Addis Archives - Wandering North

Ethiopia Trip 2015 Europe Germany

Addis Ababa to Frankfurt

I arrived in Frankfurt from Addis Ababa and had a brief layover – 7 hours or so – but it was long enough to leave the airport and go for a walk in the city. Frankfurt was kind of a perfect place to have such a layover. I have never been interested in going there and it lacks ‘must-see’ sights, so i could wander without feeling any pressure to do or see anything in particular. I did do some planning and determined ahead of time where the best/most scenic places would be to go (the less time in a place, the more planning required).

I passed by the disinterested customs/immigration officials and caught the easy and efficient train to central Frankfurt.

After my weeks in Ethiopia, and most recently Addis, the air felt so cool and fresh. I arrived early in the morning and it was a Monday so the streets were mostly quiet and then filled with suits off to work and a few buses of tourists, waving a plethora of selfie sticks.

The city was…nice. Attractive and clean, with some pretty, historic and very German buildings, some public art, waterways and bicycles. It wasn’t remarkable or amazing, but it was nice. Sort of like a German version of Vancouver.

I had a great coffee and bread and cheese for breakfast from a cafe on a pretty square. My first non-Ethiopian food in a while, which made it especially delicious.

The best thing about my hours in Frankfurt was that no one spoke to me unless i spoke to them first. No one said hello or smiled. No one asked me where i was from or what my name was, how old i was, if i had children, etc. I think i dealt fine with the constant barrage of attention from locals on the street in Ethiopia, and it is nice, i suppose, to have connections and interactions with strangers, but at my heart i like to walk down the street and have no one care or pretend to care. That urban, western disinterest felt so welcome and comfortable on that morning and was probably my favourite thing about Frankfurt.

Back to the airport, i flew to Vancouver, another trip concluded.

Africa Ethiopia Ethiopia Trip 2015

Back to Addis Ababa

I left Lalibela the morning after the day of my mule trek. I awoke that day feeling like i might die. Fever, vomiting, and excruciating soreness all over. Thankfully my sightseeing was complete or it would have spoiled the day, but as it was the day was mostly travel: Waiting around for a bus to get to the airport, waiting at the airport, flying to Addis, and then waiting for a shuttle to my hotel. By the time i arrived and settled, all i wanted to do was have a cigar and a bath and go to bed. A word about my hotel, i figured that by the end of my trip i would be worn down, tired, dirty – all of which are true – so i had booked my last two nights in Addis at the Hilton, which is super fancy. I felt like a hick walking in in the same outfit I’ve been wearing for the past 2+ weeks, smelling of sweat, mule, and probably vomit, but it was the perfect place to actually relax for a change and get some rest. And, as it turns out, there are lots of great places here to curl up with a cigar and enjoy some overpriced coffee.

Thankfully, my sickness turned out to be a 24 hour thing and i awoke the next morning read to take on the city.
I walked north of the hotel through a bit of a park like area and came upon a big church with a wedding procession outside. It was lovely, with people singing and clapping and drums being played as the couple paraded around the church.

I didn’t get to go inside the church but all around it were giant tortoises, like the kind that may easily be 100 years old. That was neat.

From there i walked up to the National Museum, which houses a small but satisfying array of Ethiopian historical artifacts and artwork, in addition to the remains of “Lucy” the oldest or most famous found skeletal remains of an Australopithecus, a precursor to homo sapiens, dating back about 3.2 million years, which is pretty amazing. (Look, I’m not a scientist. If you want some detailed info on Lucy, google her.) People all throughout my trip have been encouraging me to go see my “great grandmother Lucy” and they are understandably proud that we can presently locate the ancestors of all mankind to Ethiopia.

After that i walked further north past various traffic circles and busy street scenes, enjoying the walk and stopping for fresh mango juice or coffee.

I walked up to the university and wandered around a before checking out the Ethnographic Museum, which had a good art gallery as well as very interesting displays on cultural practices of people in different parts of the country.

It was all very enjoyable and quite walkable, though by the end of it i was content to stay in and enjoy a cigar on the hotel patio, by the palms.

