On the way up to Mount Entoto Natural Park, Ethiopia

During our two week stay in Addis Ababa last December, we hired a driver to take us to Mount Entoto Natural Park. Much of the city is at an altitude of about 2500 metres and is ringed by a chain of mountains reaching up to about 3100 metres.

When we left the school campus where our daughter was teaching last year it was a pleasantly mild day, probably about 20C with a clear sky. As we drove to the top of the mountain over the next hour, the temperature progressively dropped and was quite chilly at the top.

Along the way we drove through a dense eucalyptus forest. It was a bizarre feeling, almost as if we were driving through the Adelaide Hills here in South Australia – yet we were in Ethiopia. These trees were planted in the late 1800s as firewood became scarcer in the surrounding hills. More were planted over the next 50 or so years and they remain the dominant tree in the greater Addis Ababa area. They are ideally suited to the soil and climate, and provide much needed safeguards against erosion. They also provide much needed supplies of firewood and building materials for local people.

On the way up to Mount Entoto Natural Park, Ethiopia

On the way up to Mount Entoto Natural Park, Ethiopia

From near the top of Mount Entoto Natural Park, Ethiopia

From near the top of Mount Entoto Natural Park, Ethiopia

CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Despite its economic challenges, its extreme poverty in some areas, frequent droughts in rural areas and a growing population, Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa has some parts in the CBD which are thriving and can take their place proudly alongside many other cities of the world. Today I feature several more photos taken in the heart of the city.

CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

During our short holiday in Ethiopia last December we didn’t go shopping in the CBD of Addis Ababa but we did drive through it several times. Consequently I only have a few photos to share and no comments to make about whether it’s worth visiting this part of the city – or not.

CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Horse and cart in the streets of Addis Ababa

While out shopping in suburban Addis Ababa during our visit there last December I took this photo of a horse and cart trundling along in the streets. Now my readers may wonder why I did that; what’s unusual about a horse and cart.

In all the time we were in Ethiopia I can recall only seeing two horses even though we travelled in some of the rural areas. It is very common to see donkeys in the rural areas of course, but they are also very common in the city. On almost every drive through the city we saw a few donkeys. On some occasions we saw many donkeys – but only the one horse in the city and one other in the country.

In the garden of Sabaha Silk Shop, Addis Ababa

On one of the days we had in Addis Ababa we went shopping with colleagues of our daughter. They drove us around to various places of interest around the city. One of those places was to the Sabaha Silk Shop in the suburbs. The shop was interesting enough and my wife and daughter found it great to pick up a few nice items. I was more interested in the gardens in which the shop was set.

The silk shop was a small building set near a private home with extensive private gardens surrounding both buildings. The gardens were quite beautiful and provided visitors with a quiet retreat from the hustle of this frenetic  African city. I also enjoyed the birdlife in gardens and managed a few good photos (see me other site for details: Trevor’s Birding).

Sabaha Silk Shop, Addis Ababa

In the garden of Sabaha Silk Shop, Addis Ababa

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa in Ethiopia has many churches and mosques. The population is almost 50/50 Ethiopian Orthodox / Islamic so it is no surprise to see a liberal spread of both churches and mosques throughout the city.

I can’t recall which church is shown above, but I had a giggle at the sign pointing to the church building shown in the photo below. If you click on the photo to enlarge it you will notice that it is the FBI Church.

Interesting – I didn’t know that the FBI was a church. Looking it up on the internet I find that the letters actually stand for Faith Bible International church. It was established in 1971 by American Baptists. Someone obviously had a warped sense of humour – or they didn’t realise what they were doing until it was too late.

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Street scene, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, along with most places in Ethiopia, is a bustling, crowded place with constant movement of people, animals and vehicles wherever you go. Sure, we did spend a little time in rural Ethiopia where the pace of life is far more sedate, but in the larger towns and certainly in the capital city, life is hectic and in your face most of the time.

Today I feature a few photos of street scenes taken while travelling around Addis Ababa. We hired a car with some friends to go shopping in various parts of the city. It is very challenging getting around and the constant movement of traffic is amazing, especially for one like myself who is used to a quiet rural environment in South Australia.

Street scene, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Street scene, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaStreet scene, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

One of the children at the ALERT medical facility, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

When we visited the shop at the ALERT medical facility (for leprosy sufferers) in Addis Ababa there were quite a few children hanging around and playing near the shop. The boy in the photo above approached and showed me the small bow and arrow he had made. He demonstrated how it worked and then asked me to take his photo.

This prompted several other children to come up to me for a photo too, so I obliged. Meanwhile my wife and daughter were busy chatting to the ladies making various items for sale in the craft shop.

Some of the children at the ALERT medical facility, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Patients doing craft work at ALERT medical facility, Ethiopia

During our visit to the ALERT medical facility in Addis Ababa late last year my wife and daughter we fascinated and very impressed with the craft work being done by inmates of the facility. Many of the patients in this medical work are sufferers of leprosy, now called Hansen’s disease. It’s something we don’t think about much here in Australia as the condition is almost non-existent with only about 60 known current cases Australia wide, mostly in Aboriginal communities.

The ALERT facility in Addis Ababa is more than a place of refuge and treatment. It also helps in rehabilitation, training and financial support. All the craft work – which is absolutely beautiful – is sold through their little shop on-site with all proceeds going back to the patients. We bought so much we even sent home some of their work as unaccompanied luggage.

In each of the photos today you can see my wife and daughter admiring their craft as they worked at it.

Patients doing craft work at ALERT medical facility, Ethiopia

Patients doing craft work at ALERT medical facility, Ethiopia

Leprosy patient at the ALERT Medical Facility, Addis Ababa

During our stay in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last December, colleagues of our daughter took us to the ALERT Medical facility. The acronym stands for African Leprosy Rehabilitation Training Medical Centre. Most of the patients are involved in craft and art work as a part of their rehabilitation. This art work is then sold through their shop on site, the proceeds returning to the artists.

It was our intention of just to visit the shop and to purchase some of the items, which we did because they were so good. We actually went back again a few days later because we didn’t have enough cash the first time. And we would have bought more items but for the fact that this was the first week of a seven week holiday in Ethiopia, Morocco and Spain. Our luggage allowance on the plane was going to be a challenge. [Postscript: we managed to keep within limits, but only because we sent quite a few items in our daughter's unaccompanied luggage.]

One of the fascinating workers at ALERT was the man shown above. It amazed me how he could deftly weave the mat shown in front of him – despite having only a few stubs left where his fingers once were. He did this with a wonderful smile. A lesson to me in attitude, I think.

Leprosy patient at the ALERT Medical Facility, Addis Ababa