Dispatches from Addis Ababa

I spent a week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February of 2020 for work. I did not know at the time that it would be the last business trip of the year one the pandemic hit. This is an excerpt from my diary as I await my flight at the airport.

"I’m sitting here in the terminal awaiting my flight to Addis Ababa. I have been wanting to go on this trip my whole life. Finally I am being paid to go, and yet I am miserable. Shouldn’t I be excited? Shouldn’t I be honored that I have the opportunity to participate on a trip in the way that I always wanted to? And here I am, getting paid to go to a new country, a new continent, on a trip where I am working at my top expertise. And yet I am sad, I am frustrated, I want to return home.

There’s something especially rough about being awake and at an airport in the wee hours of the morning, whether its because I had to leave my bed and ride a Lyft here, or because I had a long layover. I just don’t like missing a night of sleep, or being awake and sitting up when I want to be asleep and sitting down, or having to be in a place where nothing is open. Maybe that’s why I’m bitter now. Because I’m tired and uncomfortable and displeased with this airport and nervous about my very long 13-hour flight. Didn’t I write a blog post once that said, “the journey is definitely not the reward” after a particularly brutal trip to Japan, but that how it was oh-so-worth it once I got to Tokyo and had sushi with my best friend? And didn’t I question, every single time I was on a flight, why on earth I would want to put myself through such misery, and that I am never traveling again? And yet each time I get to my destination I quickly forget the misery of airplane travel and fall in love, once more, with this beautiful earth.

I think I am realizing now, that nothing I do is without sacrifice. A long time ago, when I was young and single, I once longed for nothing more than to escape life on an airplane and arrive somewhere in Asia. But now that I have a husband and a baby, every time I leave without them I leave them behind. I sacrifice time with them for these trips. But if I take them with me, I sacrifice time alone. Nothing I do from here on will be without sacrifice. I will always be giving up one thing for another.

- Diary Excerpt, February 14th, 2020 6:35am

What did I eat in Ethiopia?

Ethiopian Food

Food was not the highlight of my trip to Ethiopia but I was looking forward to tasting real Ethiopian food in Ethiopia. 

While the injera certainly did not disappoint, I was often overwhelmed with the portion size at restaurants. It seemed like every dish I ordered was meant to be eaten by three people. Another interesting difference between Ethiopian food in the US and Ethiopia is that there were not as many vegetables in Ethiopia. I found most people ordered meat dishes, shiro (which is basically a buttery sauce) or Kaffir (stir fried injera). There was often only one or two vegetable dishes on the menu and many times the restaurants wouldn’t have any. Despite this, I enjoyed some delicacies I cannot find in the US, like Ethiopian cheese and raw beef and a smoothie made from barley and honey.

Injera with tibbs and firfir

Injera with Shiro and collard greens

An Ethiopian medley!  

False banana (fermented_

Besa (buckwheat juice with milk and honey)

Injera

Juices galore

Spritz Juice with Strawberry, Mango, and Papaya

Italian Food

I was surprised to find such an abundance of Italian food in Addis Ababa, but it makes since given Ethiopia’s wars with Italy. While Ethiopia was never colonized, the Italians did stay long enough to leave some of their traditions in the country like the macchiato, pizza, and pasta. I ate pizza and pasta many times on my one week trip, and in fact, the best Italian restaurant I have ever tasted is in Addis Ababa (Abucci). 

Random Western Food

Often when I travel I crave the familiar, so fries and hamburgers and coca cola were welcome respites for me.  

Burger and fries

Chicken Cobb salad

The best caramel donut I have ever had

Quiche and salad

Beet root salad

Excellent green cherry cake

Always ubiquitous, always Coca Cola

Cafes of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

I am a huge coffee fanatic, so imagine my excitement when I got to travel to the land from where coffee originated! That’s right, the first coffee was discovered in Kafa, Ethiopia and has now grown into one of the biggest industries in the world. Ethiopia has a long culture of drinking coffee so I was excited to sample their modern cafes as well as traditional coffee ceremonies. 

The common beverage of choice in almost all cafes in the Ethiopian version of a machiatto. This is a shot of espresso with a dollop of frothed milk on it. A single or small size includes one shot, and a double or large size is two shots. I mad the mistake of ordered two shots only once - it was incredibly strong!  Here are the macchiatos from three cafes, many restaurants, and one hotel. 

Tomoca

Tomoca is the first cafe in Addis Ababa and now has branches all over the city. I visited one of their trendy branches near the airport in Bole, where people stand and drink their coffee while on break from work. 

I also visited the original Tomoca which is very historical and a big tourist attraction. Unfortunately of all the macchiatos I tasted in Addis, I liked Tomoca’s the least. It was very black and bitter to me. 

Kaldi's

Kaldi’s is also a famous coffee chain in Ethiopia. Unlike Tomoca, which is meant to be drank quickly, people sit down at Kaldi’s for long break and have table service instead of ordering at the counter. I liked the outdoor seating at most Kaldi’s and their macchiato is pretty good. 

Abyssinian Cafe

By far my favorite macchiato in the city is at Abyssinian Cafe. This stylish cafe was practically empty when I went on a Sunday afternoon. It is hard to compete with its famous neighbor Tomoca, but I loved the vibe at Abyssinian Cafe and the coffee was exceptional. 

Golden Tulip Hotel

You don’t need to go to a cafe to get a macchiato. Every hotel and restaurant will be able to prepare one for you. I had a macchiato every day at the Golden Tulip and was pretty pleased with the quality. 

Finfinee Restaurant

Both Ethiopian and Western restaurants alike will serve macchiatos. This one from Ethiopian restaurant Finfinee is pretty typical. 

Traditional Coffee Ceremony

I also had the great honor of attending a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. These are commonly prepared among friends or colleagues, and I was invited to one in the office of a local NGO in Addis Ababa. Popcorn is provided at most coffee ceremonies as a little something to eat before the coffee, since you never know if your guests have eaten or not before  they arrive for the ceremony. Its also good to offer some snack like popcorn because the ceremony can be very long. First you must wash the beans, then roast them, then grind them, then boil the grounds in water over charcoal. It might take one hour before you actually have your coffee. 

The ceremony is a good experience but the coffee itself is very strong and bitter. No wonder they always offer it with sugar!  

Photo Diary: Days in Addis Ababa

Oh Addis, you are one strange place. I actually traveled to this city for work and was in the presence of a professional photographer the entire time. But I will not use any of his shots here - this Addis from my own amateur lens.