Day 13: Addis Ababa

Because we had such a LATE night the night before, we slept in a bit today. But, we had to meet one of our contacts, Getu, for lunch and a brief tour of Addis. We went to one of the local craft markets to find some gorgeous scarves -- many of the ladies here are Moslem, so they wrap their heads in public. I noticed that MANY of the goodies in these markets were very similar to what we found in Uganda. I had no way to compare prices (without extensive thought) since Uganda uses shillings and Ethiopia’s currency is the birr.

Ethiopian people are beautiful. Their skin is a rich caramel color, their features are fine and regal -- thin noses, high cheek bones, black, curly hair, long limbs and thin fingers. They have an exotic mystery about them.

At the market, we also encountered our first bit of begging. Almost as soon as we got out of the car, children were at our sides seeking food or money. I had nothing small to give them, and it really made me uncomfortable. Even while we were sitting in traffic, people came up to our windows. One kid, after seeing that we were an entire CAR FULL of white people, called his sister over and they both started singing to us. It was pretty insane.

We ate lunch at the Hilton hotel -- the three of us ordered Ethiopian -- once again AWESOME! Although, I’m not a huge fan of injira bread. It has the consistency of a sponge wrap and tastes vinegary. I’d rather eat my Ethiopian fare with pita bread, thank you very much.

After driving around Addis, we came back to the hotel and decided to get massages in the evening. We were in “detox” mode after being in Gulu for so long, so a deep massage was just what we needed to recharge. The spa at the hotel was just as posh as the lobby. The floor was a gorgeous mosaic that followed us into the ladies locker room. On the ladies side of the spa, there was a long corridor with dressing rooms, a sauna, jacuzzi, and massage rooms. The most shocking thing I saw was a topless lady just walking down the hallway like nothing. I can understand being topless in the locker room, but in the MIDDLE of everything?! Brazen...

Once again, we ordered room service where Kimmie found a hair in her food and was so grossed out she almost puked. Honestly, I think my reaction would have been the same.