Ah, Ethiopia…So much to abhor, but much more to adore. I'll have to review my previous entries, because I might have said this about each country I’ve visited thus far, but Ethiopia really has been my favorite destination of them all. Sure, there have been maddeningly frustrating events along the way, but for all of the unwanted attention I’ve received from different derelicts, I can’t imagine walking into a European hotel to a chorus of smiling staff greeting me with "Hello, Mr. Erik!"
My last few days in Addis Ababa were spent hotel hopping in search of a hot shower. And while I never found one, I still managed to relax and enjoy myself. Moving closer to the center of town (The Piazza) I booked a room at the oldest hotel in the city, commissioned by Empress Taitu in 1907 after it appeared to her in a dream. Although the structure has character, unfortunately, I don’t think it’s been renovated since it was built. My room door did not lock, the toilet did not flush, and the TV did not work. Nevertheless, I decided to stick it out and wait on Antonio, the Portuguese Ambassador, to pick me up in his Mercedes with diplomatic tags.
The Ambassador took me to dinner at what I think might be the best place in town, Ristorante Castelli. Although I’d already been there for lunch earlier that day, I had no problem returning for seconds. While the hotels here may be a poor value (especially because faranjis are charged overtly inflated rates) the food here is an absolute steal. At Castelli, it is possible to have a meal of homemade fettuccine in truffle sauce, house-made mozzarella cheese, roast beef that melts in your mouth, a bottle of local wine, and a tiramisu dessert for less than what you’d pay for the never-ending salad at Olive Garden. My talk with the Ambassador was more than interesting. Born in Mozambique (a former Portuguese colony) he kept me entertained with accounts of his storied past, including his political imprisonment by the fascist Salazar/Caetano regime for being a Maoist prior to the anti-colonial “Carnation Revolution” of the 1970’s. For possessing the wisdom of someone who seems to have seen and done it all, the Ambassador exuded a spirit and joie de vivre that I can only hope to harbor later in my own life. After a delicious meal and delightful discussion, I bid farewell to Antonio and struck up a conversation with the grandson of the restaurant owner, a half-Irish half-Italian bloke named James. James and I got on famously, and being from a famous family, he treated me to a VIP evening of jazz clubs and discotheques. The next day, I once again went to Tomoca, now my favorite place on Earth for coffee, and began my morning with more macchiatos.
My VIP treatment continued for the next couple of days. After I left the tattered Taitu for the Churchill Hotel, I ended up meeting three starting linemen and two coaches for the University of Kentucky football program, who were in Addis Ababa briefly to work with the Hope Enterprises charity. Then, I finally met with my coworker Yordanos’ family when her sister Selam came to pick me up on my last day in Ethiopia. Relaxing in their beautiful home, I was served a hearty lunch and fresh coffee (in the traditional manner) and really enjoyed just killing time in conversation with Selam and her Mom, Atzede Tekle. When her father Asmelash Minaye came home, they took me out for dinner at a new French restaurant called Mandolin (named for the slicing device and not the musical instrument) where I was treated to a superb filet mignon in Roquefort sauce. Giving me a ride to the airport, Asmelash showed me a new building his construction company had just completed, and mentioned more than once that he wished he’d met me before the day I had to leave. The feeling was mutual.
Great time I had with Yordanos’ family aside, I was ready to move on with my trip…but, Ethiopia is the kind of place I’d like to come back to and visit after 10 years, just to see how things have improved. One of the ironic results of never being colonized is infrastructure deficiencies. For example, while the British were responsible for unspeakable atrocities during their rule over India, they still left the impoverished country with railroads that are now used more than ever. Ethiopia has had to grow on her own, and sadly with no help from her former regimes, from which she is still recovering.
But Ethiopia is a land of faith, hope and love…and my visit, despite its difficulties, left me with sincere wishes for a bright future. Now, I am in Istanbul, and as I expected, it does not disappoint. But, no longer am I getting the star attention like before. In fact, I’ve been mistaken for Turkish more than once, which I’ve found very strange. There are lots of tourists here from all over, so it’s been harder for me to just start talking to a fellow foreigner, unlike in Ethiopia. While I’m happy for the hot showers and the clean bathrooms, I’ve got to tell you, I already sort of miss Africa. At times, it was a challenge, no doubt…but it was also the most adventurous destination I’ve even been to, and I’m glad I visited before it becomes so popular that it’s frequented by faranjis.
