Jazzamba at Hotel Taitu
Ethiopia is known internationally for its Ethio-jazz music, personnified by Mulatu Astatke, among others, a world class musician regularly playing on the international scene. He is also one of the … Continue reading
Ethiopian shoulder dancing
As I mentioned in a previous post, Ethiopia stands out for its unique culture and diverse traditions. Dancing is no different. Ethiopian traditional dancing is like no other, only the … Continue reading
The number plates game
Among the particularities of Addis Ababa is the number plate system, which is coded in such a way that it becomes very easy to know who the car belongs to. … Continue reading
In and out of Addis
There’s nothing like going in and out of a place to get a renewed propective on it. For the first time in over two months, I travelled outside Ethiopia to … Continue reading
Truly recycling waste
I have to say a word about waste. In Western societies, we are used to buying and throwing away. When living in Europe, I was always shocked at the amount … Continue reading
Trip to Wenchi crater lake
Many places around Addis make a good destination for a weekend trip. The Wenchi crater lake, located half way between the towns of Wolliso and Ambo, about 120 kms west … Continue reading
Learning Amharic
I attended my second lesson of Amharic yesterday, which made me feel like a six year child again who is learning to read and write! Everything in Amharic is different … Continue reading
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
Salambo in Addis 