favorite items from Ethiopia!

ORIGINALLY POSTED BY CHARISA ON FOR SUCH AS THESE

Below are some of my favorite items we brought back from Ethiopia on this trip. Shopping can be somewhat overwhelming! Lots of vendors, lots of items, and lots of haggling! I tend to pick out what I wanted and ran when the haggling came. I let the hubby handle that one—being he was the professional sales guy and all!

There were some items I didn’t get this time because I ran out of time/forgot or just plain couldn’t think. I will have a list of items to pick up next time (and as always more coffee!)

These pictures made out of banana leaves. There are pretty fragile and I was worried—but they made it back fine. There were lots of different scenes to choose from. We got those from the antiquities store in the big mercato.

Scarves. We bought lots of scarves for the girls and friends. The ones below came from the Former Women Wood Carriers Association. (I think that’s the formal name-I might have messed it up a bit) It’s at the bottom of Entoto Mountain.I asked and they said it takes about 2 hours to make on scarf. They had tons and they were beautiful.

One of the women carrying the wood down the mountain. From what I have read—they do this once a day for their own use and selling. They make about $3 from it. And it is HEAVY. and it is a STEEP mountain. Can’t imagine doing that every day.

We purchased some scarves from the Leprosy Hospital as well. These had a lot more elaborate designs and a sheen to them. They also had clothes there and table clothes.

One of my very faves. A basket made from the women at the Fistula Hospital. A very moving and humbling place to visit.

We just purchased the coffee set below from some random guy on the street. He kept following us and his price kept dropping—I finally told the hubby—“buy that!” And I am amazed we made it home without it breaking! We packed it with a bunch of our clothes in our carry-on.

Animals—we always bring animals home from the kids from our trips to Ethiopia and Zambia.

Of course, we need the coffee to go with that coffee set!

Some traditional clothing for our little man.

Some necklaces for the girls—there didn’t seem to be as much jewelry this time as the last time I was in Ethiopia.

They has these postcards all around. I wish I had bought more—they would be pretty in black frames in a grouping. Might put them on my list for next time!

Another fave—this is the story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba on a canvas. They had quite a few of these and other pictures that were really neat in the antiquities shop as well. Not sure how I am going to hang it yet.

Close up of it.

And for Ab and Josh—their only request were soccer jerseys. Josh’s we paid too much money for and then found them cheaper and got Ab’s (first store only had adult sizes) and of course the sweatbands for Ab and his Mirinda.