International Link and more walking

On Friday (21/12), after technical problems the day before, we managed to link up two schools, one in East Sussex, England and one in Gilgel Beles, Ethiopia via mobile telephone. The children asked each other questions (weather, school, etc) and the pupils in the school where I was tried to teach the UK children Amharic counting (which was funny). To finish off, the UK children sang "We wish you a merry Christmas", which will apply over here in about two weeks (I think Christmas is Jan 7, but like everything else over here, no-one seems 100% sure if it is then, or on Jan 8!) then the Ethiopian school sang a Christmas celebratory song back. It was a success at this end (the children had pictures of the UK children to see who they were talking to - sent the previous day by e-mail) and I'm waiting to find out how it went at the other end, because since that call there has been no mobile signal here.

Today, Sunday 23/12, I covered another 12 km on my morning walk. I found a small hill overlooking the Beles River, and another access point to the river. It was very peaceful by the running water and there is now a huge contrast in the vegetation in the open and by the river. Mostly it's all brown, but by the river it's still green. I saw more ants - going across rocks this time.

Christmas Message

This is taken from a video clip on a DVD just received from Mark:

"It's December 5 and it's hot and sunny, which isn't right for December - it's now 30-32C. I'm not far from the Beles River just the other side from the college. I just wanted to wish you all in the UK a very Happy Christmas. It isn't going to be Christmas here until 7 or 8 January so I will have to wait a bit.

Thank you to everyone who has made videos and sent letters. It's really great to get them over here and find them waiting for me when I go to my PO Box at the post office. Thanks very much, too, for the e-mails and 'phone calls.

Happy Christmas!"

Please keep writing, but note extra line in address as below:

Mark Sidey

PO Box 47

Gilgel Beles

Metekel Zone

Benishangul-Gumuz

Ethiopia