Despite being tired from the long plane journey, on the weekend, Katie and I were keen to explore the city of Addis Ababa. After getting our first taste of Ethiopian coffee at our hostel (it’s very strong!), we trekked to the National Museum of Ethiopia, which famously houses ‘Lucy’, the 3.2 million year old skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis. Having suitably satisfied my nerdiness, we ate lunch at a nearby cafe called Lucy. Ethiopia was invaded by the Italians from 1935-41, so it’s unsurprising that every second restaurant has pizza or pasta on the menu, in addition to traditional Ethiopian food.
On Sunday, we visited the Red Terror Museum, which catalogues a period in Ethiopia’s history, from 1974-78, in which the fascist Dergue revolutionary group overthrew the then emperor Haile Selaisse. The museum serves as a tribute to the victims of this era, and contains much beautiful artwork depicting the time. A visit to Holy Trinity Church was next in order, which is one of the grander Orthodox Christian churches in Addis Ababa. A trip to Ethiopia is not complete without tasting the traditional cuisine, which is Injera bread covered with an array of dishes. To eat it, you simply tear off a piece of the bread with your right hand and use it to scoop up the foods that lie atop it, which can be anything from Shiro (a chickpea powder-based sauce) to spiced lentils to meat dishes.
Coffee is a huge part of Ethiopian culture – I swear Katie and I have been drinking about four a day since we got here! I’m looking forward to visiting a proper Ethiopian coffee shop before we leave and buying lots of beans to take home.
