Blogs from Ethiopia, Africa - page 99

These are the first days of December in Addis Ababa. Within the gated community of the Hilton, one will find people in the basic pursuit of making a living. Work or play, activity is frenzied. One can see men, women, boys and girls, from different backgrounds, selling, buying, products, and services, legal or not, all in the hope of advancing one’s personal reason for being. The hotel lobby is full of stuff to buy. One can see the liquor bar, book store, souvenirs, on the spot roasted, brewed coffee with low sitting stools. No Java Dave’s by any stretch if the imagination. There’s a restraurant with a breakfast buffet for 125Birh. That’s about $15 dls. Business men and women, ladies of the night, 24 hour bank, a grocery store. With day time temperatures at about 70 ... read more

We arrived to a dead calm in Addis - 45 dead to be exact. The previous week's protests against election irregularities and the anti-democratic tendencies of the reelected government had spun out of control with hundreds of civilians shot or injured by military and tens of thousands in jail (including all the opposition party leaders and a host of "treasonous" journalists). Our dear host Russel braved the general strike, meeting us at the airport with the only cab driver in the city who was willing to take to the empty streets. How bizarre to be introduced to a stunned, angry, and disillusioned city, as it superficially returned to its vibrant and exceedingly pleasant daily life. Over the course of the next week, we saw a gradual repopulation of Addis's countless sidewalk cafes until they were once ... read more

Addis Ababa, which means "New Flower" in Amharic, is an intriguingly indigenous African city. Unlike many other African capitals, it's founding, growth and development, are not rooted in colonization. Founded in 1896 by Emperor Menelik II, Addis Ababa is the last in a succession of capitals of the great Abyssinian empire dating back to the pre-Christian Axum (Brunn & Williams 273). Italian Occupation of Addis Ababa: 1936-1941 For a brief period between 1936 and 1939, the conquering Italians under Mussolini attempted to Europeanize this lively and vibrant city. Because their rule was so short-lived, the Italian influence on the geography and society of Addis Ababa was minimal and never amounted to a full scale colonization. Post War Urbanization in Addis Ababa Growth occurred in three waves following world war II, with the lagest population boom during ... read more

I am so sorry this is my first time I have had to blog in a few days. It is a strange feeling that so many people are following my journey and are waiting for new entries. It takes a long time to write down your thoughts and pick out pictures from the hundreds I have trying, to add to the story, so thanks for your support. I will keep it up if I think people want to hear what I have to say. Oh, please excuse the poor editing. I do the best I can, but quite honestly, at times I am typing through blurring eyes that are tired. I don’t catch every mistake. I will edit later when my schedule is not so demanding. And, yes for all those polite questions on whether I ... read more

This morning I spent most of the day in the hotel, but this afternoon I got to see the Ethiopian Health System close up. We toured a typical clinic and a private hospital. I have to say driving through the city of Addis, there are 10’s of thousands of people just walking around. The city has around 3 million people. There is nothing new here except this hotel and a new park that the same billionaire owner of the hotel built. This city is old and over crowded really falling down in most parts. The Ethiopian people, especially now with the current situation, are very guarded and quiet, yet friendly in a strange way. Taking pictures of people causes fear unless you ask permission. Therefore, in these few pictures, that is the reason there are no ... read more