Blogs from Oromia Region, Ethiopia, Africa - page 5

Addis has proper change, unlike Jimma where costs are usually rounded to the nearest Birr. I gave all my change away. Addis is the only place I have ever worn a money belt in, I usually don’t wear them because I don’t like any unsightly bulges showing up on my person ala Jefferson Darcy. That was from the episode where the Darcys and Bundys went to England, the Darcys lost all their money and had to stay at an S&M club the whole time…I think the place was called the Whipped Pony. I forget why the Bundys went. Al had to battle some guy, it wasn’t Spare Tire, but I forget what for. I am actually pretty confident in the Whipped Pony, why I remember this, I don’t know. That episode must’ve aired 15 years ago. ... read more

Cool story: I was sitting at a café last week enjoying a freshly squeezed avocado/mango juice (big thing here) and this young guy came up and introduced himself as “Yadi” - an Ethiopian by birth, currently living in the states, with family living in Ontario. We chatted for a while, but I was too skeptical to accept an invitation out for drinks with him and his friends later that night as any lone traveler would/should be. Given the opportunity again however... ... I opened yesterday’s paper to an article about the closing ceremonies of the African Union meeting held in Addis last week during which they revealed the newly redesigned AU flag. A picture of the designer - a familiar face - was cropped into the bottom corner of the article with a caption that read: ... read more

Helpful Ethiopia visa information: One month visas can be obtained with no problem at Bole airport. Bole takes USD and Euro, if you are using Euro try to have correct change as they do not make change. The immigration office in Addis only takes USD. If you need a lengthier visa, you’ll either need to get it beforehand or go to the immigration office in Addis off of Zambia St. and Churchill St. Head North on Gambia St, which will turn into Churchill. You will pass the Derg Monument which has a large red star on top of it. Turn onto the next street, Zambia, and the steps leading up to the Immigration office should be visible. There will be a lot of taxis and people standing around as well as Ethiopians waiting for visas or ... read more

Chat (pronounced like chat room) is leafy plant that when chewed and ingested produces mixed highs. We had heard everything from it being like a sugar rush to people full out hallucinating. Pretty much everyone does it. In both Jimma and Assendabo every other person is carrying chat under their arm, which comes in a bushel that is put in a plastic shopping, the stems are sticking out of the bag’s top. We don’t know how addictive the plant actually is, but several locals have said most people would rather chew chat than get a job and work. Even professionals chew chat, so it’s not just a lower class thing. So after seeing all this chat, we had to try it. Before the party in Assendabo, we had our own little chat party. The person who ... read more

Just wanted to say a quick thanks to friends and family who comment, whether here or through email. Sorry I do not respond to everything...the xylophone is fur sure involved in catchiness of that damned song, and who could ever be mad at Kira?... read more