Hawassa’s Lake: 20 Minutes of Calm Before Coffee Country ❤️

1. Hawassa greeted me with sunlight and the soft lapping of water—and I didn’t waste a second. The second my feet hit the ground after the flight, I made a beeline for Lake Awassa. There’s something about a lake at dawn that feels like a secret, and I wanted in. A few turns later, I’d settled at a rickety wooden table outside a family-run café, ready to savor whatever time I had. 🌅🛬🪑 2. Breakfast arrived as the lake woke up. Freshly baked bread, a bowl of yogurt topped with local honey, and a mug of steaming tea—simple, but delicious. Around me, life by the lake stirred: an old man fed crumbs to a group of sparrows, a couple walked hand-in-hand along the shore, their voices low and laughing. I didn’t check my phone once. For 20 minutes, I just *was*—absorbing the light, the sounds, the quiet joy of being somewhere new. 🥖🐦🍯 3. Those 20 minutes felt both fleeting and endless. Just as I started to relax into the rhythm, my driver called: “Ready when you are.” I sighed, finished my tea, and stood. The coffee regions of Sidamo were next, a journey I’d been looking forward to, but leaving the lake stung a little. Still, I’d gotten what I came for: a taste of Hawassa’s soul, wrapped in morning light and the lake’s quiet song. ⏲️👋🦆 4. Driving toward the hills, I thought about that quick lakeside stop. It’s the small moments, isn’t it? Not the grand adventures, but the 20-minute sips of coffee by the water, the glimpses of daily life, the feeling of being exactly where you need to be—even if only for a little while. Here’s to the coffee farms ahead—and to the lake waiting to be revisited. 🚗☕✨ #HawassaLakeMoments #EthiopiaCoffeeJourney #20MinutesOfBliss #LakeAwassaDiaries #SidamoBound