Going up the country - our first time outside of Addis Ababa

Coming face to face with the Great Rift Valley. The river in the distance eventually flows into the Blue Nile ጥቁር ዓባይ

Saturday was our first day trip from the crowds and traffic of Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ, and what an excursion it turned out to be! Having come highly recommended by our neighbors, we hired the services of a tour guide named Abraham, who met us along with his driver Noei (a rough transliteration of his Amharic name) at 0830 to take us on a journey 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the capital to one of Ethiopia's holiest shrines, as well as some stunning views of the Jemma River Gorge.

Though it was raining as we set off, we soon left the precipitation behind as we climbed the mountains overlooking Addis. It was about a 2½-hour drive to our first destination, so en route we stopped for a coffee at a roadside stand:

Popcorn is often served as an accompaniment to coffee:

Our friendly server. You can just make out the grass covering the ground:

We passed through several small towns along the way:

The scenery was surprisingly lush. My impressions of Ethiopia were shaped by images of the terrible famine of the mid-1980's, when news footage showed harsh, brown-colored terrains. In contrast, on Saturday we were presented with scenes that wouldn't have been out of place in northern England or Scotland:

The buildings, however, were unmistakably African. Our guide explained that the white-roofed buildings were for people, while the brown-roofed structures were reserved for livestock:

We reached our destination in due course. I won't divulge if our party was in compliance with all or some of the regulations:

The Debre Libanos ደብረ ሊባኖስ Monastery. The present structure might be modern (1961), but the site has been occupied since the 13th century. The monastery was founded by one of Ethiopia's most revered saints, Tekla Haimanot ተክለ ሃይማኖት:

We were given a tour of the interior by one of the monks, who spoke excellent English:

Stained glass windows are not traditionally an element of Ethiopian Orthodox churches:

Imperial symbols. Emperor Haile Selassie ቀዳማዊ ኃይለ ሥላሴ and his wife were frequent visitors to the monastery:

My daughter took this picture of the dome:

The holiness of the monastery draws countless pilgrims, many of whom stay for extended periods of time close by:

After checking out the monastery, the monk guided us through the adjoining museum, filled with fascinating displays of religious artefacts, as well as items such as old imperial crowns, giant cooking pots and captured Italian guns. Unfortunately, as was the case last week at St. George's, photography wasn't allowed inside the museum.

According to legend, Tekla Haimanot prayed in a cave for 29 years near the waterfall that overlooks the monastery:

From Debre Libanos, we drove a short distance to our next stop, past some breathtaking scenery...:

...to the Ethio-German Park Hotel, where we encountered a troupe of endemic Gelada baboons ጭላዳ ዝንጀሮ. Nature documentaries had always led me to believe that baboons were fierce creatures to be approached carefully (or not at all). Abraham, however, said these animals were afraid of people, the result of being constantly chased off by local farmers:

Immediately after encountering the baboons, the gorge came into view, providing vistas that were absolutely stunning (notice the eagle in the first photo):

This is Africa!:

The trail wound its way around to an impressive waterfall. One reason why we went on this tour so soon after arriving in Addis Ababa is that when the rainy season ends in a matter of days or weeks (depending on whom you ask), the falls will diminish to a trickle before drying up altogether:

A couple was having wedding photos taken on the opposite side of the ravine from us:

The so-called Portuguese Bridge. Though signs onsite state it was constructed by the Portuguese in the 16th century, my Lonely Planet guidebook insists it was put up by Ethiopians in the 1800's (albeit in a Portuguese style):

Crossing the bridge:

A smaller waterfall nearby:

One of my daughter's photos:

Another one by Amber:

Inspired perhaps by the happy couple we saw earlier, Shu-E and I posed for our own set of photos:

Time for lunch, and the girls surprisingly enjoyed tucking into Ethiopian fare. Both claimed the injera እንጀራ at the hotel wasn't as "sour" as that served in other places:

All good things must come to an end, and so it was time to return to Addis. I took a few more photos of the landscape from our van as we headed back:

