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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Round one: The House Always Wins
Well, I’ve finally made it to Addis Ababa, my first experience with the African continent. I must say, it has been a confusing first 24 hours. So far, I have managed to check into 3 hotels, lose my camera, and be manoeuvred out of about a weeks budget.
Upon arrival at Bole Airport I decided the better, more reliable, and trustworthy option would be to get an official Airport Taxi. Wrong. Not only did it end up costing me $16 for a fairly short journey, they managed to swindle me into going to an expensive hotel. The airport staff, taxi drivers, everyone I spoke to and tried to explain where I wanted to go, assured me that there is absolutely no hotels in Ethiopia where you can get a room for under 350 birr. I thought this strange, given that the guidebook had clearly stated much cheaper prices, but then, guidebooks do go out of date very quickly. Having no starting point from which to get some perspective, I agreed to let them take me to Get Guesthouse which they assured me “was the cheapest place in Addis Ababa”, without staying somewhere that was run by the mafia. After some negotiation I settled for a small room for 350 birr. Now, it is worth noting, that my entire daily budget is 350birr, so you can imagine, I was starting to worry about just how I was going to manage to eat for the next couple of months. However, I needed somewhere to start and get some bearings, so I relented.
Having deposited my bags, I decided the best way to orientate myself is to go by foot and get a feel for the land. I set out for Meskel Square, but took a minor wrong turn and found myself at Sokem Guesthouse, which seemed far more legitimate and had listed prices for rooms. They showed me a shoebox sized room for 150 birr with a communal shower. Now this was getting closer to the price range I needed to work within, so I decided that no matter where I ended up staying, I needed to go and get myself out of Get Guesthouse as soon as possible. On my way back to collect my bags, an American Ethiopian named Ash was walking behind me and made some comments on my tattoos. We ended up walking and talking together for a while and were joined by another Ethiopian guy named Yomas. I explained to Yomas what had happened with the guesthouse and he offered to show me a much better place to stay for around 150 birr, with private bathroom, television and more- which sounded great to me! I had a bit of trouble checking out of Get though, as the security guard locked me in the compound and wouldn’t let me leave, insisting that I needed to pay at least half of the room price. I was volatile at this point, and was threatening to smash the place up if he kept me prisoner any longer. We settled on $5USD and I left.
Yomas did indeed show me to a much nicer place, which in reality cost 200 Birr, but I was willing to accept that. He then took me all the way across town to a place where I could change my money on the black market, showed me some of the local places and took me back to the guesthouse. By this time I was more than happy for Yomas’ company. We seemingly shared a common interest in music, and similar philosophies on life and “positive vibrations”. Yes, Yomas was a Rastafarian. Me, I guess I’m just a hippy.
I spent the rest of the day with Yomas, and that evening we went out for a drink together. Being a Rastafarian, he also insisted that we smoke a joint together. Not wanting upset the positive vibrations, I was happy to roll with the punches and see where the night was going. After a few drinks, he offered to take me to a traditional Ethiopian dancing performance and introduce me to some nice Habesha (Ethiopian) women- “Not Prostitutes!!” he promised me sincerely. Again, I was curious and happy to see what kind of strange place I might find myself in, also, after spending so much time with Yomas I genuinely felt that we had made a strong connection as friends and I was prepared to trust him.
What followed was an awkward situation whereby we went to a “Rasta House” and sat in the living room while about 8 Habesha girls (who clearly were prostitutes) danced to some Ethiopian music and really bad cheesy R&B. I was pressured to buy the girls a round of drinks “Very cheap!” the assured me. After such a long time in transit with very little sleep, plus a tumultuous first day in Addis, plus having had a couple of beers a joint, I dare say my normally sharp decision making skills were severely blunted. I ended up footing an enormous bill, not to mention the beers I had bought earlier in the night, and some other things that Yomas was supposedly going to buy for me “tomorrow”.
Once back at the guesthouse, it all really sank in, just how much of a sucker I had been. I had been warned about these friendly guys who offer to take you to dancing shows etc, and had been warned that I would end up with a stiff bill. Like I said though, I had genuinely felt that we had developed a good friendship and as a general rule I tend to err on the side of trusting people- not always a smart move, clearly. It wasn’t until I was back in my room that I realised that my camera was missing too, which I think must have fallen out of my pocket in the taxi we caught to the “dance show”.
