Latest Article
Ethiopia - Our crazy trip with the time machine
a:Addis Ababa
r:Addis Ababa
In the spring of 2015, we took a week off and went to visit my sister and her husband in Ethiopia. They moved there for work just a couple of months earlier and we were keen to see where and how they lived. Ethiopia is located at the Horn of Africa, on the eastern side of the African continent. The capital city is Addis Ababa which is situated on the foothills of Mount Entoto at an elevation of around 2,400 m. We were so excited to experience a country where neither of us had been before and we were really looking forward to the week to come. Here are some of our experiences, which I hope you like reading about and maybe even try out one day. And if you want to experience some local vibes click below 🎶
Tomoca Coffee House
a:Wawel Street
r:Addis Ababa
Coffee is one of Addis Abeb's most important export products, so a visit to a local coffee shop is a must in Addis Ababa. We went to (link: http://4sq.com/wLEifq text: Tomoca Coffee House) where locals and tourists alike stop for an excellent coffee break. It is the first coffee company from Addis Ababa and was established in 1953. Besides Ethiopia, they have already opened coffee shops in Japan and Australia and are now planning to expand into Europe, the Middle East, and North America. What a great experience!
Restaurant: Yod Abbesyna
a:Seychelles Street
r:Lideta
(link: http://4sq.com/fOh7ra text: Yod Abbesyna) - We of course tried this typical local restaurant. It is traditionally decorated, served fabulous food accompanied by Ethiopian music. We ate the traditional dish in Ethiopia, Injera with vegetable side dishes, which is a large sourdough flatbread made of teff. It is usually placed in the center of the table and everybody eats from the same large dish. You do not have utensils to eat, the injera is used to scoop up the side dishes and entrees. It is delicious with many new and exciting tastes and flavours and we enjoyed our first taste of this local delicacy. After dinner, the live music and performances started and we saw people coming on stage performing dances and tunes from the different parts of the country. This place is a must when visiting Ethiopia's capital city.
Grand Canyon of Ethiopia - Canyon of Debre Libanos
a:Debre Libanos
r:Oromia
On day three of our visit, our driver took us out of the city into the countryside to the Grand Canyon of Ethiopia - the Canyon of Debre Libanos in Ethiopia. It took us approximately 2,5 hours in the car to get there, bearing in mind that you cannot drive fast on the roads as they are quite busy. People walk onto the road without looking, donkeys and many other animals are everywhere as well as some motor vehicles. Everybody uses the same road. Eventually, we get to this breathtaking canyon which could be the Grand Canyon of Africa. There is a simple lodge run by Germans, where we stop to have lunch. Before lunch, we take an hour's walk along the top of the canyon to enjoy the impressive views. Nature as far as you can see. And walking back we meet this monkey family racing past us and screaming loudly. I think they were as scared of us as we were of them...
Debre Libanos Monastery
a:Bolo
r:Oromia
(link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debre_Libanos text: Debre Libanos) - Close to the Canyon is the monastery of Debre Libanos. It is market day in Debre Libanos the day we visited and all farmers from the area came to sell or exchange their produce. We drove past the market towards the monastery. There we had to buy tickets to do a tour of the church and the museum with our guide. Women have to wear a scarf over the heads which we got at the entrance together with our tickets. Our guide took us around the grounds, the church museum and explained the history and meaning of this monastery to the local area. The present church was built in 1961 and has no trace of the ancient monastery anymore due to past wars in the area. Debre Libanos still remains one of the holiest sites in the whole of Ethiopia.
