Determined not to be jetlagged and exhausted like yesterday I set out early with the crowds for a coffee. Around the corner from Kume's house is a giant Pepsi logo painted on the side of a building; it seems you can't go anywhere in the world without seeing Pepsi and Coke. Meandering past a large crowd of people as I got a coffee, it seems every Ethiopian is up by 7 AM. Whilst I still didn't know exactly where I was on a map I wanted to explore, and that's what I did today. Addis is a great city for walking with its cool climate and relatively low number of beggars and hustlers, but a great sense of direction and a good map are an absolute must! And it may not boast world-class sights like Rome or London but Addis quickly gets under your skin. Not far from Kume's house is an under-construction mosque that makes a good reference point, and upon reaching the Yekatit 12 monument I knew exactly where I was. Calling in at the National Museum of Ethiopia, I get a glimpse of Lucy where I call out "honey, I'm home...ha ha ha ha!"
Admission is only 10 birr (about US$0.60). Tortoises crawl on the grass of the courtyard as it started to drizzle lightly. Pizza for lunch sounded tasty so that's what I got. Due to the Italian occupation during WWII it's my understanding pizza is often very good. My Facebook status was updated as I'm "lost in the fracas they call Addis." Walking toward Bole I wanted to go to the Somaliland Mission and find out about visas and the latest security situation. It wa squite a walk but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Passing Menelik II's palace there are large signs saying "No Photography." In walking I observe that Addis has a lot of homeless. A woman was missing her foot as though it was blown off by a landmine, and there are oodles of elderly, disabled, and blind lining some of the streets. Bole is a whole different ballgame. The ambassadors of the various countries live in mansions and drive around in BMWs and Lexuses. James told me yesterday that Bole is overpriced and boring. He seems right as I got lost trying to find the Somaliland Mission. A local agreed to show me where it was but we first ended up at the Somalia embassy and then at the Somali community centre. Then I was taken in a car to the Somaliland Mission, only to find out they were closed for the day. Even though I was given a lift in a car I wasn't even asked for a tip! People seem to be very helpful and I've experienced far less hassle than I expected. As I started back toward Kume's house I got a massage for about US$8 and then a tasty lamb tib dinner at Facefood: a Facebook-themed restaurant serving pizzas and Ethiopian fare that they cook right in front of you.
The food is filling and I sure "like" this place. Addis Ababa is Africa's "diplomatic capital" so there's a rather wide variety of food (at a fraction of the cost). Ethiopia is very cheap as well: for less than $20 today I got a 1-hour massage, pizza, lamb tibs, museum admission, an hour of internet use, and several cups of coffee and tea. Upon nightfall I called in at Topiya tej beat (pronounced like "tedj bet") where I sat with a group of Swedes to sample the golden honey wine.
Sharing stories and jokes they said their night was boring until I showed up. They're here working on something related to the proposed light-rail. Addis' potential is enormous in many respects: tourism, transportation, etc. My bottle of tej was inadvertantly put on their tab but they told me not to worry. A little buzzed, I began the long trek home. I had no qualms about walking in Addis at night because there are so many people walking about. Part way back I got a minibus for about 1 birr and then walked my tired self several kilometres back to Kume's house. I must've walked 10 km or so today in this fracas they call Addis!