Today i resolved to walk to the Mercato (yes, they use the Italian word for market). This was quite a walk from the hotel, made more difficult by the fact that i didn’t have a maq, but i knew it was in the north east and near a really big mosque and i was delighted that i was able to find it without having to haggle for a taxi fare. I was less delighted that, being Sunday, the market was rather quiet and most of the surrounding businesses closed. It still made for a satisfying walk though, and one which i followed up by walking to Meskel Square and down Bole Road and back. Trust me, this was a long walk. Nothing of any great interest occurred, but it gave me my final glimpses of Addis before i head to the airport this evening.

And that, is pretty much that for Ethiopia. It has been a wonderful trip which has exceeded my expectations and has been a far easier trip than i expected. Terrific sights, cities, people, food, a d experiences. I only regret that i do not have time to see the many other parts of the country, which look so appealing. But it is back to work for me, with just a bit of a visit to Frankfurt en route.
Flying soon.
d

Africa Ethiopia Ethiopia Trip 2015

Gondar

My trip from Harar to Gondar was a long one. First i had to get from Harar to the airport in Dire Dawa, then i had to fly to Addis Ababa and catch a connecting flight to Gondar. I had this all planned, but then the first of my two flights was delayed, causing my to miss the connecting flight to Gondar, which was the only flight to Gondar that day. I was temporarily annoyed, but i didn’t have anything planned and i really had more than enough time in Gondar, so i headed back into Addis for the night and stayed at an unremarkable hotel that was well appointed but entirely without charm (and without running water as it turned out).

I stayed the night there and didn’t do much but wander around the neighbourhood, which added to my initial impression of Addis that the entire city is either falling apart or under construction, which makes it very interesting to explore but not picturesque.

The next morning i headed to Gondar, successfully this time. I am staying at the Lodge du Chateau, about which i cannot say enough good things. It is so cute and cozy, with little thatched roof rooms set around a small garden courtyard and with a roof top, outdoor area for breakfast and taking in the mountain views. The service is great and there is hot, running water. An oasis.

Gondar is located in north east Ethiopia, towards the border with the Sudan and is in or in the foothills of the Semian Mountains. Gondar is actually a proper big city, but staying in the centre, near the historical sites, it feels like a small town and is walkable and easy to navigate.

There are really two main reasons that one comes to Gondar: hiking and castles. I started with castles. There are several small castles and related buildings and ruins here dating to the 1600s. Not the sort of thing one expects to see in Ethiopia. They would look right at home in the UK. It was a beautiful, sunny day and lovely for walking around the structures and was especially peaceful due to the very few tourists.

I also went out to Fasalada’s Bath (it’s more like a pool really) which is only filled with water for religious ceremonies, but is nevertheless a peaceful place to visit and had amazing trees, reminiscent of the temples at Siem Reap, in that their vines are slowly choking the ruins.

After that i wandered through the market. The markets i have seen so far in Ethiopia have been great places to visit, but they really are pretty limited in their produce. The fruit has been limited to bananas, papaya, mango and lime. And the vegetables: potato, tomato, onion, garlic, carrots, and cabbage. Mostly the markets have everything else: spices, shoes, sundry items, clothes, grains, flour, firewood, and livestock. It is all chaotic and very dirty (which is how i like my markets). Seriously, i have never seen so many sheep and goats in my life. Sometimes i’ve seen a man buy a sheep at market and then carry the sheep on his shoulders. The sheep looks so relaxed, like, “This is the best deal ever. I get carried now?” And i just think, poor guy. You have no idea what is in store for you. Actually, the most distressing thing i saw at the market by far was a man with no hands or feet lying in the street in a pile of garbage, partially covered by a blanket. You see that sort of thing a lot here, but i found that instance disturbing.

Later in the day i just wandered around, stopping for coffee periodically. It’s a really pleasant place with lots of birdsong, trees, and mountains in the distance.

After dinner of injera and lentils, i went back to the hotel and found that the whole neighborhood had been blackened with a power outrage – this seems to be a common occurrence in the country. Thankfully, the hotel and provided a little candle lantern, so i read by candlelight until it was time for sleep. It was a thoroughly enjoyable first day on Gondar and worth the wait to arrive here.

Africa Ethiopia Ethiopia Trip 2015

Addis Ababa

I arrived in Addis Ababa at 6am, just as the sun was coming up. Got my visa at the border and changed some US dollars to Ethiopian Birr. Caught a taxi (a bright yellow, decrepit Lada) to my hotel. There wasn’t much in the way of lovely sights on the drive in. Busy streets with traffic, pedestrians, and donkeys. Aside from a few nice churches and mosques, it’s all just very shabby, which is, what i expected. What was nice though was seeing the crowds of people going to church, dressed in white robes and veils and some of the residential side streets we drove down, which were very poor, but i liked seeing all of the people out starting their day.

