Addis Ababa

So, what is Addis like?

I loved every minute of my time in the capital. The seeming randomness always put a smile on my face. For example, the farmers taking their goats for a walk along the street, the way children came up to me to shake my hand, two donkeys grazing on the grass on a highway, a little boy carrying a chicken in a carrier bag.....Oh and I love bamboo scaffolding, watching the builders working is really scary - a health and safety nightmare.

Addis is as busy and bustling as any capital city. However, the fact that it is developing country or ‘third world’ country is inescapable. Although some of the roads are good, most of them are not. There are huge potholes and ditches which mean cars and buses often get punctures or break down.  Poverty is evident everywhere. Walking down most streets in the centre of Addis, you will see homeless people and beggars every few steps. A lot of the beggars have disabilities or mental health problems. It can be quite intimidating to walk down the street, especially as a ‘ferenji’ or foreigner, as they are perceived to be rich and some beggars are very persistent. Most houses are shacks made of whatever can be found. On the street, sellers try to sell whatever they can, even if it’s just six onions.

That is not to say that there aren’t any rich people in Addis. On the outskirts of the city there are the most amazing houses. One of them is world athlete, Haile Gebrselassie’s, house.

The city is constantly changing and a lot of improvements are being made. For example, the roads into and out of the city are rapidly getting better and a lot of new buildings are being built.