Earlier in the night Yomas and I had made plans to spend the next day exploring the Entoto hills, then he wanted to take me to try eating Chat while he helped teach me Amharigna and plan my itinerary for the next couple of weeks. All of this had sounded great, earlier in the night, before I had been duped out of a weeks travelling budget. Now, however, I realised that I needed to get out of the situation. I happened to wake up very early in the morning, and checked out of my guesthouse. I wandered around Addis Ababa for a while, looking for another place to stay, then caught a minibus to the other side of town, the Piazza district. This was the area I had initially wanted to go to, but had been told it was very far and would cost me a lot of money. It cost me 10 birr, 5 for me, and 5 for my bag because it was taking up a seat. Once here in Piazza I very quickly and easily found the National Hotel, which was the place I had originally wanted to go to, and secure a room for only 70 birr! Also in the immediate area I found a good restaurant, the Omar Khayyam, and ordered some Injera Fir Fir for breakfast - costing a mere 12 birr. For reference, $1 = 17 Birr.
After breakfast, in a nearby Buna Bet (coffee house), another friendly Habesha man, named Mekonnen, got to talking to me. I told him what had happened the night before, and he was appalled. I also shared with him my plans of heading out of Addis tomorrow and he offered to drive me to the Autobus Terra was and help me work out my ticket. He even offered me a loan of his camera so I could take photos while I went north! Mekonnen was very helpful, friendly, and genuine- proving that it really is better to err on the side of trust.
So, with Mekonnens help I am now catching an early public bus to Bahir Dar, where I will explore Tis Abay (Blue Nile Falls), and also the Lake Tana monasteries.
All in all, I have had a good experience with Addis Ababa. I may have lost some money and my camera, but I have learnt lessons, seen places, and been challenged. Addis is a much quieter, slower paced city than I had imagined it would be, and the people as a whole seem very friendly and welcoming. All the “negative” things that have happened have been purely through my own poor decision making, and as such my view of Ethiopia is still a very positive one. The poverty here is bad, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe I am just a hardened bastard, but I have not felt too confronted by anything. Most of the areas are still very underdeveloped, with goats and donkeys in the street a very common sight.
Today marks 20 years since the downfall of The Derg- the socialist party, or Red Terror, as they are commonly known. During the time of The Derg, many educated people were killed or forced into exile, similar to the Khmer Rouge regime in Kampuchea but not nearly on the same genocidal scale. It is a national public holiday today, which means that there are loads of young people around trying to get me to come and celebrate with them by chewing Chat - “Ethiopian Facebook” as they call it. After my experiences last night, I’m happy to take today nice and slowly and get some rest. I have already explored the Mercato, the largest marketplace in Africa, and will perhaps go to the National Museum this afternoon to see Lucy, modern mans oldest ancestor.
I’ll try and write less of an epic essay next time, but undoubtedly I will have a lot more stories to tell. The rains have just settled in, the first time since my arrival. The internet here is very poor, so it looks like I might have to backdate a few of these entries. Oh, and I’m sorry Ash- no camera means no more food blog. Boo!
… later that day….
Just when I thought I would spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and reading, I had a knock on my door. Two Habesha men, Thomas and Belachew, who work at the hotel had seen my name and nationality in the guest log and came to greet me to Ethiopia and wanted to know if they could show me around town to help practice their English. Thomas explained that he was the son of the owner of my guesthouse, Belachew was one of the managers, and, given that today was a celebration, they had the rest of the day free. They offered to show me to a place that I could connect to the internet with my laptop, as well as help me get an Ethiopian sim card, which I have decided would really make my life here easier.
They showed me around the Piazza area, including taking me to see St. George Cathedral which interestingly enough had eucalypts growing on the grounds… but more on that later. After seeing the cathedral we decided to have lunch together, and over the course of the meal they started to realise, to their astonishment, just how much Amharigna I had learnt- earning me the new Habesha name of Meberku, meaning “Powerful Wisdom”, which I was positively chuffed about.
As we walked around some more, the two of them excitedly teaching me new things to say and explaining more about the city, they managed to convince me to come with them to chew Chat for the afternoon. At first, I was hesitant. I wasn’t sure what exactly the effects of Chat were, and also was still a little wary from my dealings with Yomas the night before. Thomas explained to me though, that chat was not a mind altering substance, and that on special celebration holidays like today everyone in the country, including the President and even Thomas’ father, chewed Chat. Now, I know that all of this bears resemblance to how I met Yomas yesterday, and what the outcome was. Friendly Habesha offering to show me around, extremely friendly and genuine, offering to take me to experience some “traditional culture” and then stiffing me on the bill… but my life philosophy of trying to keep myself open to new experiences, and my foolhardy trusting nature urged me onward. Plus, Thomas had paid the entire lunch bill, which to me seemed to show his genuinely friendly and giving nature.
