Longevity

In Nebeyou's village one day, we walked past some army tents. I didn't take photos because in many countries it's not legal to photograph government buildings or anything military, and Ethiopia is no exception (you also aren't allowed to photograph banks there). But, as we got close, I noticed everyone in the tents was dressed up and eating. It was actually a funeral, which can last for days. This funeral was for a well known man, who apparently lived 98 years. He was friends with the hospital driver's father, who is 110 years old. There is another man in the village who is reportedly 114, but he no longer leaves his home, since his wife recently died (she was in her late 90s).

kolo

I asked Silas, the driver, how his dad lived, curious about  the secret to his longevity. Silas said his dad walks a lot (it's hilly here) and that he rarely eats meat, except for feast days. He eats injera with a popular lentil wot, and lots of kolo, which is a favorite of my kids, and the one thing Alden asked me to bring back for him. It's a snack made of roasted barley and other grains, with roasted peanuts. It's evidently the only thing the 114 year old eats as well, which surprises me because it's somewhat hard to chew. It's also a food people tend to eat at fasting time, which, for the Orthodox, seems like about half the year.