  People 50-50 Ethiopia seems so long ago. Being white in Addis Ababa was hard. People were very very friendly and about 50% of them probably were just very friendly. But the other 50% wanted something—wanted something from you. And when you are white in Ethiopia you stand out like a sore thumb (or a target) Usually when I am traveling alone, I’m outgoing and talk to friendly locals but this became tiresome as, more often than not, I was being conned into or out of something. By the last day, I had just stopped making eye contact. And I know that many people were still just trying to be friendly. US Dollars The next obstacle in Addis Ababa was getting US dollars. I went from bank to bank and ATM to ATM hoping to withdraw US dollars from my American account. I soon learned that it is actually against the law to distribute US dollars. So the next lesson learned: US dollars reign supreme, bring plenty. 
US dollars reign supreme, bring plenty.
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AuthorJennifer Williams MD, from Olympia, Washington is working and traveling in Africa. Archives
August 2019
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Our next destination was South Luangwa National Park in Zambia
When we arrived at our lodge the first thing we were told is not to walk around the campus without a guide. This kind seemed extreme. But sure enough each morning we awoke to new friends: the first morning there were two hippos right outside our front door and the second morning a family of elephants traipsed right across the yard. |
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Our first evening safari — Everything but the lioness and cubs
14. AND THE LEOPARDS. The South Luangwa is best known for its leopard population. Our first leopard casually strolled around the Land Rover, not more than 4 feet away. Our most leopardly leopard was perched on a branch in an Acacia tree, just above his 1/2 eaten impala. The hyenas circled the base of the tree hoping for scraps to fall
- Elephants- maybe one in ten without one or both tusks. Cause is both congenital and poaching. But of course poaching elephants with the biggest healthiest tusks alters the gene pool and begins to favor elephants without tusks.
- Giraffes, mostly living. We saw a freshly killed giraffe and awaited the lions to return for dinner but the smell became too overwhelming and we moved on.
- African buffalo, (the ones with the horns that look like a curled mustache)
- Hippopotami, wading, yawning, wallowing, and bellowing.
- Impala and puku are small ungulates (leopard snacks)
- Zebra--this species has only pure black and white stripes. (Some have brown patches and “shadow stripes”)
- Vervet monkeys
- Yellow baboons
- Male lion-probably an adolescent
- Spotted genet (cat family, nocturnal, spotted body like a leopard and long bushy ringed tail. Size of a Maine coon cat. Omnivorous. )
- White tailed mongoose
14. AND THE LEOPARDS. The South Luangwa is best known for its leopard population. Our first leopard casually strolled around the Land Rover, not more than 4 feet away. Our most leopardly leopard was perched on a branch in an Acacia tree, just above his 1/2 eaten impala. The hyenas circled the base of the tree hoping for scraps to fall
