Ethiopian Escape

As Ethiopians will readily tell you, Ethiopia is more than just famine and coffee. They don’t presume anyone outside their borders knows more than the former and that most people would likely be surprised to learn about the latter. But there is more to Ethiopia than an infamous famine in the 1980’s and the origin of coffee. There are terrible roads, a bursting and overly youthful population many of which seem gripped by farenj frenzy at the sight of a Caucasian person, deforestation, infrastructure being built by the Chinese (give it 15 years before it crumbles), its neighbours could not get much worse (it is bordered by the violence of Sudan and Somalia, clashes swords with Eritrea to the north and chaotic Kenya is its “quiet” neighbour to the south), and it has, arguably, the world’s worst national staple dish – injera.

Actually, all of these things, while troublesome in their own right, should not shape a traveller’s impression of Ethiopia, unless you are me and actually take note of such things. Even then, I loved Ethiopia, and I will get to telling you why below. Well, I did not like the injera - it must affect everyone and I simply don’t believe anyone who says they still like it after two weeks of a constant diet of its rubbery blandness.

Injera is a thin ‘pancake’ made of tef (a grain grown in the Ethiopian highlands) that is grey, flavourless if a little bitter and has the consistency of thin rubber, good for packing breakables in boxes. Food, such as stews, meats, or vegetables are served on the injera and the injera is used not unlike naan to collect and sop up the food and shove it into your mouth. Truth be told, injera is actually more nutritious than naan or bread and is therefore quite utilitarian in invention. If the consistency and lack of taste are not enough to turn you off though, injera and the food served thereon is most often eaten in groups. Communal eating is not unique to injera or Ethiopia, but I fully and finally lost my appetite for injera when during a hike my three companions and our guide dove into lunch’s injera with dirty handed abandon, tearing, smushing, sliding and spreading the injera around. I more often than not reverted to the injera alternatives, which often meant predictable and uninspiring pasta dishes, common in Ethiopia owing to the Italian influence over the country in the mid-20^th Century.

I digress. Travel in the developing world is always amusing. Here are my dearest and lasting memories or observations of Ethiopia, a fascinating and rewarding place to visit.

- the vast majority of Ethiopians are exceedingly well-humoured, proud, curious and generous. They are among the best-humoured people I have ever experienced – they are the anti-Chinese – despite their difficult history (political and otherwise).

- Ethiopians are a very handsome and dignified people.

- Food is plentiful in much of the country. The famine occurred in far northern and eastern areas that are marginal for agricultural and are virtually desert. This year the rains were generous and crops were lush throughout the country.

- Every day during the dry season is sunny with a temperature in the low 20’s with little humidity. California must be like this.

- Farenj frenzy is a fact of life here as in many places, but I was privileged to acquire some new names in Ethiopia, including: ‘photo’, ‘pen’, ‘mister’, ‘farenj’, ‘you’, ‘money’, and my favourite, ‘hello, hello, hello….’.

- They love Americans, which would make you think by the laws of international stereotypes, they would be therefore less enthusiastic about Canadians than are other countries. Not true. They actually like Canadians that much more. In fact, I swear that at least 2/3 of the people I spent anytime talking to knew someone in Toronto.

- Ethiopia makes the best coffee in the world, or so I am led to believe. I had never tried coffee prior to arriving in Ethiopia, but the stuff they serve in this country was delicious. I may be addicted. And in a country where the annual GDP per capita is $230US, every café or restaurant has a coffee-making machine that turns out coffee, macchiatos or cappuccinos. In Latin America, where countries are more prosperous and coffee is king, you often can’t find more than Nescafe instant coffee. I wonder why this is more than ever now! Ethiopians take their coffee seriously and are proud of and insistent on a good cup of coffee. By the way, a macchiato costs a whopping 20-30 cents. The reaction of Ethiopians to the price we pay for coffee is humorous to say the least. They truly think we are nuts, or very, very rich.

- The coffee ceremony is your way to some great coffee. In a typical ceremony, women will burn incense to set the mood, roast beans over an open fire, share the sweet smoke with the group, grind the beans with a mortar and pestle and then serve three small cups to each person present. The only downside is taking in three strong cups after dinner, when the ceremony is typically conducted. The beer is average, but that did not stop me from persevering to down two each night with dinner. At 50 cents a pop and with Brits being my most common dinner companions, I had little choice in the matter.

- I am happy to advise that Ethiopia is well-served by plentiful, clean and modern Shell gas stations. The only competition is some sketchy company called ‘Total’.

- The big picture tourist impression is one that will lead to Ethiopia being the next big African destination for Europeans (assuming the aforementioned border basket cases don’t cause greater trouble): rugged, chiselled gorge and mountain landscapes in the northern highlands, patchwork farms and thatch hut villages throughout, the great Rift Valley and lakes, historic early Christian churches and sites, and a relaxed and safe vibe. Go now before the Euros dressed like Indiana Jones come en masse and the towns hosting the star attractions become too polished and bland.

- Incredible sunrises: through my screen window from my pillow while 500m above the Rift Valley in my cliffside room; from the loo and my hut for three nights in a row while hiking in the northern highlands, each time on a cliff 1000m + above gorges and mountain valleys below. On the same hike, showers cliffside under acacias in the early morning sun, dazzling and mind-boggling star displays each night of the hike during the blackness of a new moon.

- Ethiopia is a country of stunning landscapes – gorges, mountains, Rift Valley, patchwork farms – at every turn you want to take a picture to tell people back home how beautiful the country is, that it is not about hardship, desert and suffering, but no picture can do the scope and beauty of these landscapes full justice.

- Marvelling at medieval Christian churches in the northern town of Lalibela entirely (outside and inside) hewn out of rock in the ground; slipping into a mass in the largest such church attended by 100s of singing and murmuring devotees, priests and nuns.

- Following dishevelled priests as they unlock their quiet churches to reveal the ancient, colourful and animated Christian iconography painted onto the wall of the churches. Fascinating in the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, more impressive in the isolated churches on small islands in the middle of Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile. So quiet and serene is the process that it seems centuries removed from the crush of tourists that crowd Europe’s historic churches.

- Admiring the simple and practical construction of conical thatch huts in the countryside and then entering and wondering how I would ever live in smoky pitch black, living cheek to jowl with family and livestock and sleeping 2 feet above the cow and horse.

- Drooling at ripening avocados, mangoes, papayas and bananas in the hills of the Rift Valley.

- staying in the same hut has Brad Pitt on my 4 day hike in the highlands; well, not at the same time.

While absorbing the beauty and wealth of experiences of Ethiopia, you cannot escape that this is a very poor country with tremendous demographic, environmental and economic challenges. As is often the case, and perhaps never more than on this trip, I was continually reminded that I won, and we all won, the lottery when we were born into Canadian citizenship. We did not earn it, but we can ensure not to take it for granted. I had the same odds of winning this prize as did the women who persevere every day on the footpaths and roadways of Ethiopia carrying 30lbs of sticks on their backs, and that is humbling. You also can’t help but examine your own consumption, and your perceived ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.

Of course, when unexpectedly stuck in Heathrow on the way home after Emirates cancelled my Addis – Dubai flight and airport chaos ensued, I found myself strolling into Pink to buy a new tie – and I don’t even need to wear ties anymore at Shell!!! I was on vacation, after all. And a great one it was.

Marc