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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
well well well,
To start the blog at the beginning of the trip would be quite difficult for a couple of reasons, the first is the that the middle east seems like worlds away, and the second is that we have be blown away by etheopia.
We had a difficult route to travel from Amman to Addis Ababa, it involved three flights with an 8 eight wait in transit in Bahrain.
Bahrain is flash, etheopian airways is not, they have so little clout in the airport that they are not even aloud to announce their flight over the p.a, an employee has to run around the airport telling everyone the plane is departing. Whilst lining up for the plane Cristin nudges me, points at a guy and says "has that guy got a cat". Yes indeed the man had a cat, I have been on many flights and never have I seen animals board the plane.
Once boarded chaos continued we start taxing to the runway with between 20-30 people not seated i was convinced we where over loaded, nobody sat in asigned seats, no safety demo bizare.
First thing we had to learn about etheopia is that they have thirteen months in their calendar and the year is 2000 (or 2001 not quite sure). this is not the stangest concept to get to grips with the time is real struggle so bare with me the time starts when the sun comes up, it is then 12:00 (say 6am) then 1 oclock and so on. When the sun goes down it is then 12:00 oclock again. We have to catch a bus at 11:00 which is really 5am our time though we have to watch the news to see when sunrise is to work out when sunrise is then take an hour off, easy.
Addis Ababa is not as i expected at all some parts are highly developed, really new architecture, people wearing diesel jeans, billabong shirts, and some parts are not , there is also extreme poverty here. I have had a bit of difficulty coping with some aspects in the city, I have seen people very badly deformed and severe disabilities.
Some people live in very Australian like suburban houses and then there is the not so lucky it really is a place of two extremes. We have been lucky enough to arrive on the national day big colourful parades and different tribes showing off there skills of tribesman ship
The two finest things about Addis Ababa is the Food and the coffee, I jest not. Italian style cappuciano machines are everywhere from very flash restaurants to inside s***ty rusted corrigated iron shacks in quite poor parts of town.
Traditional food is hot, very hot and is hit and miss when it is good it is good, and when it is bad it is s***, it is eaten with your hands I find it not so easy or pleasing trying to chow down curriied lentils with my hands. though I have had the finest plate of lasagne ever and they are mad for a bit of pasta and pizza, beef is fantastic and everywhere is extremely clean (well the water is not too hot).
We are off to the north tomorrow to explore and do a trek in the simen mountains so will wish everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year in case internet is scarse.
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