Thursday, 27 September 2012
Ursula & Derry visit Sydney
We were lucky enough to see Ursula and Derry when they were over here visiting Sydney for a week.
In our apartment having a rest after some show & tell around Mosman.
Having a drink in Darling Harbour near where U & D were staying.
Our first taste of Aussie Rules Football!
Our first AFL game at ANZ Stadium - the old Olympic stadium. The Company I work for has 10 season seat in a corporate area and every now and then there are spare tickets to some games. I got some for Lynchy and I one Saturday evening so we went along to see what it was all about.
Friday, 30 March 2012
Some weekends in March
We are lucky - this cricket oval is a 5 minute walk from our apartment. One Sunday there was a celebrity cricket match, mostly retired cricketers playing to raise money for charity. We spent the day chilling out there watching the cricket.
A slightly chilly evening in Mosman but that didn't stop us. Jo you have no idea how much we love and use those tamarillo rugs : )
After a funfilled active morning on the beach with the Hayward's, we treated ourselves to fish and chips.
We went to Andrew and Claire's beautiful wedding at Athol Hall on Bradley's head in Mosman. The venue is stunning with a view over to Sydney, the Opera House and Bridge. After a week of torrential rain in Sydney the bride and groom must have sighed relief when they woke up on the day of their wedding to gorgeous sunshine : )
Inside the reception hall
Lynchy, Marty & Mark
The ceremony was under a big tree in the garden
Andrew the groom on the left and his best man Greg
The bride arriving with her dad
Bride & Groom listening to Andrew's mum's reading
Husband and Wife!
Lynchy & James playing silly...
What a view
Lynchy and the Albertson's
The bride and groom leaving
Very serious self portrait for that time of the night...ha ha
How cool is this, a bus to take us home
This is before the singing started ; )
Thanks guys it was a really great wedding, we so enjoyed it.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Ethiopia - Kate and Afera's wedding
ETHIOPIA - February 2012
On the plane at Sydney about to fly 14 hours to Dubai. Sean made us each a card that he said we were only allowed to open on the plane so I took a photo to show him that's what we did. Thanks Seanie we loved our cards : )
London bunch reunion - YAY!
On our first night in Addis Kate and Afera had organised (the first of many) drinks for all of us at their friend's Pete and Praveen's house & then we went on to a pizza restaurant for dinner. Was so great to see everyone.
Kate with her brother Will in her bride to be outfit
The guys gave Afera an All Blacks rugby jersey as he is now a big fan since learning about rugby
Afera bought all of us (about 30) these awesome hats which we took all over the place with us
How cool are our shirts - Tig, Ione & Haz bought them from London for us, just sharing the love
Can you believe the bride and groom gave all the guests a pressie! Lynchy with our awesome little gift - thanks guys
Dinner for 30!
A bit of late night dancing downstairs in the nightclub
Playing soccer outside the airport terminal, the security guards inside were loving the show
The first leg of our journey to the wedding venue - flight from Addis to Jimma
Hattie!!?!
Being silly - ha ha
We loved how old these Fanta bottles were
Arrivals at Jimma airport, yes airport not bus station ; )
Overnight stay at the Honeyland hotel in Jimma before heading out the next morning to Afera's mom's village near Godere Forest
Having a catch up
View from an old palace we went to just outside Jimma
My artistic pic - he he
Tyrone and Haz getting to know our driver's
One of the three trusty vans
6am start to get to the wedding venue
A few hours in to our journey which was mostly on dirt roads. We thought it would take 5 to 6 hours to get there but it landed up being about 11 hours.
One of the many loo stops for the girls
We stopped for a break and coffee at Coffee Land hotel - this is where Arabic coffee originated from
YUM!
The dust was just getting too much
Very close to our the village and a very welcome break at the river to wash off all the dust.
Even the vans got a wash
We came back to the cars which had been decorated for the wedding
As this is not a very well know place for tourists in Ethiopia we had a media crew following the wedding making a documentary.
We did a procession through the town when we arrived and everyone was out to have a look and clapping and singing. Lots of little kids were following us running next to the vans.
This is the arrival into Afera's mom's village - it was the most incredible welcoming scene. All the people in the village were dancing and singing and waiting to see us arrive. We were quite a novelty : )
Kate saying hello to Afera's mom
The bride and groom walking through the crowd towards the venue
This is inside the amazing bamboo structure that Afera's family and friends made specifically for this occassion, it is next to Afera's mom's house which he designed and had built for her recently
Putting up our tents in the back yard
Friendly smiley faces loving having their photo taken
Afera's mom's house
All the cooking being done for the wedding - this was such an amazing busy place and these ladies cooked all day and most of the night!
The traditional coffee ceremony - coffee beans roasted over charcoal and then ground while the water is being boiled and then used to make 3 pots of coffee. Although its called a 'ceremony' it is more just a social thing to do and the coffee was sooo tasty
Lynchy having a go at grinding the coffee beans
Avocado's from Afera's friend's farm
And oranges too
early morning and enjoying the coffee a lot
Pre-wedding scene - washing hair
Lynchy's traditional wedding thongs - they are made completely from bamboo
Lynchy & Ben in their traditional wedding atire
Serious face...
