In the summer of 2017, a group of 9 friends met at the Dulles International airport for an eventful trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This adventure started after months of planning and collaboration, not only among ourselves, but with the invaluable assistance and assurances from our tour organizer, Mulugeta Workye (Mulie), who is based in Lalibela

When l heard in early 2017 about the upcoming tour to Ethiopia from my old friends, the doctors Errol and Joan Bennett, my heart raced with excitement! I had enjoyed the friendship and warmth of Ethiopians in Paris, Abidjan, and even New York and was thrilled at the opportunity to tour the country with a guide, Mr. Mulugeta Workye

Within moments of meeting Mulie I was put at ease by his level of professionalism, kindness, and knowledge of Ethiopia. Mulie was instrumental in helping me to capture authentic footage, video interviews, and photographs for a feature length documentary I was filming in Ethiopia. He was an excellent guide that turned into a life long friend

Our introduction to Ethiopia started with Mulugeta – affectionately known as Mulie, greeting us — a group of nine persons, at the airport in Addis Ababa with yellow long stemmed roses for everyone