Gondor

23 May 2016

Today was a chill out day. After 3 days hiking I decided to partake in my favourite past time - shopping!

Market stalls

I have literally no room in my rucksac so ran around the local market looking for a sac. I really struggled when a man saw me and asked if I needed help. I told him what I was after and he helped me find a sac from some grain seller. The bag stinks but works.

I was buying stuff at some local market stalls. I started talking to the market stall owner, Seni, and was  then invited to join her and her friends for coffee and lunch.

Coffee time

Traditional Coffee pot

They made injera with tibs and it was really nice eating home cooked food.
 One great thing I notice here is if there is any left over food, people give the leftovers to the homeless people. No food is ever wasted, unlike what we do at home.

Seni and her son (left) and her nephew (right)

Me and Seni

I just sat around all day with Seni and random local people who kept dropping into her shop and just gossiped, whilst chewing khat.

 I was invited round to her home later that evening where they made surprise, surprise more injera with tibs.

Injera and tibs

There was a powercut so we ate in the dark. They have a tradition here where they perform  gursha where honoured guests are fed by hand. So someone takes a morsel of food - often a very karge one - wrapped in injera and places it in the mouth of another. So it was really dark and all of a sudden someone stuffed their hand/food into my mouth without warning.  I mean don't get me wrong, I am honoured but in the dark and without warning?! Random fingers in your mouth. 
It happened a few times and it is really strange when you are not used to it. But, it is kind of nice to be honoured like that too. It was a really nice way to end my time in Gondor.