A day in Ethiopia

I woke up in GetNet Guesthouse to the sound of roosters crowing and the bright sun shining through a small window onto my bed. One day before I arrived via Ethiopian Airlines from Cairo to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the capital of the country. I woke up refreshed from a long night of sleep and stoked to be back in a familiar and cherished country of mine. I rolled out of bed, threw on my kicks and running gear, and headed out into the village for a morning jog. I have been slacking in my runs and I figured there is no better place to prepare my lungs for a Kiliminjaro climb than the altitudes of Ethiopia that have produced many world class distance runners to boot. As I jogged along the red mud roads, I was greeted with bright smiles and "Hahlos". About halfway through the run, some kids caught my attention and I stopped for a break. We each introduced ourselves and exchanged handshakes and high fives. The kids giggled with delight as I spoke some broken Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) and they tested out their broken English on me. One boy had a contraption that made the sound of a firecracker when he snapped it against a brick wall nearby, and he was tickled pink to watch me laugh as he popped it again for a reaction. Shortly after our exchange some young men walked up and inquired about my visit to their country. To their appreciation, I told them that I had been to their county two years prior and was glad to be back to visit a place that I loved. They assured me that if I needed any help at all, I could find them around the village and they would be more than happy to assist me as they love America. We all said our goodbyes and I was back on my run. When I got back to the hotel my appetite was worked up and I was more than ready to indulge in some traditional Ethiopian food so I grabbed my bag and headed for the main road five blocks away. I walked into a small restaurant with four tables inside, two outside, a few women working behind the counter, and an Obama calendar on the wall. As I was eating my meal in peace, a couple of young boys walked in the cafe and sat down at the table next to me. One of them eagerly asked, "Where are you from? Do you speak English?". I replied, "I am from America". A huge grin landed across his face and he enthusiastically replied, "I love American and Snoop Dog! Please, come visit my shop down the road. I have many traditional dresses and perhaps I can give you a gift!" His instant generosity warmed my heart and reminded me of the Africa I know. We spoke a few more minutes and I realized I needed to get back to my hotel as I was expecting someone to pick me up. That someone was Jambo, the nephew of my dear Ethiopian friend from Los Angeles, Winni. Jambo was planning to pick me up to be my host during my stay. I was pleased to meet a smiling face and a family member of the Shiferaws, many of whom I have met in previous years and have had the chance of knowing and loving. Jambo was with the family chaffeur Mashrusha who I knew from my previous visit and we exchanged a warm hug and were then on our way to Gourmet Cafe, the Shiferaw's restaurant in Addis. When we arrived at the cafe, I was greeted by none other than Fikru, Winni's brother who I also knew from LA. I sat down at the round table outside, ordered a Macchiato (for which the Italians and Ethiopians are famous), and began to catch up with Fikru. The cafe is a post for all types of people -- Africans and Westerners, businessesmen and women and humanitarians. Travlers and natives. The decor is charming and the food is top notch. As I looked around the cafe, I was energized by the diverse exchanges taking place all around me. I sighed with satisfaction. Fikru and I discussed my desire to see the National Museum and the University of Addis museum and he agreed to accompany me. So Mushrasha, Jambo, Fikru, and I went on our way to take in some Ethiopian history. The national museum is small and a bit run down but it was a great welcome to the country. The exhibits included the history of culture, politics, and science. What I found most interesting was the display of fossils. The Homo Sapien Idaltu was discovered in 1997 and is 160,000 year old. The discovery of the fossil skull, according to scientists, made huge breakthroughs in the understanding of the history of mankind. The brain of this specimen was more advanced than previous specimens and close to the development of the modern homo sapien. This along with another display took the visitor along the timeline of the archeological findings of significant ancient human fossils most of which were discovered in Ethiopia and dating back up to 10 million years. Food for thought. I made my way through the museum's displays, purchased a book on Ethiopian philosophy, and we headed on our way to the University of Addis Museum. This museum is in the heart of the campus and is the former home of King Haile Selassie, the last reigning monarch of Ethiopia. This museum focuses largely on cultural customs, religions and art. There are 83 tribes and languages so with that comes quite a diversity in customs and religious practices. At the end of the brain dump, we ended up in the former King and Queen's bedroom which were consequently separate. The Queen's room was approximately 500 square feet with pink, white and gold walls, and white carpet with pink flowers. On display were several of her ornate costumes and dresses. The King's bedroom was much smaller at about 250 square feet. On display was his bed, with a lion wearing a crown on the headboard, his photo on the wall, and the famous painting of Jesus praying at the garden of Gethsemene. After a long afternoon of information gathering we were all ready for a meal and headed back to Gourmet Corner Cafe for some dinner. This time walking into the restaurant, I was greeted by Bzork, Winni's sister and we exhanged 3 kisses on the cheek as is custom. We talked for some time and then Betty walked in. Betty is a young woman who previously worked with RHCF, the organization I came with before. Betty used to teach the kids every Saturday and was still involved in a small way. I was happy to hear that she would be able to accompany to see the kids of RHCF during my stay. Betty like alot of Ethiopians has beautiful bone structure and facial features, clear skin, and looks at least 10 years younger than her age. It was good to hear about Betty's life and to see yet another familiar face. The day had whipped by and evening fell upon us. We were all ready to sleep so we went on the way to the place I stayed prior in the Shiferaw family home in Debra Zeit, a town about 45 minutes north of Addis. The home is beautiful and peaceful. When you enter the gates that open up in front of the dirt road, you are greeted with a beautiful flower garden and several welcoming barking dogs. The living room and dining room is decorated with fine art, china, and gorgeous furniture, a true blessing to be staying here on my visit. That night and all nights the maids serve us Ethiopian tea, injera (the native bread) and shuro (sauce) to cap off the day. After a full stomach and happy heart I made my way to the guest bedroom for a long and restful night of sleep.