I am alive! Just had the most incredible experience, and I'm still in Ethiopia. Before I left for Zanzibar, I had been planning to spend 15 hours overnight in the Addis Ababa Airport. I know this sounds terrible, but I had a feeling that I would find a better way. After a long flight to Frankfurt, some tea, a croissant, and a quick nap at a cafe, I headed to my gate. I arrived and sat reading my book quietly for a while, trying desperately to stay awake. A nice looking black guy sat down across from me. For some reason I noticed that he was typing on a mac, and wearing nikes. He smiled right away, and I smiled back, just to be friendly, then went back to my book.
A few minutes later the crazy Lufthansa Airline people discretely beckoned for us to get on the little shuttle. No announcement, nothing obvious. So Teddy (the name he goes by in the US) and I commiserated about germans, their bad airport and grumpy people. We started talking about school, and he told me that he was returning from Florida where he was finishing his second masters degree in software engineering. He was on his way to Zambia where his wife had just moved (she is american and got a really great government job with a house and utilities in a nice part of the city).
Anyway he was spending his 13 hour layover going home to Ethiopia, where he had not been in over 2 years. He asked me my travel plans, and immediately invited me to join him, to go eat traditional Ethiopian food, explore the city, and party! Obviously I said yes, with only slight hesitation at the foreign country, and the "don't go home with strangers" mantra. But he was a nice, respectful guy, very smart and well-read.
Fast forward 8 hour sleepless flight to Ethiopia, after getting a visa, and getting through customs, I walked out and was greeted by 12 of his closest family and friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, they sped us home through potholed streets full of people. The air had that misty feeling, like just after it rains, and they explained to me that this was rainy season, the coldest time in Ethiopia.
I was welcomed into their home, and we had a delicious dinner of some spicy chicken mixture that we ate using our hands and homemade breads. After choking down some straight whiskey, and talking about soccer with some of his friends, we had the traditional coffee ceremony.
[Fun fact; coffee originated in Ethiopia, and still supplies much of the world.]
So after spicy food, whiskey, coffee, no sleep, naturally we decided to eat some popcorn (yay!) and then explore the city. They brought me to their favorite spots, the two fanciest hotels, the Sheraton, and Hilton, which more closely resemble palaces, and have beautiful gardens, fountains, pools, nightclubs, and views of the city. They were so genuinely excited to show me their home. They showed me their old elementary schools, the whole time joking and making fun of things like freezing cold Boston snow.
After the hotels, we headed to the highest spot in town, overlooking the city. (Ethiopia has the highest and lowest points in the world, not to mention the fastest runners. also the president has a pet lion, in his house!!)
It was getting late, so we headed to a nightclub called Jambo. I drank some Ethiopian beer, then we danced. The highlight of the night was definitely when Shakira's "Waka Waka" came on, and we all jumped around and danced like crazy. It was incredible.
I'm running out of time, but in short, we visited a few more nightclubs, then headed home around 3 am. Up at 5.30 for a shower, then breakfast (same spicy food as dinner but with tea).
I love Africa. (To be continued.)
