18 August Continued

Finally started work on the bridge (sort of) today.  Had a breakfast of eggs and tea- the tea costs one birr and is quite good.  After eating, the crew went to the jobsite, while myself and a couple others went on a town tour.  We met with the mayor, the city manager, the chief of police, and the security manager for the town.  In addition to those visits, we visited a local repair shop (mostly TLCs!) and the local hospital.  It is a small affair, currently without an xray machine, a dentist, an optometrist, an internist, EKG capability...the list goes on.  If someone gets hurt out here...

Following the tour, headed down to the job site, where inventory of tools and materials was underway.  We are short a few items.  Some are more painful losses than others.  For example, we have Bosch sawzalls.  This would be great, except we have no batteries or chargers.  There is also a corded drill, which would be great too, except it's 220V/50hz, and our generator only puts out 110V/60hz...

Lunch followed this shortly- rice and meat.  Eventually food will need to be sought elsewhere than the restaurant.  There is a bustling market here in Negele; it is a series of alleyways filled with stores selling, it seems, everything not needed for a bridge project.

After lunch it was back to the site.  It was in the afternoon that I first saw the town's child-chasers- hired men who keep kids away from the construction site.  They usually carry switches, and will chase the kids away, swatting at them as they run.  At times they will chase upwards of 20 children a hundred yards down the road.  More from the 18th to follow...