Animal markets in Addis Ababa
No Comments »29th September, 2012; Category: Africa, Animals, Ethiopia, Exotic Destinations, Holidays
Animal markets in the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
On our last evening during our stay in Addis Ababa late last year my wife and I went for a stroll through the local streets and marketplaces. It was interesting to see a way of life in complete contrast with what we are used to here in Australia. Of particular interest were the many animals for sale in the main street of the suburb where we were staying while visiting out daughter. The animals – cattle, goats and sheep – were very docile and despite not being yarded in any way were not at all spooked by the noisy car, truck and bus traffic a metre or so away, nor did the many pedestrians upset them either.
I must have looked like a very rich person because I was offered many animals as we walked along. I was not sure what the going price for a nice lamb would have been, so I politely declined to buy any. Besides, we were scheduled to fly out a few hours later; I didn’t want to try explaining a live goat or lamb under my arm as carry-on luggage.
Animal markets in the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Animal markets in the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Animal markets in the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
A horse and cart in Addis Ababa
Horse and cart in the streets of Addis Ababa
While out shopping in suburban Addis Ababa during our visit there last December I took this photo of a horse and cart trundling along in the streets. Now my readers may wonder why I did that; what’s unusual about a horse and cart.
In all the time we were in Ethiopia I can recall only seeing two horses even though we travelled in some of the rural areas. It is very common to see donkeys in the rural areas of course, but they are also very common in the city. On almost every drive through the city we saw a few donkeys. On some occasions we saw many donkeys – but only the one horse in the city and one other in the country.
Scenes of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
No Comments »20th April, 2012; Category: Africa, Animals, Ethiopia, Exotic Destinations, Holidays, Shopping
Street scene, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, along with most places in Ethiopia, is a bustling, crowded place with constant movement of people, animals and vehicles wherever you go. Sure, we did spend a little time in rural Ethiopia where the pace of life is far more sedate, but in the larger towns and certainly in the capital city, life is hectic and in your face most of the time.
Today I feature a few photos of street scenes taken while travelling around Addis Ababa. We hired a car with some friends to go shopping in various parts of the city. It is very challenging getting around and the constant movement of traffic is amazing, especially for one like myself who is used to a quiet rural environment in South Australia.
Street scene, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Street scene, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaStreet scene, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Travelling by car in Addis Ababa
Ring route in Addis Ababa
One of the interesting – and challenging – aspects of visiting a city like Addis Ababa in Ethiopia is travelling by car in the streets of the city. Because I was only staying for a few weeks last December I never applied for an international licence. Consequently I never had the opportunity to actually take the wheel of a car while there. I did, however, travel many times in cars with other drivers. Like most developing countries, driving in the traffic conditions in Addis Ababa is quite an experience.
In the photo above I have shown a part of the major ring route around the city. At the time this photo was taken the traffic was very light. All seems very organised and safe. All is not what it seems.
You will observe lanes marked on the road. This is not only misleading, it is totally inconsequential. Few drivers, if any, actually drive in the marked lanes. I quickly figured out that the markings were suggestions only; no-one actually drove within the lane markings. It is quite amazing that they don’t have far more serious accidents.
Cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles do not seem to be the major hazards when driving in Ethiopia. Two hazards stood out for me: pedestrians and donkeys – see the photo below. Pedestrians tend to use the road as a footpath. Not surprising – footpaths are so poorly maintained that no-one would want to walk on them. Or are they are totally non-existent.
And there seemed to be random donkeys crossing roads everywhere.
Donkey crossing the street in Addis Ababa
Animal market in the streets of Addis Ababa
Animal market in the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
One of the features of travelling around the city of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia is seeing animals everywhere. Donkeys are common beast of burden and drivers have to be especially wary of them. Cattle are found in various parts of the city and we passed several markets where they were for sale.
By far the most common animals would have to be sheep and goats. They all looked the same to me, but my daughter assures me, after talking to the locals while she was teaching there, that the tails of goats stick up and the tails of sheep hang down. I never had the opportunity to really put this to the definitive test. Had I shown more than a passing interest in the animals I would have found myself having to buy one. Not sure what I would have done with it had this occurred.
Animal market in the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia