Hosanna

We traveled south of Addis for about 3 hours through sparsely populated rural areas and small villages to the town of Hosanna, about 60,000 people and no paved roads. This trip was beyond words to describe. The trip started about an hour before sunrise. The scenery was breathtaking. Along the entire 150-mile stretch of recently built highway, people walked along the road carrying plastic jugs to get water; some had donkeys to help. We were constantly slowed by people and animals risking their lives by coming within inches of our car as it traveled up to 60 mph.

Most of the people in Ethiopia are farmers who grow only enough food to feed their families, if even that. Many live in circular cooling huts made of mud, dung, and sticks. Their livestock (cattle, goats, chickens, etc.) also live in these one-room structures in order to protect them from thieves and hyenas.