Weekend break in the lake region
When residents of Addis want to escape the city, they usually go to Lake Langano, one of a number of lakes in the so-called middle rift valley. Langano is particularly … Continue reading
The land of Rastafarians
I am in Shashemene, about 250 kms south of Addis, a town famous for its Rastafarian community. It was emperor Selassie who granted land in that region to African descendants … Continue reading
A budding textile industry
Ethiopia has a long tradition of working with textiles, particularly for traditional clothing and household decoration. In my quest for discovering the city, I went on an (organised) tour of … Continue reading
Visiting Lucy…
After a few weeks of trying to establish a new daily routine, I took time to visit the Ethiopian National Museum in Addis, where the remains of Lucy, the famous … Continue reading
Struggling with communications
As we learn to live with power cuts, we also struggle with notoriously bad communications. Ethiopia is known for that. Fixed line phones, mobiles and the internet do not function … Continue reading
Breakfast out, while waiting for the end of the power cut
I finally went to Piassa (from the Italian word piazza), one of the oldest area in Addis, and maybe the only one which still has old buildings dating from the … Continue reading
Risking the road
In many countries, driving is a serious cultural issue. For the British, the Parisians are erratic drivers; the French think the Italians behave madly behind the wheel while for the … Continue reading
Salambo in Addis 