An aborted seduction, so I thought

A coffee-maker, wearing a formal coffee ceremony attire

At the Gondar tourist information office, a tour guide offered me his services.  We agreed on the price and as a sign of our deal, he treated me to a coffee ceremony.  

Coffee house:  See the grass scattered on the floor

(Well, a coffee ceremony means that you enter a coffee house that has grass strewn on the floor for good vibes, with incense burning and watch the coffee being prepared.)

See the jebena, the boiling pot.  Horsehair is used as sieve.

 Afterwards we passed by his rented room to pick up his guide uniform.  The tour was good as the guide was very knowledgeable.  As I was curious what lunch was like, I accepted his invitation to join him for lunch at his rented room.    

Incense.  I will start burning them at home.

If Ugandans have their posho or kalo dipped in sesame or peanuts paste,  Ethiopians have injera (a white leavened bread made of teff flour, much like a crepe) that is eaten by dipping it in a mixture of sauted vegetable or meat. 

Pinch the injera and wrap the sauce with it.

  A friend of the guide dropped by to deliver some grass and lemons and to burn incense.  

Hand-feeding

Before showing him the door, the guide pinched some injera, dipped it in the paste and hand-fed his friend;  he also did the same to me.  (I understand that in Ethiopia, hand-feeding someone means that he or she is liked.)

The guide's shared abode

 At the end of the meal, we washed our hands in the bathroom sink then returned to his room.  The guide started to unbutton his shirt, added more incense to burn, and spread the grass called chat on the bed.  He plucked some stems and started to chew them, sucking the lemon juice every now and then.  I firmly declined his invitation to "chat" with him.

A chat plantation

 Chat is a plant that is widely grown in some parts of Ethiopia and it seems  that it is used as an upper.  It is legal to plant chat and it is openly traded in the market.  

A chat market.  The commodity is in plastic bags.

Before the chat's reputed powers took effect, I showed my displeasure and told the guide that I would have to leave immediately so that he can continue his chat-chewing ritual.  

I love to chat but not with grass.

Background:  One of the castles in Gondar