Cottage industries in Addis Ababa
Clothing repairs and manufacturing in the streets of Addis Ababa
On the final evening of our stay in Addis Ababa we went for walk in a nearby street. This was a typical suburban street with active markets on the footpaths and many shops open with their wares spilling out onto the footpath.
I actually use the term “footpath” loosely; there was no real path, or smooth walking surface. I am referring only to the space between the shop frontages and the road. Because these “footpaths” were often rocky, uneven, rutted, muddy and unsuitable for easy walking, so most people walked on the road. The constant hooting of car and truck horns resulted from waves of pedestrians clogging up the road’s surface.
One of businesses which intrigued my wife is shown in the above photo. It shows a man sewing on an old treadle sewing machine. On an earlier trip in Nepal I saw this activity in many places.
Another cottage industry we saw in a number of areas of Addis Ababa was furniture making, shown in the photo below.
Street scene, Addis Ababa – furniture making
Ethnological Museum, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
No Comments »16th July, 2012; Category: Africa, Art Galleries, Ethiopia, Historic places, Holidays, Museums
Ethnological Museum, Addis Ababa
On our return from visiting Entoto Natural Park near Addis Ababa we directed our driver to find an art gallery we wanted to visit. With a little difficulty we found the building in a back street, only to find that it had closed some time ago. Our driver suggested a good alternative – the Ethnological Museum.
The above photo shows part of the entrance into the museum, but after that point I was not allowed to take any photos. We found that that museum was a fascinating place to visit and were sorry we only had about an hour to spend there. A whole day visit would be advisable to anyone wishing to see this great display of cultural and artistic aspects of Ethiopia. If that is not possible, even a two or three hours would be recommended.
An very interesting part of the display is the section dedicated to Emperor Hailie Selassi. He used the building as his palace during the time he led the country. I think it is quite fitting to have this building dedicated to his important place in Ethiopian history. Our elderly guide was once a personal servant of the emperor himself.
Addis Ababa University
The old palace and museum is situated in the midst of the Addis Ababa University. While we didn’t explore the grounds of the university, I did take the photos shown below while we were there.
Grounds of the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Grounds of the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Grounds of the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Kiddus Raguel Church, Mount Entoto, Addis Abba, Ethiopia
Kiddus Raguel Church, Mount Entoto, Addis Ababa
During our visit last December to Ethiopia, we employed a driver for the day who took us to Entoto Natural Park, at 3200 metres it’s the highest point near the capital Addis Ababa. On this drive we were taken past the Kiddus Raguel Church near the top of the mountain. It seemed not to be open for visitors so I have no close up photos. There doesn’t seem to be much information online about this church, only that there is a very old rock-hewn church near the newer building shown in the photo above.
As we left this spot we had fine panoramic views across the nearby farming land near the Entoto Natural Park, shown in the photo below.
Near Mount Entoto, Addis Ababa
The CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
During our short holiday in Ethiopia last December we didn’t go shopping in the CBD of Addis Ababa but we did drive through it several times. Consequently I only have a few photos to share and no comments to make about whether it’s worth visiting this part of the city – or not.
CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
CBD of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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