And so the travels continue...

There's been so much to do and see in Addis. Museums, cathedrals and palaces are dotted right around the city and they tell the story not only of Ethiopia as a country, but of human evolution and civilisation. Ethiopian history is intertwined with ancient myths and biblical references which makes it a more fascinating place to ponder.

We've checked out the ethnographic museum which tells the story of the Ethiopian peoples, religions, lifestyles and rituals. This museum is housed in
Hailie Selassie's old palace (which saw its share of bloodshed over the years). We've also seen the Addis Ababa museum (Addis Ababa means 'new flower' curious...).

The cathedrals have also been a real treat and we've learned so much about the Ethiopian Church in the short time we've been here.

It's been wandering around and meeting the locals that has been the most fun. Grubby streets full of children who will ask for 'one birr' but will crack up if given a smile and a handshake. All of this touring has been in spite of the Lonely Planet Guide to Ethiopia and Eritrea which has been fairly useless. Information for arriving travellers was wrong, information on banking was misleading and unclear, the maps are unclear and poorly laid out and some of the sections (including that on food) seem to be written by people that don't really like Ethiopia that much. All in all pretty poor form from the Lonely Planet gang and it is not a guide book i would recommend to other travellers.

The shop owners have been a real mix between pushy and abusive to really friendly and eager to sit and talk with us. One such place is Yohannes Degefu Souvenier Shop on Churchill Road. Home to good quality Ethiopian handicrafts and two really nice guys. We visited them again yesterday and were immediately ushered in for a coffee. Relaxing with these men away from the heat of the day was lovely and we had a nice chat before we got down to serious souvenier buying business.

This done they asked us if we had tried 'chat' a local plant that Ethiopians chew. No, we warily answered (we had read something about the plant's supposed properties, we knew it was legal and particularly popular in the countries artistic community). A branch of a tree was handed over and so we obliged (not wanting to seem rude).

We soon learned that chewing chat is a pretty fun pastime. Like caffeine, it gives you a bit of a kick and leaves you feeling alert and sharp of mind. The two men thought that Faranjis chewing chat was pretty funny. The Faranjis were pretty amused by the whole experience too.

It's our last day in Addis today and we're really looking forward to the next week. We're taking on the historic route. Bahar Dar (near Blue Nile Falls), Gonder, Axum and Lalibella (home of monasteries, castles and rock hewn churches) should prove again to be fantastic experiences (not sure what net access will be like though, so stay tuned).

Till then it's farewell from the Faranjis with the sandle tan.