Playing around with the filters produced this shot of an Ethiopian homestead:

We encountered various modes of transport on the drive back:

My wife took this video of a local traffic jam. Our guide explained that the cattle were being taken to market to be sold in advance of the upcoming Ethiopian New Year, which falls on September 12 this year:

Posing with Abraham at the end of a long but very fulfilling day. He's an excellent tour guide and I highly recommend his services (+251 93 051 9232):

Shu-E understandably was tired and not up for cooking, so I took Amber to Sishu, home to what is reputed by some to be "the best burger in Africa". Having only been on the continent for just over a month, I'm not in a position to verify that claim, except to say that the food is good. The buns, in case you're wondering, were requested by my wife (who remained at home):

Dessert was at Embwa Creamery, located just outside the side door of Sishu:

If Saturday's foray into northern Ethiopia is any indication, the next two years are going to be a fascinating time. Stay tuned...

By George, We Did It

St. George Cathedral ቅዱስጊዮርጊስ  ቤተክርስቲያን

In case you've been wondering why things have been a little quiet on the blogging front, it's because we spent last weekend unpacking, sorting out and finding places to put all the things that arrived in our unaccompanied baggage and the first part of our household effects (the second part of our HHE, plus our consumables, are scheduled to arrive in Djibouti sometime next week. From there, they will be trucked to Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ, where hopefully Ethiopian customs procedures will proceed without a hitch, and the last of our possessions will arrive at last at our new home. The same goes for our car). The sun came out for a brief moment last Sunday afternoon, and I took advantage of that window of sunlight to take a few photos from our third-floor balcony. In the distance can be seen the Selam Mosque, about one kilometer (0.6 miles) on foot from our house. I suspect it's this mosque that I can hear just after 0500 every morning sounding its amplified call to prayer, but I can't be too sure as Google Maps shows several small mosques in the area as well. There are also a couple of churches in our neighborhood that aren't exactly the quietest of neighbors, either:

There also appears to be a stockyard in the distance:

With most of the boxes unpacked, it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to getting out and seeing some of the sights of Addis on Saturday afternoon. As usual during this rainy season, the skies opened up and water came pouring down as my daughter and I were waiting for a taxi to take us to the Piazza area. We were driven through the deluge and soon reached our destination, St. George's Cathedral and Museum:

Dedicated to Ethiopia's patron saint, the church was commissioned in 1896 by Emperor Menelik II ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ to commemorate his stunning defeat of the invading Italians at the Battle of Adwa አድዋ that same year. Construction of the octagonal church was finished in 1911 with the assistance of Armenian, Greek and Indian artists. The only way to see the interior is with a guided tour, whose services are included in the admission price. Our guide was very informative, and spoke English very well. He pointed out the paintings of traditional Ethiopian instruments...:

...and this drum, in which the wider end represents the New Testament, with the other end of course symbolizing the Old Testament:

Nearly all Ethiopian Orthodox churches contain a replica of the Ark of the Covenant contained within the altar, and which can only be seen by priests and deacons. It's a deeply-held belief among Ethiopians that the Ark itself was spirited out of Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE and is today kept safe in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum አክሱም. Of course we all know the Ark is actually hidden away in a massive U.S. government warehouse:

These murals are the work of the celebrated Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle. Our guide was impressed I'd heard of the country's most celebrated designer, painter and sculptor:

The church was the site of two coronations, those of Empress Zewditu ዘውዲቱ in 1916...:

...and Emperor Haile Selassie ቀዳማዊ ኃይለ ሥላሴ in 1930:

The mural at the bottom depicts Selassie's famous speech at the League of Nations in 1936, condemning Italy's use of chemical weapons against his people during the second Italo-Ethiopian War. The speech failed to unite the world against Italy's aggression, but Bob Marley used the words for his famous song, "War". Our guide was also impressed when I pointed that fact out to him:

