Moving Day

Finding a place to live can be a challenge anywhere. There are a lot of things to consider, especially when you are abroad and don't know much about the community or people. My three colleagues and I looked for days for a place. We had some help from the program. The only houses we found were far from the campus and town. Without a car, contacts or knowledge of the community these places were not feasible. We found a place on campus, but it would have been a long walk from shops and restaurants. Local faculty warned us the neighborhood was not safe. We never saw an apartment of any kind.
We were told by our colleague who was in Gondar last year that he resorted to a hotel there. We spent much of Friday and our entire Saturday looking at those options. Many were too expensive. Most seemed very impersonal. The little Fila Hotel close to Lake Tana has proved to be our best choice to live for now. The people are welcoming like family. They have been very helpful. The WIFI is relatively good. Almost every blog post since Addis Ababa has been made from the Fila. The space is basic, except the view, which you can see from my balcony photo. The breakfast included is delicious. Best of all is the lake view and breeze are in a relatively secure area but for the mosquitos. 
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