We caught a minibus to an area where Thomas and Belachew knew there was a Chat bar, which from the outside looked like a dirty, damp, dilapidated garden shed. When we entered it was a complete transformation, with numerous people sitting around together chewing Chat, smoking Shisha pipes, drinking tea and listing to a mix of reggae and Ethiopian jazz. Altogether a very relaxed, and positive vibe to the place.
Now, for those of you who don’t know, Chat is a plant. The general idea is that you make a tight ball of leaves from the plant (the youngest leaves are the best), place the ball inside your mouth between your cheek and teeth, and chew the leaves like a cud whilst swallowing the juices it creates. It also helps to throw a couple of peanuts into the mix, and have a sweet drink like the local shahe (tea) or coke to help with the taste and consumption. Chew it all into a pulp, swallow it all, then repeat. Again, and again. For hours.
The effect of chat is subtle, but definite. It is simultaneously stimulating, and relaxing. My scalp was tingling, my heart rate slightly elevated, my mind sharp. At the same time, I felt extremely content, relaxed, and happy. The conversation flowed freely and the three of us discussed at great length all manner of things, from politics, religion, history, philosophy, to refugee policies, social movements, language and environmental issues. We smoked an apple tobacco shisha, drank a few cups of shahe, and formed strong bonds of friendship born from similar ideals, outlooks, and opinions. Thomas offered to lend me his camera while I went north, and Belachew arranged for me to get a new sim card for my phone.
I was in for a surprise when we decided to leave and collected the bill. I had earlier tried to ascertain just how much Chat costs, but was told that the price can vary a lot so it is hard to really know. I sensed an aloofness that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with, but figured “Hey, it is just a plant… it can’t be TOO expensive”, and besides, I only had about 120 birr with me. Again too, I genuinely felt that we had formed strong bonds of trust and friendship.
The bill total came to a total of 1682 birr. I was gob smacked, but as Thomas wasn’t trying to stick me with the whole bill, explaining that we would split it, I figured that what is good enough for the Goose is good enough for the gander and resigned to putting that in the “experiences learnt the hard way” pile. I was a little taken aback though when Thomas explained that he didn’t have any money on him, and could I cover it? Well, I only had about 150 birr… not even ten percent of the bill. Belachew was broke too. Thomas offered to put his phone down as a guarantee, if we could go back to the hotel and I could swing him some cash to come back and cover it. We agreed on a split amount each, but as he couldn’t get into a bank to get more money, he wanted to know if I could float it and he would fix me up when I was back in Addis in a few weeks…
I know what you’re thinking. “You idiot! How can you be so naïve and stupid? Twice in two days? Is there something wring with your brain!??!”. You know what, that is probably fair. In my mind, however, there is more value in the potential for creating long lasting friendships than there is in pieces of paper with numbers printed on them. I weighed in my options, and chose to have one more roll of the dice. Take one more chance on human nature. I wanted to prove that most people are indeed good and kind, and that if you show kindness, trust, and faith in someone it will push them to live their lives with credibility and honesty. I was willing to gamble 1500 birr on this notion, knowing that if the house wins on this hand I will not only be shown to be foolish, but will also have an even harder time managing the next few months. Stubborn old me, just HAD to try and prove my point.
As it stands, I am still sitting in my room, waiting for Thomas to return with his camera and a new battery for my phone. I think I’m going to go and try and find some viable internet, as I’m sure a few of you might get a kick out of this.
The house always wins.
Dubai, U.A.E
I am up to an approximate total of 7 hours of very broken sleep out of the last 53. My sense of beaming love was somewhat diminished when I awoke from a 30minute sleep on the cold hard tiles. My festering rage became apparent when I started wanting to punch people for walking too close to me.
I wish I had realised that the emirates transfer lounge was open 24 hours. Of course it is, why wouldn’t it be? What was I thinking? Anyway, I’m here now. I was also here last night and had an ENOURMOUS feast and was waited upon like royalty, which was a pleasant change. My best piece of advice so far- Fly Emirates. Especially if you have transfers, because they go out of their way to look after you and provide you with free food and beverages, as well as internet and general TLC.
