(7-11-10) So the mountain we went to this afternoon was called Entoto. Tesh and DJ, two guys who we have become friends with went with us. It was one of the prettiest places that I've ever seen. It was really nice to get out of the big, crowded city for a while and see some green. There is a small town on the mountain and all of the people we met where very nice and welcoming. We gave some of the kids silly bands and they seemed to like it. I even saw a boy wearing a UK sweatshirt! The landscape up there is indescribable. Looking out from the mountain we saw lush, green valleys and hills with grazing donkeys, sheep, and cows. There was also a spectacular view of Addis. It's a huge place. On the back side of the mountain there was a giant forest of eucalyptus trees so dense and beautiful that it felt like another world. We hiked down the steep slope through the woods to find another great view and when we stopped, Rachel got swarmed with ants. There were ants everywhere and she freaked out. She took off her pants and long sleeve shirt and jumped around and stuff. Don't worry, she had shorts on because we were running on the mountain too. Running at Entoto was quite an experience. It is the highest elevation I've ever been at and breathing while running puts major pressure on your lungs. It is where the Ethiopian marathoners go to train. No wonder they're so fast! Despite the altitude, I loved it up there. I think it would be awesome to live in a place like that one day.
Emma