Rampant inflation
For the first time in my life, I live in a country where inflation is a daily reality. Until now, my knowledge of inflation was confined to theoretical books or … Continue reading
From cattle to handbag
With one of the largest herds of cattle in the world, Ethiopia has a long tradition of working with leather. There are many tanneries in the country producing very fine … Continue reading
The gem in the gemstones
I have to start talking about the people I meet in Addis. Like many foreigners, we tend to regroup together at the start, but slowly we “branch out” to get … 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
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
Salambo in Addis 