The "fascists" (as our guide referred to the invading Italians) set fire to St. George's in 1937, partially destroying the church. It was restored following the end of World War II, which is when Tekle was commissioned to paint his murals:

The admission ticket also includes entry to a small but very interesting museum, which holds items such as crosses, crowns, scrolls, ceremonial umbrellas and the coronation robes of Zewditu and Haile Selassie, with the guide providing brief explanations. Unfortunately, photography isn't permitted inside the museum. We did, however, purchase this small item, the first of hopefully many mementos of our time in Ethiopia:

Just in front of the museum stands this statue of Abune Petros አቡነ ጴጥሮስ, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Church, who was executed by an Italian firing squad in 1936:

The grounds of St. George's Cathedral are a surprisingly tranquil oasis of calm from the chaos and noise of Addis Ababa's traffic. One exit from the church grounds leads to Menelik II square, dominated by a statue of the emperor astride a horse. It was sculpted by the German artist Carl Haertel for Empress Zewditu in 1928; Mussolini had it removed and placed in a secret location in 1936, but it was put back in place in 1941 after the Italians had been driven out of Ethiopia by British forces:

The church and museum are well worth a visit, and I'd be glad to take any visitors there (obvious hint). In the meantime, Amber and I used an app to hail a taxi to drive us to a supermarket not far from our residence, but not before first having a cup of coffee and pondering the meaning of it all at Tomoca. Not the one we visited a couple of weekends ago, but a branch within walking distance of our house:

A typical city involved in a typical daydream...:

And on the way back home, naturally we had to stop and have some gelato:

Sunday - a weekly newsletter we receive described a "New Year Sale" at the Jupiter International Hotel, featuring "home accent, fashionable accessories, cloths, bags, vintage collection and many more eco-friendly products". This peaked Shu-E's interest, so on Sunday morning we arranged for a taxi to take us to the hotel. While we were waiting for the cab to arrive, I checked out some shop windows. For sale was this dress, appealing to the fashion-conscious student of the Amharic language አማርኛ:

My wife used the time to pop into a cafe and purchase a bag of Yirgacheffe, produced in the central southern region of Ethiopia. Shu-E is planning to travel to Taiwan in November and is looking for some possible souvenirs to bring back with her:

We arrived at the hotel expecting to find tables staffed by vendors, with foreign tourists and residents poring over the wares on sale. The reality was a little different - it turns out the sale was being held in one shop on the second floor of the hotel, and we were the only customers there:

I couldn't go home empty-handed:

With noon approaching and stomachs rumbling, Shu-E consulted Google Maps and discovered a Chinese restaurant nearby, and so off we went. Along the way we passed this Pizza Hut outlet, one of at least five in Addis Ababa. Nevertheless, the city is surprisingly free of Western chains and franchises - no McDonalds, Starbucks et al. I have seen signs for Home Depot and In-and-Out Burger, but they're not the real deal, thanks to lax intellectual property rights laws here:

The surprisingly small headquarters of the Ethiopian Football Federation. Soccer is the most popular sport in the country, but the national team is currently ranked at a lowly 150th place in the current FIFA world rankings, with 43 other African countries ahead of it in the standings. Ethiopia may not be a soccer powerhouse, but I intend to get a national team jersey before we leave in two years' time. I'm also interested in picking up a jersey of a local club or two, such as Ethiopian Coffee S.C., which seems to be the most popular team in Addis, judging from all the team shirts being worn around town:

Arriving at the China Natural Restaurant:

The pearl milk tea 珍珠奶茶 tasted more like chocolate milk with tapioca balls added to it, but the food was surprisingly good, especially the tofu dish my wife ordered. Shu-E chalked it up to the restaurant having a Chinese owner, with the several Chinese customers showing up while we were eating also being a good sign:

And like it's been doing at some point everyday but one since we arrived in late July, it rained in the early afternoon, heavily at times:

A coffee ceremony display at the Jupiter International Hotel, where we returned once the rain eased up to wait for our taxi back home:

