If you've ever lived in a country where there are distinct dry and rainy seasons you will appreciate the difference in these photos. Our family took a day trip to the famous Portuguese Bridge on Meskel (which is officially the day rainy season ends). Now compare these to the trip we took when it was extremely dry.
I'll admit that I am hugely relieved that rainy season is over. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where there are more rainy days in a year than sunny ones. So I should be prepared for three months of heavy rain right? In theory my hometown has helped me deal with the rainy seasons we've experienced not only here in Addis Ababa but also the three we weathered through in Manila. Part of me thinks the moment I moved to Virginia was the end of my rain tolerance. In Virginia I grew accustomed to long dry winters and long hot humid summers (spring and fall are fleeting in VA). Rain is not the highlight of weather in the Washington DC metro area. Living with all the sun of Manila and Addis have made me a little more sensitive to the rainy seasons. So yeah, I'm glad it's over.
Last year I was immensely creative. If you scroll through my blog posts during the months of June-August 2012 you will see endless crafts, cooking and fun kid activities. I was so on top of rainy season last year. This year we spent three and a half weeks in Cape Town, South Africa which blew through much of the summer. But here we are, a month and a half AFTER school has started, and the rain is just ending. Good riddance.
Anyhow, we drove the 2 hours north to Debre Libanos area and stopped and the Portuguese Bridge to have a picnic lunch and then hike down to the falls. It is amazing how the rainy season enhances the landscape. Flowers were blooming and everything was green. The gorge was green and lush instead of brown and dry. Both scenes are beautiful and it was really neat to see the bridge before and after the rain.