The wedding started at 11am. The first half of the day was the traditional Ethiopian ceremony and this is Kate is her first outfit of the day.
Me & Hazzle
All the groomsmen
For the traditional part of the wedding, all the women go to another family member's house about 1km up the road. Kate and some of the ladies came in the land rover and some of us walked.
The women spend about half and hour here - Kate was having her hair and make up done too - waiting for the men to arrive. We even had some traditional beer and champagne while we waited.
Having a relax before the guys arrive
Jo, Kate, Annabell & Tigger - School friends
As we waited more and more interested faces seemed to turn up. I walked behind where Kate was having her make up done and look at all the people!
When we heard the men were arriving most of the ladies go and wait in this room just near where we were sitting. Kate and her mum are waiting for Kate's brother and one of the groomsmen to come and listen to what Kate's conditions for getting married are. The traditional things to ask for are eternal love but I think a honeymoon to Mauritius was thrown in there too...he he
Will & Ben on their way to the room where the ladies are waiting
Once the terms are agreed it is tradition for the bride's brother to carry her to where the groom is sitting
While this is happening everyone is singing & dancing
A loving look when Kate arrives at Afera's side
The Ethiopians sure know how to party. We all had a bit to eat at this ceremony under the trees & then the priest spoke.
When this ceremony ends the singing and dancing kicked off again and we all walked back down the road to the wedding venue.
Fun times...
Back at the wedding venue - Ben & Lynchy
Kate is now in her western traditional white dress being walked down the aisle with her parents
Blessing of rings
Husband & Wife!
These were all the faces watching the ceremony here
Signing the legal docs
Afera's speech which he said in his native language & then one of his groomsmen did a translation into English for us. Kate's Dad and brother also did really beautiful speeches and I think a lot of us had tears in our eyes.
One of Kate's friends Yasmine translating some more bits of Afera's speech for Kate
Mr & Mrs...
Bubbly to celebrate
Wow it was so hot in the sun on this afternoon, I kept looking for shady bits
A curious little girl
Lynchy & the bride
As it was so hot, later in the afternoon we all walked down to the river for a cool off - the traditional men's atire turned into some interesting togs!
Even the bride needed a cool off
What a gorgeous sunset...only in Africa
Looks like the garden of eden : )
All the local kiddies watching us in the river
Lynchy dancing up a storm at the reception
The day after the wedding we all went to a nearby crater lake for a bbq. Well not bbq as we know it as the sheep was slaughtered when we got there, but very festive indeed. Afera's family and friends were so hospitable to us the whole time we were there, always making sure we got food and drinks first. We were really very spoilt...thank you
A little boat trip on the lake
Just chilling in the shade
More dancing...it did make us laugh that the security guard who was with us landed up dancing around with his AK47!
After an amazing 4 day wedding weekend of amazing festivities, Lynchy and I headed up further north to the a place called Bahir Dar. This is on the edge of Lake Tana which is very close to the source of the blue nile river. Below is arrivals at Bahir Dar airport
In total we did 6 internal flights in these planes, most of them were really good just two I was a bit nervous and felt like we might fall out the sky!
This was our night of luxury at the Kuriftu Lodge Hotel. When you book a night here you book a package which includes a massage, manicure, pedicure as well as breakfast and dinner which was really good value.
Reception
Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia, 3670km squared. On its islands and peninsula's it has collectively more than 20 monastic churches so we did a boat trip to go and visit some of them.
A hippo popped its head up to have a look at us - that was definitely close enough for me!
We had to giggle at this sign outside one of the monastry's
These are some fishermen on the lake in their bamboo canoes - I think they are rather brave considering there are hippo's popping up in various places
Coffee beans
The view from the patio of our resort
Lunch on the patio...such an awesome relaxing time
Our room at the lodge - how cool is the four poster bed
Another amazing sunset
and sunrise over the lake...we were up early to go and catch our flight to Lalibella
Our trusty planes : )
We stayed at the Tukul lodge in Lalibella. Tukul is the name of these traditional round double story houses found only in this part of Ethiopia. The idea was to keep your animals on the ground level and live above on the second floor.
Lalibela is famous for its rock hewn churches. The churches are big, several in excess if 10m high and because they are carved below ground level, they are ringed by trenches and courtyards, the sides of which are cut into with stone graves and hermit cells. A lot of people say that if it were not in Ethiopia, the churches at Lalibela would be one of the wonders of the world.
Some of the churches have been covered with temporary shelters as the rain was causing so much erosion and damage.
Taking a time out from the heat
Some of the churches are carved from one complete piece of rock - amazing!
This is the St. George church, particularly impressive as it does not have a modern day cover on it - it is the largest of the churches too. The cross you can see there is the roof of the church.
WOW!
Lynchy having a go at traditional drumming
Lunch time at our lodge
We tried the local drink called Tej, a mead like drink made from honey
Chatting with our new friend Ron
The weekly Saturday market in Lalibela - people walk for miles and miles to get to the market
Bye bye Lalibela
If you have made it to the end of the this post, well done! I know there were a lot of photos (and this is only half), but it was such an incredible trip it's story had to be properly told : )
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