Arriving in Addis
Trip Start
May 16, 2007
1
2
25
Trip End
Jul 28, 2007
Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Still flying, I had the complimentary red wine, hoping it would help me relax into the flight. It didn't. The first four or five hours I found my legs twitching.
My only saving grace was the presence of my seat mate, a young university student from Utah - who was on his way to teach business to a charity for the summer.
In an attempt to help you adjust to the time difference you're traveling into Ethiopian airlines does things like feeding you as soon as you board. And then shuts out the lights, tries to encourage you to sleep. And then around 4 am our time, wakes everyone up for breakfast.
So, that entire time that I was supposed to be sleeping
My one tv channel
. I was wide awake. And dreading the rest of the 16 hour flight. Then, like magic. Right before breakfast, I pass out. And that was it dude. The rest of the flight I only woke up to "miss... miss... chicken, beef or fish?" or "Miss, something to drink?"
And they feed you a lot.
One of my favorite Ethiopian experiences is one of the simplest, and it repeats exactly the same way everytime I visit.
The moment you walk off the plane, and the first gust of Ethiopian air enters your lungs.
Spice and heat and frankinsense and eucalyptus and rain all dominate the place. Its kinda like when you enter an ethiopian restaurant, but its cleaner, and greener, somehow.
Surprising to call the air clean in Addis. You may be in the third highest city in the world, but you're also surrounded by petrol and really old cars who have never heard of an emissions test.
It's bad downtown, in the middle of a hot day. OHHhh is it bad. I have such horrible memories of walking through filth and smelly gross things, lungs full of fumes, heat beating down - and dozens and dozens of people lounging and gawking
my patio
. But tonight there was none of that. It was cool air, the streets where relatively empty, and even nicer - I had a familiar face waiting to pick me up. Uncle Petros, as I call him now. He's always concerned for my safety, always treating me like a daughter. Petros is a good natured, big tall man who resembles a really friendly bear, with the happiest smile. We stop on the road for a herd of sheep who decide to bolt out into the middle of the street for no apparent reason.
"They're welcoming you back Joanne. You know. THey miss you, they say Heeeeey Joanne," says Petros
The best greeting was the one from my favorite hotel manager, Yita. He says " You look good... I think you got fat! What do you think - about your weight? Are you fat?"
... Only in ethiopia could someone get away with saying that. Of course, last time he saw me was at the end of my last trip. I always end up losing weight on these african ventures.
I got to my room and before opening my window I could hear the priests chanting into the dusky air outside. I opened the window and the room flooded with the smell of coffee.
I sipped my Dashen beer on the patio, and to my surprise I had like a flittering of the heart.
I'm back!
"It's like I never left!" I call to Yita.
From the courtyard he smiles his shy ethiopian smile.
"Yes yes. It is true!"