Today (Monday) is Labor Day. Being a U.S. federal holiday, and myself being a U.S. federal government employee, I have the day off. My daughter, being a student at an international school which only observes Ethiopian holidays, had to go to school this morning as usual. Being the rainy season, it rained most of the morning, so I annoyed my wife by "helping" her around the house. Following lunch and a (brief) let up in the precipitation, I decided to go for a long walk, much to Shu-E's relief. My intended destination was the Tiglachin ትግልችን Monument (or "Derg Monument", as it's referred to on my GPS), a 50-minute walk that took me through what would be considered some rather dicey neighborhoods in a North American context, but which are perfectly fine in Ethiopia (that isn't to say I would pass through them in the middle of the night while staring at my iPhone and fanning myself with 100 birr notes). I didn't take any pictures of the neighborhoods as I'm not comfortable photographing people without their permission, especially those living in conditions of poverty. I have no reservations, however, when it comes to cattle grazing in a field, with the buildings of the African Union Commission የአፍሪካ ህብረት ኮሚሽን ዋና መስሪያ ቤት rising behind them. TIA:

Ethiopia is in the midst of a building boom, with construction making up 18% of the country's GDP for the 2017-8 financial year. Construction projects can be seen everywhere in Addis Ababa, with the work usually being done by Chinese companies (and workers):

The Tiglachin Monument is the only remnant of Ethiopia's time under a Marxist dictatorship that I've seen so far. It was constructed by the infamous Derg ድርግ (which ruled the country from 1974 to 1991) in 1984 as a memorial to Ethiopian and Cuban soldiers who took part in the 1977-8 Ogaden War. The pillar stands 160 feet (50 meters) high:

The central statue depicts three armed people (two men and a woman) in heroic Socialist Realism pose. It was donated by North Korea and manufactured by that country's Mansudae Art Studio, responsible for many affronts to good taste, both in the DPRK and around the world:

To the right of the statue is a wall relief showing the Ethiopian people being guided by the former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam መንግስቱ ኃይለ ማርያም, who is currently in exile in Zimbabwe:

To the left is another wall relief, showing the revolutionary process in Ethiopia:

It begins by depicting Emperor Haile Selassie ignoring his people suffering from hunger. There's more than a grain (no pun intended) of truth to this depiction, as it was His Majesty's government's inability to deal with the devastating Wollo famine of 1972-4 that helped lead to his overthrow in September 1974 (and murder the following year):

On both sides of the wall reliefs are photos of Cuban soldiers killed fighting in the Ogaden War. From the mid-1970's to the late 1980's, thousands of Cubans were sent by Fidel Castro to fight on several fronts in Africa. As with Americans in Vietnam and Soviets in Afghanistan, it was a needless waste of life:

According to the Wikipedia entry, the monument is suffering from neglect. However, there were a lot of people enjoying the greenery and solitude this afternoon while I was there. Next to a statue of Marxist comrades looking longingly into each other's eyes, one group appeared to be doing some replanting:

The Tiglachin Monument may be a monument to the Marxist struggle, but situated in the heart of the city's financial district, it would appear capitalism is currently winning:

A selfie in "honor" of the struggle, which resulted in the deaths of between 1.2 million and 2 million Ethiopians during the time of the Derg:

It was while walking home from the monument that I was "befriended" by a gentleman who first asked me if I wanted a map of Addis Ababa; then mentioned a "very good" souvenir shop nearby that I should patronize; followed by a cafe where local students were putting on a cultural show, and which included one "very beautiful woman". After that, he offered his services as a tour guide, before finally asking me if I could "loan" him some money. He didn't seem too pleased when I continued walking, even after I wished him "መልካም ቀን" ("Good day!"). TIA...

A suk ሱቅ is a small shop that sells things for daily life - my wife buys eggs from one around the corner from our house. Parked in front of this one is a Lada taxi not affectionately known as a "blue donkey". They're cheap and ubiquitous, but we're not allowed to use them. Not so much for crime concerns, but because quite simply they (and their drivers) aren't very safe.