Time: June 11-12
Place: Addis Ababa Restaurant/Bar
“Africa is an open wound.” - Explorer/ Missionary- David Livingstone,- year 1875, in a speech before Cambridge College.
I plan on living forever - so far so good! But if the unthinkable should happen, if my plans go a-ray, if my worst nightmare should ever take place, then I wish to die in Africa.
There is something about these people that heals me, makes me whole, brings out the best in me. Put simply, black africans are the most human - human beings, that I have come to know. What they desperately lack in science, medicine, industry, economy and culture, is compensated for with humility, kindness, hospitality and good human character. These people endure more on any given day than most of us could ever handle. Yet they do so with laughter, smiles and first class attitude.
Imagine having to bath out of buckets of cold water every morning. Imagine not having screens on windows to keep the mosquitoes out at night. Imagine having intermittent electricity, or none at all. Imagine a good portion of your money just goes to soap so that you can have clean clothes. Imagine not having a vehicle of your own but having to rely on cramped buses that billow blue smoke, or always walking. Imagine scraping pennies together just so you have something to eat. Imagine not having access to clean water. Imagine not having any air conditioning. Imagine living in and around buildings so beat up that they look like a war zone, or worse still, living in one of the many sheet metal shacks. Imagine no access to quality dental and medical care. Imagine not being able to have the joy of going to school and graduating because from the age you can stand you have to take the cows out to graze in the wild every morning.
Imagine. Just Imagine. While you read these words this is going on all over Africa. Its going on right now, all around me. And this is why I love these people.
Ive often said: I would rather cry with the poor than laugh with the rich. Perhaps that is why I choose to travel to Africa instead of Vegas. Perhaps that is why I choose to eat with my right hand in a communal bowel with the locals rather than an all you can eat buffet on a Caribbean cruise.
I hope things change one day for these wonderful people. I really do. It wont happen in my lifetime. But if it comes, when it comes, I will finally be able to Rest In Peace a little deeper, because I cant think of any people who deserve it more.
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Behind the scenes:
While walking the streets of Addis I was welcomed over by a table of revellers. One had lived long term in Maryland and the others were educated civil engineers who had worked in Seattle and Boston. They poured me gin-tonics and we ate and laughed the night away at their expense.
The next night we got together again and I had more telephone numbers and offers of help and invitations than I could keep track of. THAT is real love, a commodity that is far too deficient in the West. (below)
The local brews are 60 cents each at bars. Not bad, but I still far prefer my wheat beers any day.
This man ,who’s name escapes me, is a retired colonel. He has taken part in over 500 battles and has taken 17 bullets during his career fighting the evil communist Derg and the neighbouring Eritreans.He has a slit shape scar on his head from a glancing bullet that was easily seen when we swapped baseball caps.
Northern Ethiopian women have straight hair and light skin and are often stunningly beautiful.
Amharic is a beautiful language to listen to. Still, I don't think Ill be brushing up on it any time soon.
The cross on the window shows that Ethiopia is basically a Christian nation and home to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. They believe that the original Ark of the Covenant is here in Ethiopia in Axum and there is strong evidence to believe that they aren't wrong. Well get back to that in a later blog when I head north and tour Axum.
Many restaurants have an attached butcher that will slice off a hunk of cow off for you with which the restaurant turns into your meal. 1 Kilo minimum however, thank you very much. My meat was so tough I knick named it “Karate-Kow” as it fought back with every bite.