My hotel is a a chandelier-crazy 3 star (ish) hotel. When i arrived, all of the staff were crowded around a tv watching the Mayweather flight and when the bell boy (he was probably 40 but his badge said “bell boy”) took me to my room he immediately put the boxing match on my tv too.

My room looks out over tne city and directly down on a corrugated tin conglomeration of houses.

I headed out to explore. All i knew about Addis Ababa (which means ‘new flower’ is that it is about 4 million people, home to a handful of decent sights, and according to most reports is poor and one is likely to be harassed, cheated, and mugged. Oh and i was told that you shouldn’t walk anywhere. So of course i spent the whole day walking. The weather was warm and lovely. The streets are admittedly not good for walking. Only intermittently paved and when they are they are broken and often you have to walk with the traffic, but if you don’t walk you can’t really experience things.

Today was not only a Sunday but some sort of a holiday so many businesses were closed but people were out in throngs. I walked past hole in the wall stores selling beverages and fruit, at least a hundred shoe shine guys, several blocks of shops selling colorful, fringed coffins and flowers, and tons of butchers which were either marked with a cross or a moon and star so you can tell the christian from the halal meat. And there were people on the street selling peppers, limes, books, bits of wood that people chew on instead of brushing their teeth, candy, and cigarettes. Lots of very thin homeless people, often crippled or high on glue or gasoline, I am told. Also in the streets are dogs, goats, sheep, donkeys and a few cows.

Was it charming? Not at all, but i really liked it. It was bustling and interesting and sometimes I would meander off a main road into the side streets where i caught glimpses of very simple homes. There were many things that i wanted to take photos of but didn’t, as people didn’t seem keen on having their picture taken and it was impossible for me to be discrete since in every scenario, as I was the only tourist/white person and i attracted a lot of attention. But I took some pictures of people.

I went to a few churches, where people were praying or in the midst of weddings – lots of weddings with enthusiastic singing and dancing.

I walked past multiple squares and countless streets, until i got to Meskel Sqaure, which last week was the site of violent protests. No so today. I visited the Museum of the Red Terror, which shares the history of the oppression and genocide by the Derg regime, primarily in the 1970s. They killed a half million people and tortured countless more. It was very similar to what you see and hear in Cambodia – photos of the dead, mass graves, human remains, general misery. It was however very interesting.

By mid afternoon i was exhausted and starving. The people who approached me on the street were friendly and curious, but by this point i was too exhausted to be pleasant. One guy came up to me and I blew him off but he kept walking along side me and talking and, well, he was actually pretty nice. When i said i was starving and vegetarian, he took me to the historic Taitu Hotel, which although recently damaged in a fire, was till open for business. It had a cozy interior and a shady patio and, most importantly, it has a daily vegan lunch buffet of Ethiopian delights. The food was awesome and it was $3.50. He didn’t eat but had a drink and we carried on chatting. After that we went to a rooftop cafe and had coffee and smoked. I had a really nice time.

Refreshed, we parted ways and i went back to my hotel, where i crashed. I had thought i would go out again tonight, but it is intimidatingly dark out in this neighborhood (like no street lights, power outage dark), so i am at the hotel cafe having a sandwich and trying not to eat this delicious looking salad they brought be which will certainly make me sick.

Oh, I must say something about the coffee. Ethiopia, being the birthplace of coffee, is mad for cafes. There are cafes on every block, tons of them and the coffee is amazing. Basically they serve espresso or machiattos and sometimes they roast and pound to a powder the beans right in front of you. I went to several several cafes, but particularly sought out Tomoca, which is considered to be the best. It is a hole in the wall joint where you order and drink standing at the counter. It’s packed and understandably so. I blurted out “oh my god” after every sip.

My Amaharic is poor, but i have mastered hello, goodbye, please, thank you, yes, no, and coffee. What more could i need on my first day?

Tomorrow i have an early flight to Dire Dawa where i will hopefully convince someone to drinve me to Harar, where i will spend the next few days.
It’s off to a good start.
d

Tag: Addis