When in Rome, do as the ...

Every day gets more amazing than the previous; not to detract from any of my past experiences that is. I got a call about 10AM from Tagel and we arranged to meet at Edna mall at 10:45. I quickly got ready, and packed me and his guitar off to the mall, about 10 minutes from here. I sat on the curb and played for a bit much to the interest of the locals. Tagel appeared on time in a Toyota sedan. I later found out that there are 2 reasons why they are so popular in Addis ... price and availability of parts. I stopped on the way to Edna to pick up some gifts for him and his family. We headed south from Addis and drove through the city for about an hour or so then hit more open country. All along the way there were little hamlets with people walking all over and the odd cow, bull, group of lambs, or donkeys sauntering around the side of the road. Just when I tried to figure out who these animals may belong to, out would pop a youngster with a stick and corral the herd. There were some very nice churches that always seemed to be in some state of repair. The roadside as we got further away from Addis was littered with large concrete warehouses in secure compounds. Storage is much cheaper on the outskirts of Addis and trucking into the city relatively inexpensive. We ended up in or near Debreziet, a small but large village south of Addis. I remember seeing a road sign for this town in the city at one or more strategic intersections. We went to the Officer's mess on a very nice lake at the forces base close to this village. We had a plate of traditional cuisine based on chicken, with a hard-boiled egg on top. We also got some grilled chicken with rice and veggies. We gobbled this down and talked and talked and talked for hours. We washed everything down with Ambo, a local sparkling water. Not long before we left we had a lovely fruit salad with a dash of a red garnish that was delicious. We drove about 20 minutes to a hotel for coffee and looked out over a pituresque lake with rolling hills in the background. It was a popular hangout for the locals too. We drove back to town, stopping at an outlet for a local clothing manufacturer where Tagel picked up a few things for the little ones. He has two ... 10 months and two and a half years. When we got back to town he showed me where a tennis club was close to my hotel. We spoke with the steward and found out the following: - an hour's tennis is 15 birr - the fee for the ball person is 40 birr - yes they are licensed and beer can be purchased after the game The gentleman answered all my questions, then said "I hope you are not a beginner". I think my game has risen above that classification and I hope that plays out when I go first few times. I mentioned I had balls and he was glad as the balls they have, if they have, are well worn. Tagel parked the car near Deker Inn and we walked to the club so I know how to get there. It took about 20 minutes at a brisk pace. This will be a very good warmup for the game. I plan on going when I return from work tomorrow ... excited or WHAT :) The hospitality afforded me by Tagel was extraordinaire; I did tell him that if we end up visiting and dining at some of the places we discussed, that he cannot pay ALL the time. I am back at the guest house and it is raining. Wednesday at 6PM I am meeting some people in the guest house and they are going to show me a nearby gym. My hope is that I end up playing tennis 3-4 times a week and maybe going to the gym once. Off to call my Sweet Thing ...