Shopping in Addis Ababa
No Comments »26th September, 2012; Category: Africa, Ethiopia, Exotic Destinations, Holidays, Shopping
Street scene, Addis Ababa – fruit shop
Like many African and Asian cities, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia is an intriguing place to go shopping. While we didn’t do all that much shopping while visiting our daughter, we saw enough to be fascinated by the differences between Africa and Australia, but also interested in the similarities.
In today’s post I am featuring three kinds of shops: a fruit shop, a clothing shop and a shop selling just car oil (though it might have also been selling car parts; I didn’t go inside).
Street scene, Addis Ababa – clothing shop
Like in Australia, shop keepers often spill their wares out onto the footpath (though the footpath shown above is quite a rarity, being actually a reasonably smooth surface).
Street scene, Addis Ababa
Sabaha Silk Shop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
In the garden of Sabaha Silk Shop, Addis Ababa
On one of the days we had in Addis Ababa we went shopping with colleagues of our daughter. They drove us around to various places of interest around the city. One of those places was to the Sabaha Silk Shop in the suburbs. The shop was interesting enough and my wife and daughter found it great to pick up a few nice items. I was more interested in the gardens in which the shop was set.
The silk shop was a small building set near a private home with extensive private gardens surrounding both buildings. The gardens were quite beautiful and provided visitors with a quiet retreat from the hustle of this frenetic African city. I also enjoyed the birdlife in gardens and managed a few good photos (see me other site for details: Trevor’s Birding).
Sabaha Silk Shop, Addis Ababa
In the garden of Sabaha Silk Shop, Addis Ababa
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
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
Some views of the Sydney Fish Markets
Sydney Fish Markets
The Sydney Fish Markets was one of the interesting places we went during our holiday in Sydney last year. This is an amazing place to visit. Everywhere there are food outlets, from fast foods through to full restaurants. Everywhere people a bustling along shoulder to shoulder vying for position. Some of the more popular vendors are shown by the length of the lineup of people snaking from their premises. Everywhere is the smell of fresh fish – or cooking seafood. The noise when we were there was probably a little higher than normal as it was school holiday time and there were a lot of children around.
Sydney Fish Markets
Sydney Fish Markets