Trip to Addis

Well, I made it. I survived Addis Ababa. “Well done, Steph”, you might think. Picking at your nails, absentmindedly. “Woohoo. What do you want? A treat, for your trip alone into the capital of Ethiopia?” Well…yes actually. A treat sounds nice. And can we cuddle? Keiko is only so big, you know.  Keiko by the way is a small stuffed teddy Orca. He’s pretty much the best; the back story on Keiko- my parents adopted an Orca for Christmas for me (probably the best present ever), and the package came with a small stuffed Orca.

Anyway, following the previous entry- I found myself alone for Easter break, and decided to hit up the capital! I bunked down in a hotel on the outskirts of the city, and was thrilled to have a room to myself with a bathroom (with a sit-down toilet, sink and shower!), a T.V (which only played the news- which was fantastic because I’ve been completely out of the loop), internet strong enough for me to Skype my family and friends, and I EVEN used room service! It was unreal. I slept as long as I liked and listened to Ferengi music- dancing and singing my head off- and watched movies late into the night, without worrying about waking people up.

Now. It may seem very strange that I was that excited and you may even think, “You spoiled thing”. And you’d be right to think so. I’ve only been away for a month, and yet it feels like 3 already. Apart from not knowing what’s going on in the world, I haven’t really missed any of the things the hotel offered. They are all luxuries we can do without. I don’t need internet at Yaya (although being able to skype my family was fantastic), we have a bathroom- not one that I’d want my Mother using, but it gets the job done and its fine! I don’t need movies, and I’m lucky enough to have my ipod – but I know I don’t need it either (I’ve memorized all the Spice Girls songs, so what else do you really need). And pfft, sleeping- while I do sleep-in on occasion, waking up when it’s light and going to bed when it’s dark-what other sleeping pattern do you want? And plus, it’s healthier for you to live that way.

Yaya Horses; I don't mind these friends hanging around!

IN fact, I actually broke out in spots while I was in Addis. They’re only small and they’re going away now- but when I came back, I had these small spots all over my arms, legs and stomach- I think it was to do with the water in town. I’m sure I put on a bit of weight, because instead of eating injera, pasta, porridge, and bread & fruit, I was eating Ferengi pizza, drinking beer & coke, and I even found some chocolate. So while living like a Ferengi was refreshing and the break from the language barrier kept me from going insane, I was pleased when I came back to Yaya. It’s healthier here. It’s easier. Here all I have to worry about is classes, working out and working on ways to further the Yaya Girls Program.

I didn’t just hang out in the Hotel though. I did explore. I wandered outside looking for a place to eat, and while I pretended to know where I was going and look like a local, I received some “friendly” attention from the real locals… and all I could think of was a quote by Adele that goes something like “I am not a dog, I do not respond to whistling”. Amen sista. I was polite though, wanting to find the balance between being nice and telling my new friends to back off. It’s a funny line to tread. After a while I realized I’d have a hard time finding anywhere to eat, and even communicate- so I headed back to the hotel, buying chocolate at a Kiosk stand along the way.  It was definitely worth the trouble for that Snickers Bar.

The next time I headed out I had a plan of action, I would nab a taxi and ask to be taken straight to the museums to avoid all the Heyhowareyas. All was going to plan as my taxi driver brought me to the National Museum- where I was stoked to see Lucy (or Dinknesh, in Amharic), the 3.2 million old skeleton! We pulled up and I asked the taxi driver if he could come back for me in an hour and a half- “Chickeryellum”, (no problem- in Amharic) he said, “I’ll wait for you here. Or, can I come in with you?” Well, sure- can’t say no to that! So off we went, and he’d obviously been there before as he whisked me around the place. Now, I love Ancient History and was once into Archaeology in a big way, working as an intern for Golder one summer- so I was in heaven, and was ingesting every article I could read. Unfortunately, despite having one of the most important pieces in the timeline of human evolution, the National Museum had a pretty shady set up for its artifacts.  Some things weren’t labeled, others were knocked completely off their stands and others were completely MIS-labeled. Besides being in complete amazement, I was disappointed with the showcasing of the human fossils, skeletons and artifacts.

Meanwhile, my taxi driver was taking over the role of a personal museum guide. I don’t know what he said to the people at the front door, but it worked and he got in free and then guided me around, explaining everything to me in broken English. It really would have been gloriously nice of him, if only I couldn’t read the English descriptions (as there were both Amharic and English articles written on each exhibit) on the exhibition cases, and see that he was talking complete rubbish. After 3 hours in the museum, I was exhausted and my patience was drawing thin. He asked me if I was happy and I said I was, but lied and said I had just arrived from Canada so I was very tired- a story I told the hotel staff too, and they were amazed at how much Amharic I knew! (“I learn from book!” – my broken English is awesome). At the end of the tour, after asking me to get a drink with him and whether I was married, he thanked me- astonished I said “No, thank you! That was an awesome tour.” But he insisted and said, “No. Thank you, because when I come to Canada you get me Visa.” Ahh...I brushed it off as a joke, but his seriousness made me admit that I couldn’t. I wouldn’t know how. After some awkwardness we left, and as we got back into the taxi he tried to convince me again to get a drink with him, and that I needed Ethiopian boyfriend- but I sternly said “No, I am tired and I have Canadian boyfriend (a necessary lie), please take me back to the hotel.” Once back I promptly collapsed on my bed.

Another day I ventured downtown to Bole to meet Joseph Kibur, the owner of Yaya Village for a coffee and a chat. It was such a difference having a friend to meet, and while I never actually felt in danger in Addis- it was frustrating to be pestered by men on the street. If you ignore them, you risk upsetting them- and as you hear them raise their voices, it’s all you can do to turn, smile and wave- as though you have no idea what they’re saying. I understand completely that it’s my skin colour that draws this attention- and I think most women have experienced the cat calling, stares, and unwanted comments- what I’m trying to say, is that whether you’re at home or in a foreign place, it is degrading and one of the most uncomfortable things humans can do to each other. Sure, some women see it as empowering- but personally it makes me feel uneasy. So, knowing only what was implied and catching a few English words in a foreign language was enough to have me carry pepper spray with me. **

I hope you don’t mind that I went off on that tangent, overall I promise I DID enjoy myself in Addis. It’s a city filled with history, culture and the hum of life! I place to see for sure!! But for any solo female travelers out there- unfortunately we’ve got to keep our wits about us.

The infamous beer and pizza!
Nom nom nom

On a lighter note, my chats with my family were amazing. One night I ordered a beer but the waiter forgot to take the top off, so while on Skype- my brother and I struggled to find a way to lift it off. Matt researched different methods and cheered me on as I struggled to use a key and then a fork to pry off the top. The end result was a delight, despite being a terrible beer pourer, and it felt like I really shared the drink with him.

Anyway, that’s all from me! The girls are finally all back, so we can have the belated Easter “Egg” hunt with them maybe on Friday- I’m hoping to throw a little party for them!! With fizzy drinks, dream catcher kits that I brought from home and maybe introduce them to some of my tunes! So stay tuned for that!!! It’ll be an entry to look forward too!!

:) x

** I fear I'm painting a bad portrait of men in Ethiopia, and please- that is not my intention! I have met loads of nice people here, I'm just referring to some of the men I've met in passing. I've also had some great taxi drivers- like the one who I shared a intense conversation about Ryan Giggs becoming the new manager of Man United. Some things surpass all sorts of boundaries in life.