Welcome to the country where you can visit your great-great-great10 grandmother regardless of who you are.
Welcome to the country where local people will just beam at you whenever you talk in their language even though it’s only a ‘ hi, thank you and goodbye.‘
Welcome to the country where coffee will be your best friend. Where sometimes your body will move but your heart will stay still.
Welcome to Ethiopia.
My adventure in this country started with a coffee (buna is the term for Ethiopian coffee ceremony) and ended with a tea (lots of sugar!). It was the first time during all my years of trav
elling that a street vendor gave me something without asking for (more) money. She was a woman who sells coffee in Bahir Dar, next to Lake Tana. The coffee was 5 birr and I didn’t have enough small bank notes with me and needed the big ones for my hotel payment. She simply smiled and shook her head. It probably meant nothing to her but everything to me.
As expected, the most common question that I got asked whenever I mentioned my stay in Ethiopia was “Is is safe?”, followed by a few skeptical eyebrows after I said yes. Maybe I was just lucky (even Bunny 1 says that) and met the right persons in the right place at the right time. Maybe someone watched over me. Or maybe, yes, it is possible, the world is quite a friendly place and there are many people who just want to help and protect me. Without asking anything in return.
I am not saying that we should walk around with our head in the clouds and ignore all safety cautions. I’m just saying that at the end of the day most of us are actually helpful and care about other people’s well-being. I’m also saying that mass media play a significant role in giving us a very simple picture of Africa. What you think you know about this continent is only a fragment of reality. To feel and understand you need to visit it yourself. This also goes for any other continent or country. Yes, poverty is a big issue. Yes, danger is a big issue. And yes, there are people who just want to help. For those of you who want to travel and explore the world I have only one advice: throw away your prejudices (I know you have them. I do, too). Come unprepared. And you will be rewarded with the most intense and wonderful experiences.
Seeing is believing and here is what I saw (I sent them as postcards to 12 people. I know some lines are cheesy but it is how I feel about this country. The listed postcards are in random order):
1. Berlin, Germany
Here are my ingredients for a perfect adventure in Ethiopia ( and the rest of this wonderful world):
- 1 cup of curiosity
- 1 cup of spontaneity
- 1 cup of openness
Mix them together. Smile (as often as you can!). Take a deep breath and carry the mix inside your heart. Are you ready? Let’s go.
2. NYC, USA
My journey in Ethiopia started with nothingness and ended with 8 days, 11 hours and 40 minutes of complete happiness, contentment and entertainment! I have to thank Ethiopian people for that.
3. Berlin, Germany
As usual, my best travel moments are almost always unplanned. I don’t mind risking for the unknown. Ethiopia has shown me that this is the best strategy to get the most out of a country.
4. Karlsruhe, Germany
I am not ashamed to admit that I cried on the third day of my stay in Ethiopia. Imagine an Asian woman sitting alone on the ground of the Menelik Square, listening to a group of solders playing the Ethiopian national anthem. What a bizarre situation. What a wonderful moment!
5. Cologne, Germany
Life is on the streets of Ethiopia. It is a miracle within itself. I find beauty in everything I see.
6. Berlin, Germany
Oops, I did it again. I told my life story to a complete stranger on the streets of Addis Ababa. We chew khat (I didn’t feel anything!) and drank sweet tea and I talked and talked and it felt good. A perfect therapy session!
7. Hamburg, Germany
The fourth day in Ethiopia smelled like summer 2009. I felt light and free. I happily indulged in the normalcy of the moment. Watched rain drops falling. Another. And then another. Wish I could stop time.
8. Chemnitz, Germany
Met a little boy, walking alone on the street. Barefoot. Big innocent eyes. Dirty face. Dirty little hands. So brave. He smiled in a way that made me cry inside. Played with the money I gave him. Carried him to find his mother. Found his mother. She smiled as well.
9. Berlin, Germany
Yes, even amid the crassness and cynicism of our time there are always people who will help you without asking anything in return. Ethiopia is the perfect example for that.
10. Zürich, Switzerland
Life is simple here in Addis Ababa. Even a stray dog can make me laugh. I met one in the city center today. We discovered the city together!
11. Berlin, Germany
Today I inhaled the fresh air of Bahir Dar; it filled my lungs gorgeously. I found my Vietnamese childhood memory in Africa: a banana tree.
12. Göttingen, Germany
Ethiopia has taught me that whenever in doubt, smile! When life throws lemons at you, make the best out of them. Use them for tequila. Use them for your food but don’t stay still and watch them rotten. What an important lesson.
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More photos of Ethiopia on my Instagram Account. You have to scroll down a bit to find them since the most current ones are about Berlin.
T on Air 