My first time in Ethiopia was an experience I wasn’t prepared for especially the difference in temperature, it felt like I wasn’t in Africa. I didn’t check the weather forecast before taking off from Lagos, I had taken it for granted, getting off the plane I was hit with the cold, temperatures was around 15 Degrees, coming from Lagos that was 33, the difference was much. The fist thing I did was to get a sweat shirt.
Addis Ababa is a very lively place to be, fun spots are scattered all over town with Bole Area in the center of it, the people speak majorly Amharic, followed by Arabic and English, Ethiopians are proud people one saying I heard is “never colonized, undefeated” this is in relation to their history of never been colonized like other African countries, the Italians came close but they where heavily resisted. Hotels are everywhere, you can get a good hotel from $15. One thing that struck me was the cars it felt like I was in a time wrap, there were a lot of old model cars running on the streets. I saw Ladas from the 70s and Datsun Sunny from the 80s, most of the cars on the road are of low horsepower and with high fuel efficiency basically because of the huge tax on bigger engines.
Being a Nigerian, I’m used to finger foods but Ingera is nothing like I have ever tasted before, the closest Nigerian food should be sour after taste of “Ijebu Garri” it took a while to get used to it as it is the staple in Ethiopia. The interesting part is the variety of soups and sauce that is served with it. One of the restaurants I visited serves a big platter of Ingera with samples different sauces on it, I remember one of them giving a method like feeling. Ethiopians drink a lot of Coffee, every visitor is welcomed with a cup of coffee. They even have a traditional ceremony around serving coffee, you should try Tamoca Coffee if you are ever in Addis and a coffee lover, the taste is awesome but it think I will stick with decaf.
Places of interest I would recommend
- Habesha Restaurant, more than food, they have cultural dances and live music
- Edna Mall, the area around the mall is active 24hrs, the mall itself houses a cinema, restaurants and games for children
- Medhane-Alem Cathedral, Christianity in Ethiopia is older than most African, a visit to the cathedral would be an experience an orthodox church service
- Beer Garden Inn, this is a popular watering hole, and the attraction is the beer that is brewed in the bar a served draft.
- Piano Bar, they have an interesting live band that performs on Fridays
Tips
- Always check the weather forecast before travelling
- IGNORE anyone inviting you to a party, except you are a curious cat like me
- expect to pay an entrance fee at some of the clubs
You can find more Photos from Addis Ababa here
