Yekenyelay

I was briefly in Agula, Tigray and have since been re-assigned to a new region but I wanted to share my experience. Yekenyelay is the Tigrinya word for thank you.

Tigray, an arid desert in northern Ethiopia feels worlds apart from the lush, green south. It's a place of many significant historic sites and reminded my of my time in Mount Sinai. It feels Middle Eastern and the people have a distinct culture. Looking forward to visiting again during my service but these are some of the things I want to remember from Tigray.

• There are camels!
• Cactus fruit sold on the side of the road.
• Everyone in my host family had the same enormous brown eyes.
• The incredible hike up the mountain to a 4th century mountain and the seemingly 80-year-old. shepard who was our guide and scrammbled up and down the mountain effortlessly. 
• The rolling fields that looked like they could be in Tuscany.
• Making bun (coffee) for the first time.
• The cypress/eucalyptus trees.
• The fact that I ate t'el sïga (goat) for the first four days, including goat stew for breakfast.
• The way some of the elder people looked as though they held an innate wisdom.