Howard's eclectic blog: Gondor--it's Monday. or is it Gonder, Gondar, or Gondur??

Off from Lali Bela to Gondor in the AM. We are learning to navigate the airpots and it was a short flight, 25 minutes. We are staying at the Lodge du Chateau which is near the large castle complex called the Fasil Ghebbi or royal enclosure of Fasilida's castle (he was a king naturally) . We’ve spent the day visiting the various castles and churches, the bath and the burial where the king’s horse is buried. Much has been damaged over time including during British bombing in World War II and some has been restored. I think the highlight here was the church paintings in the Debre Birham Selassie Church done in the early 1800s, largely intact, and also the bath, which is quite large. The bleachers are made of sticks and I was a bit nervous walking on them though it was quite stable. The banyon trees there are simply amazing. Tomorrow we are headed back to Addis and then back to Tikur Anbessa on Wednesday for the last few days. Hopefully we will complete the CPAP work and also that the fellow Asrat will be back from the States. Tomorrow is also the election and we are quite nervous about the possibility Obama will lose. Of course, that will be a tragedy. The Ethiopians seem to like Obama also but aren’t as concerned about the election result.