Street scenes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Street vendor, Addis Ababa
By way of contrast with the photos I posted yesterday, today I have shown some scenes of the shops and buildings of some of the ordinary people living in the bustling city of Addis Ababa. There are thousands of street vendors like the one shown above, selling everything from fruit and vegetables to clothing to shoes to whatever you want.
Shops in suburban Addis Ababa
Many of the shops are tiny – perhaps only a few square metres in the front room of a house. Bakeries, butcher shops, furniture shops, car repair garages, cafes, clothing shops, sheep and goats for sale, shoe shops – the list could go on and on. In any one street you can find thousands of different items for sale. It’s all very colourful and diverse with pedestrians moving along the street – or on the road – all the time.
One interesting thing we observed in moving through the streets and looking into shops; they are generally very clean. The street may be rough with potholes, drains, animal excrement and the like, but most shopkeepers take a pride in their shops and the wares they are selling. Even in the poorest areas they attempt to give good service and a good product.
Shops in suburban Addis Ababa
Shops in suburban Addis Ababa
Shops in suburban Addis Ababa
20 things to do while waiting at an airport
No Comments »4th August, 2011; Category: Exotic Destinations
I would imagine that most travellers accept that there will be waiting times involved in flying to your destination. While this is true of domestic travel, it seems to be a rule that the further you fly, the more time is wasted in airports waiting for connecting flights. I haven’t travelled all that much internationally yet – something I am currently planning to change in a few months time. The few times I have travelled, along with the experiences of close family members, indicate that this is something all air travellers have to endure.
It was with a certain amount of interest then that I read a recent post on my daughter’s site. She has listed an amusingly helpful list of 20 things to do at the airport. Only a few days ago we farewelled her at our local international airport in Adelaide. She is now in Ethiopia for a semester of teaching. On her site she will regularly write about her experiences.
Links:
- 20 things to do at an airport
- Rose’s Travel Jottings – my daughter’s travel experiences in Europe and Ethiopia
- My travels in Nepal
- My travels in Thailand
Australian travel advice
Travel around the world has become hazardous in recent years.
I thought about that sentence for a few minutes. I guess travel anywhere has been hazardous in many different eras, and nothing has really changed, except perhaps the types and nature of the threats. In 2005-06 when I travelled to Thailand I thought very little about any hazards and I had a great time. I would think twice about going there at the moment with their political problems. (Read about my experiences here.)
from Thailand I went to Nepal for a month. This was a life changing experience, but the Maoists were very active at the time. On one occasion I was confined to my hotel for 24 hours because of bombings a short distance away from my hotel in Kathmandu. It was risky but I survived. Every tourist needs to sum up the relevant risk factors relating to their travel destination and make a call. In reality, there is probably more risk in driving to my local supermarket for shopping than the risks involved in travel to most overseas countries. Far more people die in car accidents than plane crashes, for example.
I recently had my attention drawn to an Australian site which gives Australians advice when planning an overseas holiday. Aussie Travel Advice is an independent travel site especially set up to help Australians. Go and have a look here.
Ama Dablam, Nepal, 2006
Exotic Destinations: Incredible India
No Comments »13th March, 2007; Category: Exotic Destinations
When I travelled to Nepal in 2006 I had originally planned to spend a few weeks in India as well. My plans changed and I didn’t get there – but at Chitwan National Park I came quite close. I hope that one day I shall get to incredible India.
Over recent weeks the local television stations here in South Australia have been running a series of advertisements from the Ministry of Tourism and promoting Incredible India, their official tourism web site. The web site is actually very good.
It covers pages that will help you to get to know India, its people and cultures, its geography and history and its festivals and fairs. Other sections include a Help Desk and a facility to read the information in different languages. There is also a Holiday Ideas section and a Search button.
Links:
- Incredible India – official Ministry of Tourism web site.
- India Ink – a blog about travelling in India and other countries.
Exotic Destinations: Provence, France
4 Comments »12th March, 2007; Category: Exotic Destinations
Every year I eagerly look forward to watching the Tour de France. We now can enjoy full television coverage here in Australia. I enjoy watching the cyclists as they wend their way through the French countryside. I admire their stamina, strength and tenacity. The tour would have to be the toughest sporting event anywhere, with the possible exception of the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska.
For me, however, the cycling is secondary. I mainly watch the race to see the magnificent French countryside and their wonderful architecture. I can sit there for hours watching the scenery on television. The outcome of the race unfolding being of much lesser importance to me.
I would love to explore the countryside in France. There seems to be so many beautiful places to discover and enjoy. I would particularly like to go hiking through parts of the country so I could get a personal appreciation of both the people and the environment.
One region that would be high on my list of places to see would be Provence. There are many blogs covering this region of France but I wish to mention just one: chez mistral. This charming blog has a focus on the food, wines, places to stay and things to see in the Provence region.
Perhaps one day I will live out my dream.