So as a kid growing up in the early 1980s, if you were to ask me what the poorest, most desolate place on earth was, I would have instantly answered, "Ethiopia." My perception of Africa was shaped by stuff like the "We are the world" song and thirty second commercial spots between episodes of Diff'rent Strokes about how for only a dollar a day I could sponsor some poor kid in Ethiopia. Needless to say, I didn't have very high expectations when I found myself on a trip to Ethiopia. When I landed, my world was turned on its head. Instead of the 110 degree hell on earth that is Djibouti, it was about 68 and drizzling. Never in my life was I so happy to be in such "bad" weather!
The sterotypes continued to be quashed. This place was so lush and reminded me a lot of Southern California in the early spring. Also, the food was outstanding. I wasn't so sure at first but I had to try the local dish which includes injera, which is a staple of the Ethiopian diet. It's like a spongy cross between a tortilla and a crepe. It's a lot like the rubber non slip rolls people use on the bottom of their shower or on the bottom of their cupboards. You break off some of that injera, use it to scoop up some form of meat (usually beef or lamb), dip it in some spicy sauce, and down it like there's no tomorrow. Preferrably this is followed by a few sips of beer but in this case, that was forbidden by the strict no drinking policy we have to follow in all of Africa.
There were some stereotypes that were right on th money. First, coffee here is legendary. Lonely Planet had an article about coffee tourism and listed Addis Ababa as the number one destination ahead of Seattle, Paris, and Columbia. I quickly discovered this was for good reason. First, coffee in Addis is cheap. REALLY CHEAP. I paid 12 Burr for a double machiatto (see pic below) which translates to around sixty cents. Same cup of coffee would have cost about $3.66 in the US.
Aside from coffee, I got to experience a great culture in Ehtiopia. A group of us headed out to a Ethiopian Restaurant called Yod Absynnia in downtown Addis. After parking our car next to a guy with an AK at his side (true story), we went inside for what can only be described as an Ethiopian Luau Oktoberfest complete with beer, local music, cultural dances, and tons of quirky local food. Check out the video:
Finally, here are a couple more pics from my trip:
Sahara, the house pet at the Civil Affairs BN house I stayed at
Me just after leaving the US Embassy there in Addis. No uniforms=no problem!
