My friend who works at Plano plumbing and who is also a travel lover was telling me that Ethiopia is not just like any other African country. It is unique. It is one of the two countries that for a long time resisted the European colonization. Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, also hosts the African Union headquarters. That technically makes Addis Ababa the capital of Africa. That goes to show what high regard Ethiopia is held in Africa and beyond.
When to Visit
You should visit Ethiopia after the dry season that usually begins in June until September. From October onwards, the landscape is green and pretty with wildflowers. That is the time to trek on the highlands to see the unique wildlife comprising of Gelada Baboon, Simien fox or the Ethiopian Wolf, which is currently Africa’s most endangered meat-eater.
These are some of the other unique attractions you should not fail to see if you are visiting Ethiopia:
Feeding Wild Hyenas
In the Harar city in eastern Ethiopia is an unusual love affair going on. Man and hyena are bosom friends. Each evening, as the sun descends, the Hyena man comes out to howl the names of the hyenas. Soon, packs of hyenas emerge from the shadows of the city. The Hyena man then proceeds to feed the beasts pieces of meat.
Tourists come from afar to witness this daily evening ritual, which has been going on for more than two centuries. The Hyena man himself inherited this tradition from his father, and he has carried on with it for 14 years.
The story has it that 200 years ago, there was a severe famine. Starving hyenas ate people back and forth. The Muslim elders then had a meeting with the hyenas. A deal was struck. Hyenas would be given bowls of porridge daily if they stopped eating the residents of this area. It evolved into the meat. Perhaps after a time, the hyenas themselves suggested flesh, especially a goat’s, would be better. Since then, the hyenas are free to roam this walled town daily at night, eating wastes in the markets and shops. The hyenas are respected.
The journey to Harar takes almost ten hours from Addis Ababa, traveling by bus. You can feed the hyenas too, holding to them a piece of meat hung on a stick. Go and feed these spotted creatures.
Simien Mountains National Park
On the way to Simien Mountains National park, you will see incredible landscapes and exciting encounter with various animals and friendly residents. There are the Ethiopian wolves, Menelik’s bush back, klipspringer and hundreds of the gelada monkeys. You should hire a guide for the tour up these mountains. There are many tour guides, cooks and scouts on hire who grew up in the villages around there and so have vast knowledge about the entire park. Once contacted, they organize the camping gear, food, and other logistics. You can visit Chennek, which is perhaps the most spectacular place you shall ever see.
Mercato market
This is said to be the largest open-air market in Africa, employing more than 10,000 people in various trade activities. The goods trading at Merkato Market is locally-produced, of which coffee is the major.
You should also engage the services of a tour guide here. There are many of them. They know their way around the market. Try to visit on a rainless day. It will be a memorable excursion. You will no doubt want to buy one of the nice baskets, sterling necklaces, or any of the artworks on display. Wear closed shoes and watch out for potential pickpockets. That is another reason you should not be in this massive maze without a tour guide who is alert and attentive. You can also climb a higher place to have a bird’s eye view of the busy market.
Parting-shot
You may continue to view Africa through a narrow, tinted lens until the day you step foot in Ethiopia. There is more to Africa than zebras, tigers, and jumbos. Take away all the wildlife including the so-called Big Five, and you still have a great continent of hospitable, decent human beings. And the story begins in Ethiopia, as any Rastafarian will tell you. Arriving in this empire of Haile Sellasea is exhilarating.