Ethiopia: Addis Ababa

Ethiopia is not a destination for the faint hearted, but it has always been somewhere I’ve dreamed of visiting. Nicknamed the cradle of life and one of the only African nations to never be colonised; the draw of the country’s history, culture and delicious cuisine was enough to convince us to visit despite reports of political unrest and a state of emergency.  We are so very glad that we did, it was truly amazing. The sights, smells and sounds hit you as soon as you arrive, and it is a delightful heady mix which I will never forget. The welcoming people, the food, the music, the scenery, the wildlife, the art, the history, culture and faith – make for a unique and enchanting experience.

As for safety – we felt 100% safe all the time. The people we met were friendly, welcoming, hospitable and curious.  We lost count of how many times we were asked if we liked their country – which we did, very much.   We never felt threatened in any way.  That’s not to say that there aren’t people who will ask for money or try to sell you something nor that you shouldn’t have your wits about you in crowded areas but don’t let sensationalism or incorrect reporting put you off a visit to this amazing place.

You should also be prepared to be patient and flexible. If you are looking for luxury, then this isn’t the place for you.  Power cuts are a daily event so light, hot water and Wi-Fi are by no means guaranteed.  Take each day as it comes and soon you won’t even notice it.

Ethiopia is going through some major changes now. We visited during the state of emergency that was imposed due to political unrest and protests, which led to the resignation of the president.  It is more complicated than this but in short – Ethiopia is made up of many ethnic groups. Their government is a coalition with representatives from each group however the president was from a minority ethnic group. This caused unrest as many felt that the president should be from one of the majority groups.  When we arrived, a new president had just been appointed (not elected) from one of these majority groups.  Many people wanted to talk to us about this and about their thoughts on the government and their hopes for the future. It might help to have a little bit of background information before you travel so that you can understand this – we tried to listen rather than express our own opinions. Overall most are hopeful that better times are on their way.

Addis Ababa

So often we are advised to skip capital cities with descriptions such as sprawling, crowded, dirty, congested but I think that it is a shame to do so.  Each capital city tells us something about its nation’s culture and people and Addis is certainly no exception.  Yes, it is huge and busy and noisy, but we had a great time exploring and it prepared us well for the rest of our trip.  Linger here for at least 2 nights, 1 full day – if you can.

We stayed at the Arequ guest house on our first two nights, which is close to the airport.  It is a very funky and unique place that has been restored by its owners using antiques and furnishings which are handmade by the family.  It is rustic and warm and has a lovely atmosphere.   The only thing to consider is that there is no lift. Our room was on the 9^th floor – which meant we got a healthy dose of daily exercise.  That said, our room was huge, more of a suite with a sofa and terrace.  Breakfast was made to order, generous and delicious.  It included our first taste of Ethiopian coffee which is the best we’ve ever had.  Totally addictive. We enjoyed meeting the other guests, who included a young Ethiopian who was born in Australia but was in Addis volunteering and a Swiss family who were there for a wedding.

A taxi from the guesthouse into central Addis could be arranged from the reception for around 200 Birr.  We decided to taxi into town and then walk everywhere. We covered around 13kms in one day which gave us a great feel for all the different parts of the city.

We started out at the National Museum a building that could use a little TLC but worth a visit. Some of the exhibits are not very well lit or labelled but those that are, were very interesting.  In the basement you will find a replica of “Lucy” one of the earliest human ancestors and on upper levels there were art exhibitions and other interesting artefacts.  It cost less than $1 to visit so great value.

From here we headed to the Ethnological Museum which is in a University Campus.  It was interesting to walk through the university and chat to some of the students. The museum itself is located within one of Haile Selassie’s (ex-emperor of Ethiopia) old palaces so the building itself forms part of the exhibits.  This is a highlight in Addis and should not be missed. There are very pleasant manicured gardens outside which you can walk through.

Next on our itinerary was the Holy Trinity Cathedral, which is rather modern compared to others in Ethiopia, but it was a good introduction to the architecture and traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox church. We took a guide, who asked us to pay what we thought the tour was worth.  This is also the burial place of Haile Selassie and his wife.

At lunchtime we saw a group of men, including a priest, walking into a big courtyard and upon further inspection discovered that this was an eatery, very popular with locals. We decided to give it a go, not really knowing what we were doing.  There was a butcher’s shop at the front with a carcass hanging so we headed toward that area.  We must have looked quite funny, but this just generated a few stares and greetings. A very friendly staff member rescued us and found us a seat. He asked us if we ate meat – and then said to leave it to him.   A few minutes later he appeared with a clay pot which had hot coals in the bottom and some freshly grilled meat on top.  This was our first portion of Shekla Tibs – which was to become a firm favourite.

These butcher’s shops are everywhere in Ethiopia and a lunchtime treat.  You will notice that many locals just eat the meat raw with a few flavoured dips/sauces/spices however we were advised that this was not recommended for our delicate tourist tummies.  The grilled meats are however DELICIOUS and always accompanied with berbere dip (Ethiopian spice mix) and injera (staple food – a spongy slightly sour but delicious bread made with Teff and fermented).

We later wandered around the lively Piassa area, a good place to stop for coffee – but do watch your pockets as pickpocketing is apparently an issue, although we didn’t have any problems.

After a quick freshen up back at our lodge we headed out to dinner at Yod Abyssinia.  This is a restaurant that caters for tourists, but we didn’t find it tacky or overpriced.  We ate a delicious meal which was made up of lots of different regional dishes served on a giant injera, as well as trying the local honey wine – Tej, which I loved.  Meanwhile we watched an extremely entertaining show with singing and some crazy dancing from every region in Ethiopia. It was fun and a good insight into the different cultures.  The audience had as many tourists as it does locals and many tourists from neighbouring African nations too, so it was a good mix.

Lessons Learned and Anecdotes….

• It takes a while to get your bearings. There are a lot of people who will try to “help” you or offer to guide you – please be aware that in general they expect a tip in return.  However, don’t let this put you off speaking to anyone as there are equally as many people who are just curious and want to talk and find out about who you are why you are there.  If you go in with an open mind and assume the best, we found that we soon found our feet.
• Personal space – the rules around this aren’t quite the same as back home but again, don’t assume that anyone means you harm. Shake hands when asked to and don’t carry anything too valuable and you’ll be just fine.
• Altitude – I knew that Addis Ababa was at high altitude but hadn’t really expected to feel any symptoms. I was surprised to feel myself very short of breath and a bit dizzy for the first 24 hours (the 9 flights of stairs didn’t help admittedly).

• Welcome to Hell – As we entered the university campus where the ethnological museum is located, a group of students accosted us and one of them said very loudly “welcome to hell”. I was quite taken aback as this didn’t really match the friendly greetings we had received before then.   It was only later when we were leaving the museum that I noticed that the university campus was called “Haile Campus” as in Haile Selassie – doh… I felt very silly and regretted the quizzical look I’d given the poor lad who was welcoming us to “Haile”.

• Birr – Ethiopian currency is virtually impossible to get outside of Ethiopia. You are not really supposed to take any of it out of the country either. The best thing to do is to exchange cash at the airport, where the rates are competitive, and it is very straightforward.  We were also able to exchange cash at Danesh Bank, but it was a long process.  Many ATMs don’t accept foreign cards to withdraw, but Danesh Bank ATMs should work.   We used visa credit with no issues too but don’t assume that you can use card as often, card terminals will be down due to power cuts.  Cash is best.