Picture this:
The only light in the room came through the open door.
There were no windows. And the light was filtered through the smoke coming from a wood fire she started in the corner of the room. She pushed three rocks together and lit some wood and leaves in the center of them.
She cleaned the coffee beans with water and then spread them on a metal plate over the fire. With a stick she moved the beans over the fire so they would roast evenly, turning from green to dark brown.
I noticed the floor was dirt and the goatskin I was sitting on was covering a seat molded out of mud, ash and straw.
When the beans were roasted, she took them off the fire and put on a kettle to boil.
She poured the still hot beans into a deep bowl and pounded them with a stick - mortar and pestle - until they were finely ground.
She poured the coffee into the boiling water and let it brew.
Then she poured me a cup.
Outside the dirt road leading to her village is being paved by the Chinese.
Heavy equipment lines the road and Chinese foreman stand watch. Once it's done, the trip from Gonder to Axum will be on two-lane asphalt instead of the rocky backroad it is today.
As I sipped my coffee, I thought about how the place was about to change. This woman and her neighbors will realize what they have - an incredible cultural experience with a view of the Simien Mountains - the roof of Africa.
The views from their home made me want to pull my heart out of my chest. I actually got choked up as I sat on the edge of a cliff earlier in the morning looking out on the mountains.
The air smelled like the thyme that was growing on the ground like a carpet.
Today in the mountains, I also saw:
* A huge beehive hanging from a tree.
* Baboons walking through a grove of trees - maybe 20 in all.
* And a man walking behind a one-bladed plow pulled by two oxen.
******
Mom, Dad, et al,
I am heading to the Danakil Depression. Will be out of reach for about a week. Will blog, write, call as soon as I return.
Autumn
Autumn, again so lovely. I can picture it all. That cup of coffee sounds magical. And the smell of thyme, oh my how glorious! You sound like you are right where you need to be, love it that you are traveling from one amazing experience to the next. Perhaps you and Charlie could try roasting coffee beans over the fire pit? Much love to you. -Meg
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