Addis have us a first view into the Ethiopian life. From our guesthouse ‚Wim’s Holland House‘ in a quiet back road we hat a good starting point to the busy main streets. It also offered a quiet and safe space where we could relax. On our first day in Addis we took it slow and only explores the immediate neighborhood. With the help of our guidebook we found a very nice cafe with good coffee. The evening we spent drinking draft beer.
The next day, a Monday, the shops were open and we could buy an Ethiopian SIM card. First only one, which was a good idea, as they sold a the most expensive unlimited package… well, someone at our guesthouse explained to us how to get a 4gb package: Get a SIM card for 30 Birr, charge it with 400 Birr and call *999#. Then find the internet packages for one month. Overall cost: 430 Birr/35 Birr per € below 13€. The internet in Addis ist good, the LTE is faster than the WiFi.
The second day we wanted to see Lucy, the 3.2 Million year old humanoid skeleton found in the Ethiopian desert. To get to the museum we took a minibus. Biggest challenge was to find the right bus. But most people are friendly and we don’t mind asking the same question over an over again.
The exhibition around Lucy was interesting and filled with school children in uniform. 👍
The other parts of the national museum was a bit curious. They hat the crowns and robes of the Ethiopian emperors on display, including Haile Selassie, but no explanation and everything was dusty. In the third part Tools and other things of the traditional Ethiopian people were shown but the only explanations were short: Musical Instruments or Regal robes.
In Addis there is a lot of construction work going on. New buildings everywhere. Looking closely you can see that the contractor is almost always a Chinese company. The light rail of Addis was also built by a Chinese company. It’s very new and runs on an elevated rail. Therefore we had an excellent view over the city.
During our three days in Addis we saw maybe ten other white people. And eight of those we met in the museum or our guesthouse. On the streets we are the only white people and are often approached by beggars. Luckily, they don’t tend to be aggressive, only annoying. The worst thing is the kids, clearly living on the street and yelling „Money, Money!“ But overall the atmosphere is good and people are relaxed.
