It is fashionable these days to point out that Africa is not a country. Since I've returned to the US, mentions of living in Ethiopia have earned me questions about Ebola (nope, that's in West Africa these days), that movie about the young doctor and the dictator (that's Uganda under Idi Amin), and--of course--how hot it must have been (also off, 70's year-round fortunately).
Of course, many Americans have less inaccurate conceptions of Ethiopia. These are often centered around the food (they really do eat spongy bread and raw meat) or around interactions with those of Ethiopian heritage in the US.
This thread isn't really meant to go anywhere except to say that, while Africa is not one country, living in Ethiopia did provide an opportunity and jumping-off point to explore other parts of Africa. When my contract expired in May, I took the opportunity to
Roll 1: Uganda -- Kampala and Gorilla Safari
1) View toward central Kampala from the Gaddafi Mosque.
2) Idi Amin's torture chamber at the palace of the Buganda king (head of one of Uganda's ethnic groups). Amin would stack victims in the rooms to the right as they awaited their fate, then flood the hallway with water charged with electric current to prevent escape...
