Addis Ababa - first impressions

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I arrived just 2 hours ago, so my contact with the city has been somewhat limited, but I do feel the desire to record my initial thoughts, and here seems as good a place as any.

I stepped off the plane into darkness at around 9 p.m. local time and the first thing that struck me was the spicy smell. Windhoek smells like the dry dusty desert that surrounds it while Johannesburg, much like the cities of Europe, smells of pollution and not much else. Addis is different though, it smells like the Arabian East, a pungent aroma of spices overlaying even the jet fuel of the surrounding aircraft.

The airport is largely modern, although the customs area and arrivals hall reminds me more of Nairobi than the cities of the south. My Visa on Arrival was processed without difficulty and without the expected demand for passport sized photos that the embassy website suggested. Which was lucky really, since I didn't have any.

My hotel looks a little tatty around the reception area, but the room is one of the best hotel rooms I have ever encountered. It turns out to be a four room suite with twin bedroom, bathroom, sitting area and kitchenette. I think the only place where I have ever encountered a larger hotel room was in a largely abandoned, but very pleasant hotel to the north of Dar Es Salaam. I am currently awaiting my meal of the evening - a very European sounding roast chicken, and a glass of papaya juice to go with it.

Arriving so late, and being picked up promptly by the airport shuttle, limited my ability to get anything sorted out before reaching my room, but I've started to rectify that with a trip to an ATM in the Hilton Hotel across town. My hotel's shuttle, obediently took me there and I got to see more of the city. My driver was immensely proud of the 5-star Hilton, but I didn't even see the foyer, since the ATM is outside, but apparently they have a swimming pool somewhere. Whatever the other facilities, I got what I needed and came away with a thick wad of 100 birr notes.

The city appears for the most part to be a slightly down-at-the-heels European capital, a bit like Bruxelles used to look before the EU arrived. The buildings are a little the worse for wear, the roads have far too many lanes crammed into far too little width but are otherwise good quality, and I am assured it would be safe for me to walk about alone... although from what I've heard elsewhere, the begging is worse than almost any other city. I did see a small collection of tents propped against a shop front, but otherwise there was little sign of poverty.

The cars all appeared to have driven out of a time-warp from the 1960s, although I learnt later that these are just the taxis and that everyone else drives more modern vehicles.

So. My first impressions are very positive. If time permits I will write about Gonder soon, since I will be flying there tomorrow.

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