Hustle and Bustle in Addis Abeba

by Daniel

I love Addis. This is something I must state in advance. And I love Ethiopia. The things I have seen so far and the people I met were just amazing. There is a peaceful and friendly atmosphere abound that in its full realization yet defies my grasp. But I feel it. I experience it. Every day.

Let"s talk Addis. Addis is by European standards not necessarily a clean and beautiful city. There are many unfinished buildings, the architecture is a mix of glitzy high-rise buildings, worn-out colonial style places, fascist Italian administration complexes, communist apartment blocks, fenced-in luxury estates and plain wood and corrugated iron shacks. In between you will find beautiful churches and royal palaces with tranquil and green gardens. And although you will find the odd pothole filled with litter I found it an altogether cleaner place compared to many other cities even in Europe.

When I arrived at Bole airport I resisted the temptation to take the easy taxi ride into the city center for which I was quoted 200 Birr (25 Birr is roughly one Euro). If you leave the airport premises and walk some minutes to the bridge that spans Bole road you will find the minibuses that will bring you to just about everywhere in Addis for just 3,5 Birr, although with my luggage I was asked 5 Birr. To find the right minibus is not easy. Normally they stop at every major junction but you should know the direction of your destination. Maps.Me offline maps are pretty helpful. When the minibus passes there's a guy who will shout out the destination. So listen for "Piassa", "Meskel", "Kilu Arba" or wherever you want to go. You can also ask the locals and they will point you the way from where you can take the minibus. Just make sure to ask several times.

I stayed at Wutma hotel just around the corner from Piassa (don't expect Piassa to be an Italian Piazza lined with trees and nice buildings - although it was made the Italians, it is a busy area with street vendors, street food and restaurants, and a lot of traffic). For 260/270 Birr per night it is more of a budget option with simple but clean rooms and a functioning warm shower. WLAN was available in my room and it is a safe place where no one will bother you. From what I read it is frequented by backpackers although I did not meet any, which was no problem since I made some good friends anyways.

When you step out on the street, not only in Piassa but in most places in Addis, there is mainly one thing to worry about: pickpockets. There will certainly be attempts to go at your pockets, so be aware. I had my first experience 5 minutes after I left the airport. Two kids approached me with one trying to sell me gum and the other sneaking up from behind trying to make his way into my pocket. I took his hand and pushed it away and they were gone. If you are conscious nothing will happen, although I met another German who had his phone stolen when naively interacting with those cute and confident street kids.

Another thing that you will encounter are hustlers. Someone will for sure approach you and get you in a conversation. Mostly they will tell you they are students or guides and offer you help with buying a local SIM or just about everything else. There is no reason to be afraid of them but keep in mind that if you follow them they will charge you exaggerated prices. On the other hand they can show you almost everything in Addis.

I also have been approached by some of them and routinely declined their offers to "help" me in a polite and friendly way. Then, growing tired of them I encountered a really smooth and intelligent guy called Negasi. I was lucky, since he turned out a real guide and a laid-back and funny dude. After a good conversation with him and two of his friends I decided to hang out with them - and had the most amazing time in Addis exploring places you won't usually get to see as a tourist. The chemistry was so good that we hung out for a couple of days. Basically, what I did was telling him how much I'd spend on the day and they would take care of everything. In the end we became such good friends that they refused taking money from me, inviting me instead. Negasi, Samuel, Jacob - you are my heroes.

So I ended up spending three incredible days in Addis. I have seen the major sites and museums (read about them wherever you want) but, more importantly, I explored modern, vibrant, living Addis. We went to some nice cafes and restaurants that no guidebook will show you and had a great time dancing to Ethiopian pop music in student venues. I met so many interesting and interested people that it was really hard for me to leave Addis.

Before leaving, Negasi helped me to organize a trip to the Danakil Depression with ETT that was so much cheaper than the 600$ they quote on their homepage that I saved a lot of money in the end. I will write about that in my next post.

If you have any questions just write a comment and I will try to answer it whenever I have internet.

SummerU Beer Sheva

by Daniel

So this is the first post. I should have written it much earlier. Not only am I creating this post in an old, awfully slow and run-down internet cafe in Ethiopia on a dusty keyboard but the experiences and impressions that have built up during our eight weeks in Israel are worth more than a single post entry.
Since I am an experienced Israel traveler  I am going to expand this post another day with also a lot of useful tips and tricks on how to get by and around.