My first impressions of Dubai were hilarious. Flying in over the sand dunes and tiny little villages dotting the landscape, then getting off the plane and being surrounded by very short women in burqhas made me feel like I was droid trading with Jawas on Tattooine.
Actual scene from Dubai International Airport.
I managed to have a very much needed shower last night, and scored a free pair of slippers out of it too which have given great relief to my feet- I also made of with a range of other assorted toiletry items which made the $14 shower charge worthwhile.
I have spent much of this morning brushing up on some more Amharigna, so I hopefully I will be in good stead when I hit Addis Ababa in a few hours.
Ok… the Emirates lounge is closing… I have no idea what is going on any more.
Foodblog #1- Chicken Biryani, Tandoori Chicken Salad, Khay, and Ferrero Rocher’ - Not bad for an airline!
(Ash, sorry I haven’t documented more already, I missed out on the entire feast I had last night. I’ll try and get better!)
Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan
I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a friendly Pakistani woman all the way from KL - Karachi. Her name was Rizwanda, and she was travelling from Melbourne to visit family for a couple of weeks. It was relieving to have someone pleasant and interesting to talk to, as so often flights are spent in silence - for a variety of reasons. We waxed lyrical on a variety of subjects, including the very complex political situation in Pakistan, and also the alleged assassination of Osama Bin Laden on Pakistani soil. We also discussed the enormous floods that ravaged Pakistan last year, and the ongoing recovery effort. Unfortunately, the aid money that was given by Australia and the U.S reached little to none of the people who actually needed it, instead being swallowed up by a myriad of corrupt politicians and officials. There are still so many people still in need of housing (even temporary) and sanitation, it boggles the mind. Rizwanda ended up taking my contact details with a view to flying me over to Pakistan to help out with some recovery projects she is involved in. I hope it pans out, because aside from the obvious need to help people here, even just looking at Pakistan from the air and airport, I can tell it is somewhere I would like to see more of.
We have a one hour on-tarmac transit stop here, and then another 2 hours onward to Dubai. This officially marks the furthest I have been from Australian soil, which is pretty exciting.
Selamat Datang!
I’m tired. Sitting in KLIA (Kuala Lumpur Int. Airport) waiting for my first connection. The previous few days of not being able to sleep due to my nervous excitement are catching up with me.
So far so good though. No delays, not problems. However, I did have a strange thing happen on the flight. After boarding, as the plane was relatively empty, the woman sitting next to me moved to another area of the cabin with an abundance of vacant seats, thus allowing us both plenty of room to stretch out and get comfortable. Post-takeoff I quickly fell into a relatively comfortable slumber, only to find that when I woke up I had a strange man seated next me! Now, this might seem trivial… but the thing I found strange was that that clearly wasn’t his seat (the woman prior was ticketed to that seat), he wasn’t there before take-off, why would he move seats to squeeze in next to someone else? I could maybe understand it if he was keen to strike up a conversation, but the entire time he was there he acted like I didn’t exist! Including stretching his long legs and arms out so they encroached on my personal space, and he was seemingly emanating foul smells. He also had weird long fingers.
Ok… maybe it wasn’t that bad… but like I said, I am very tired.
KLIA has nothing on Changi Airport… Where are the sweet free cinemas? The computer games? The other various ways to entertain oneself? Step up Malaysia! Though, the staff here are super friendly and helpful, so I guess that is a bonus.
The reality of the fact that I have embarked on my journey still hasn’t fully set in yet… which is a worry, because it means I am not mentally preparing myself for taking my first steps out onto Ethiopian soil. It all still seems completely surreal, and all the processes involved so far have been undertaken with a certain sense of blasé, as though it were all just a normal part of my daily routine. I am excited, but at the same time have a very surrealist projection of what I am excited about. However it plays out though, I know that this will be a fantastic learning experience- on many levels.
I’m glad that I have decided to go to Burning Man (and that I got accepted!). A few months ago, I was still in a bit of a slump and so had all these romantic notions of needing to go off by myself into the wilds of Africa in order to emancipate myself from some inner demons. Whilst I still really do want to explore more of the African continent, indeed by myself, my perspectives have changed and certainly seem to be coming from a much better, happier place- full of love and hope.
I have never been much of a blogger. I have never even been a diary keeper. This is going to be a challenge for me in terms of commitment and also working out how/what to write. I hope you are interested enough to be patient while I hone my writing skills, but if not, that’s fine. I’m hoping this will be a good outlet for myself as much as anything else.
Ok, I think I need to try and find a shower.
