10th May - 5th June: Ethiopia Part 3 - Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa 

Addis became Ethiopia's capital city in the late 1890s and has remained so ever since. It's a fast-growing city, with transport and building construction work happening almost everywhere you look - supported by some impressive scaffolding!

Addis is often referred to as the political capital of Africa, as the African Union has its base there, along with many other African and International Organisations.

I dropped in and out of Addis four times during the month I was in Ethiopia, so had quite a bit of time to explore.

Mount Entoto 

Mount Entoto is part of the Entoto mountain range and at 3,200m is the highest peak overlooking Addis. It is a beautiful spot, covered with Eucalyptus trees and offering spectacular views of the city. It is also the spot from which Addis was founded.

Church of St Maryam and buildings from the old Imperial Palace 

'Lucy'

Lucy was the nickname given to the partial skeleton of a 3.2 million year old female discovered in the Afar region of Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy's discovery was hugely important as she was both the most ancient and the most complete skeleton of a human 'upright' ancestor ever found. Lucy's discovery suggested that it was highly likely that modern humans  (homo sapiens) probably originated from Ethiopia.  Lucy now 'lives' in the National Museum in Addis, where scientists continue to study and learn from her.

The Lion of Judah 
The Lion of Judah is the symbol of the Ethiopian monarchy and appears throughout Addis in many forms.  It has become particularly associated with Emperor Haile Selassie and the first of the statues below was unveiled on the eve of his coronation in 1930. 

The coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie also marked the beginnings of the religion of Rastafari (its name derived from the Emperor's real name, Ras Tafari Makonnen)  Rastafari also uses the symbol of the Lion of Judah and proclaims Ethiopia (or 'Zion') as the original birthplace of mankind.

'Red Terror' Martyrs Memorial Museum

The museum was opened five years ago to serve as a memorial to victims of the 'Derg' regime. The 'Derg' (full name: 'The Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police and Territorial Army') seized power from Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 and ruled until 1987. The regime followed communist ideology, which led to Ethiopia being the Soviet Union'a closest ally in Africa for many years.  Under the regime, tens of thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured and killed. The museum is a powerful memorial to all those who lost their lives.

Hot Springs Shower

After one long, hot and dusty day in Addis, I was very lucky to be introduced to the local hot springs spa. There, hot spring water is pumped into a maze of shower cubicles to refresh, revive and rejuvenate the bodies within. Including mine. Once i had got over the weirdness of taking a numbered ticket and waiting to be called to a cubicle as if i was queuing to buy a samosa at a supermarket deli counter, it was a very lovely experience indeed. 

Food and drink
Eating in Addis - and throughout Ethiopia - is a huge pleasure, particularly as a vegetarian. The main staple is a spongy pancake called 'injera', which is laid out on a large plate and then dotted with a variety of different stews, vegetables, meats, pulses or salads - depending on your preference. Pieces of injera are then ripped off and used to scoop up the toppings. Followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox religion fast regularly, during which time no meat or fish can be eaten. This means that there is always a 'fasting plate' available on every menu, so ordering the vegetarian option was always easy - and delicious! 

Who needs meat?

As well as being a great destination for vegetarians, Ethiopia is also a coffee-drinkers' paradise. Ethiopians take their coffee VERY seriously and perform a special ceremony when serving coffee, which can last up to a couple of hours from preparation to completion and involve drinking up to three cups of very, very good coffee. 

People

I was lucky to spend time with some lovely people in Addis - some i had met elsewhere and then caught up with again and some new. 

A big thank you to Alex, who i actually met in Tanzania and who not only gave me a place to stay in Addis and helped me plan my route, but also treated me to a tour of the city - including those crazy showers!

It was great to meet up with some Danakil travellers in Addis too - for some amazing food and lots of fun. 

Food and honey wine in the 'Yod Abyssinia' Cultural Restaurant

Traditional dancing 

The very lovely Sishu restaurant - am pretty sure this is the 

only place in Addis where you can buy a tofu burger....!

It may also be one of the few places in Addis that offers a pre-flight wrapping service for traditional Ethiopian agricultural tools...

When i first arrived in Addis, the city felt quite overwhelming, but after a little while I grew quite fond of the place. Now it is definitely somewhere i'd love to return to. 

Interesting Facts:

• Addis is the third highest capital city in the world
• 'Addis Ababa' means 'new flower'
• Lucy was named after the Beatles track, "Lucy in the sky with diamonds", which was playing in the archaeoligists' camp. She is also known as 'Dinkinesh' - an Amharic word that means 'you are amazing'.
• Ethiopia really does use a different calendar from the rest of the world. Click on this link to use a handy converter!:  http://ethiopianlanguages.com/ethiopian-calendar

Language:

Amharic is the traditional National language of Ethiopia, although there are over 80 languages spoken. My keyboard can't produce the letters required, so here is just one word:

:)

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