Wed 5 Feb 2014 (28 Tir 2006) Addis Ababa

Wed 5 Feb 2014 (28 Tir 2006) Addis Ababa We had a slow start. No place to hustle to on our hang-day in Addis. Finally, we got up, showered and dressed, and headed out for our morning pastries at Kyzianis. Mike wanted to revisit the Merkato. We walked through, up and down many streets, but found very little of interest. We didn't need steel wool by the foot, nor electrical wiring. The key enticements for us - animals, clothing, jewelry - were always on some other street, in some other section of this sprawling market. The charming scallywag of our first days in Addis, who "adopted" us and took us around the market alleyways in exchange for a fee (and probably merchant kickback) was actually spot-on for directing us toward what we wanted at the Merkato. Finally, we found the Merkato Anbessa bus terminal. Mike resolved to take a bus somewhere. What the hey! It was about 10:30 AM or so, and the 39 bus was leaving. We hopped on and off we went. Traffic, traffic, traffic. Driving was slow as molasses to leave the Merkato. Slower going through Piassa. Slower still passing through Arat Kilo. Finally we were at an area of town called Kazanchis. Traffic just congealed. It was now 11:45 and we had barely moved for a half hour. In the median of the road, barely a foot wide, there were men lying in either sleep or stupor. And the diesel fumes were overwhelming. Not good. Carol was ready to blow a gasket when she realized that we were retracing the SAME ROUTE we took to get to Gerji to visit with Dr. Pollock. We got out at the next stop (Jomo Kenyatta & Ghana Rd). We walked back 1/2 km or so. Finally, we were in an area of nice cafes and nice hotels. We stopped at Dallas Bakery Café, and ordered two juices and a pasta with vegetables. Mike walked a couple doors down and purchased a 2-liter water, which we used to refill our smaller bottles. Pastries and caffine alone are never a good start to a day. Food and water did the trick. Thus refreshed, we started out the afternoon to do something different. We walked past some of the $200+ per night hotels in Addis. Some large modern buildings function as shopping malls; it isn't unusual for supermarkets to be located on upper floors. One swish building in an area under construction had imposing "maybe-marble" stairs leading to the entrance. Two unfortunate workers had the unenviable job of mopping and re-mopping the stairway each time a visitor inevitably tracked in dust and dirt. Carol was ready to take charge of the rest of the day. We caught a few minibuses to Addis Ababa University, north of 6 Kilo. Here we walked into the impressive campus, and entered the Ethnographic Museum, located in the original palace of Emperor Haile Selassie I. We viewed his bedroom and bath - pure Better Homes and Gardens style [with royal robes, of course]. The Ethnographic Museum houses a collection depicting the cultural makeup of Ethiopia's different areas and peoples. There were clever exhibits showing life from birth to death across different ethnic groups. The sections covering childhood and play featured storyboards with various animal fables, child-created toys made from scraps, and - what else? - a foosball table. There were exhibits depicting Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Jewish and animist Ethiopia. A very nice gift shop, too [somewhat expensive]. It is 2:15 PM. We catch a 17 bus back to the hotel, and post on the internet. We need to purchase a ticket on the Selam Bus the next morning to Harar. We phone the Selam Bus office - they have tickets available, but they close at 5 PM. We rush, and get on a minibus to Meskel Square. When it turns toward Mexico Square, we swear at the folks who confused Mexico and Meskel, hop out, grab a taxi for 50 birr to the Selam Bus offices, and buy our tickets, with some time to spare. In the office we find two older Frenchmen. They have 3 days left in Ethiopia, but no way to get anywhere interesting in that time. Think of our journey so far: one day to head somewhere plus another whole day for the next leg of the trip. They are complaining mightily, but we have no good advice for them. As we walk toward the place to wait for minibuses and buses back to Piassa, we pass by and go into a "supermarket." This one has soy sauce and peanut butter, much more reasonable in price than our first "supermarket." How about 61 birr ($4.20 US) for 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of PB? We wait for a minibus back to Piassa, totally unsuccessfully. The minibuses coming by are either full, or they let off a few passengers, and someone much faster than us scrambles to the open door and gets the seat. Finally a full-size bus that we thought might be only for company workers or some other dedicated customers comes by. A fellow traveler gets us on the bus and even pays for our tickets. Hurrah, we are eventually back in Piassa. Our experience waiting and waiting for a bus or minibus to have space is unfortunately very typical for Addis. We talk to many people whose commute sometimes takes more than an hour because vehicles are so crowded and so undependable. There is a Toastmasters meeting that evening in the Wabe Shabelle Hotel, near Mexico Square, that Carol wishes to attend. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM. We have been trying the listed phone number all day to confirm the meeting, without success. The Aussie lady is about to catch a taxi to attend a 6:00 PM free international jazz concert at the Alliance Française, the opening program of the Acacia Festival. We're tempted for a moment, but only a moment. So at 5:30 we go out to catch a minibus to Mexico Square. We get out of the bus 50 meters short of the hotel. Suddenly it is RAINING HARD. There are rivers of water in the street. We wait out crossing the street to the hotel in order for the last few meters of pavement to get dry enough to walk. [What is this country like in really rainy season?!?] We are inside the hotel at 6:10 PM. The meeting is assembling. They welcome Carol warmly. Mike waits on a couch near the hotel restaurant. The french fries plate beckons, but a real dinner will be later. At 7:15 PM Carol comes out. The meeting will be going on until 8:30 PM, but she has made her appearance. Carol sits in the very back row. The speakers are hard to hear, but she caught the flavor of the club. The club president wanted her to stay to speak briefly about the similarities and differences between this club and her home club, but Mike [and dinner] awaited. We find a minibus back to Piassa in the darkness. Piassa feels different at night - full of young people seeking a good time. Establishments have bright lights; music issues from inside venues. The familiar streets are now somewhat edgy. A man is sprawled on the Cunningham St. curb, lying half into the street. Nobody gives him a second thought. Minibuses pull in next to him; pedestrians walk by. We eat at KG, ordering the Hot and Sour Fish Soup and Fish Goulash. Service was VERY slow. The yummy fish soup was neither hot nor sour, more like a New England chowder with a kick. We had another early morning bus departure next day, and so to bed.