and approximately 1 inch in diameter. Solid steel, the pestle reminded Dale of an automobile axle.

The grinding step takes a few minutes. smaller mortar and pestle.

One of these roadside sets was priced at 200 Birr ($14). Dale asked David if he wanted to buy one and bring it home for his wife. He answered,"It's too big for my luggage; neither does it fit the decor of our home." Maybe Dale will buy one next time.

Sleep on This

If you need a foam mattress in Ethiopia, you have many to choose from at this roadside market.

Word to the wise: The thickest ones are the best!

Wooden Stools for Sale

Stools for sale. The stool type shown is widely used throughout Ethiopia. They're cheap, made out of a light, rugged wood.

Dale recalls that on the way to Hawasa he saw a stool under the seat of the minivan he rode in. During the ride, a man in the van's back seat complained that his legs were cramped and hurting. The minivan conductor (not the driver) quickly pulled the stool from under the seat, set it near the door, and gave the man a more comfortable seat!

Local Lumber Yard

On the road to Dilla, Dale came upon something of a lumber yard having wooden poles that were standing in lines or stacked on the ground.

Note the three donkey carts at the far left. They're used to carry transport poles from the yard to local construction sites. Poles are often long enough to make their tips drag on the road behind the cart.

Poles for Sale

This huge pole yard was near where Dale photographed a man selling pineapples (see the last photo). There were thousands of long poles for sale, probably eucalyptus. Dale had never seen such a well-stocked pole yard.

In Ethiopia and much of Africa, long poles are used as scaffolding in the construction of new building.

Dale regrets that he was unable to bring a pole back home for "show and tell."

Colorful Market

In economically underdeveloped countries, merchants typically sell their wares, such as onions in this case, on sidewalks.

Weaving Between
Woven Walls

In a small village outside Dilla, Dale and his team visited a church plant, which a local denomination used Transformational Leadership Movement materials to start. On the way home, the driver had to weave between woven items on the road to avoid running over them. Local people make these 4' by 8' sheets; when dried, they're used for fences, walls, or barriers.

Pretty Fruity

This man was selling — really selling — pineapples, on the road to Dilla. (In Kenya, roadside vendors sometimes lift up the item to catch your attention. In this part of Ethiopia, vendors do lots more.)

This man stepped into the road holding the pineapples high, waving them. Dale was told by travel companions that pineapples usually look good but are second rate and shouldn't be purchased. A funny thing happened when Dale returned from Dilla and stopped the car near this man who thought Dale was interested in buying pineapples so he came running towards the car. Actually, Dale had stopped the car so two passengers could relieve themselves. After waving to the seller not to come closer he finally stopped approaching us. After that he probably sat down and took a much-needed rest!