ethiopia

I just spent 12 days in 1999. No, I’m not time traveling now, or having delusional episodes – but it’s still 1999 in Ethiopia, according to their national calendar, the result of a centuries old squabble with the Catholic church. So, I just arrived home to Baltimore from almost two weeks spent amid the throes of preparation for another new millennium, which dawns on September 12th. Aside from some minor chronological confusion, it was my favorite kind of work trip (unlike the last one, which was all meetings) – this was solely documentation, with me, a film crew, and colleagues who quickly became new friends – traipsing around the countryside recording the successful story of malaria prevention efforts there.

From uber remote villages to the bustling cosmopolitan streets of the capital, Addis Ababa, we maximized our time, at one point covering more than 1500 kilometers in less than six days! The drive could only be compared to mine and Jennifer’s infamous India bus journey with its wicked, slightly-terrifying twists and turns. But the scenery alone was well worth the fanny fatigue of marathon car rides, not to mention how successful the work aspect was. Ethiopia is, bar none, one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever been to. The northern region (where we spent most of our travel time) is saturated with massive, spectacular mountains, vibrant green fields, and an immense variety of huts and houses scattered across endless vistas.

It was rainy season in most of the country, so it was pretty wet and surprisingly cold – averaging in the upper 60’s, but the altitude of most of the country keeps it temperate year-around. The people were friendly, charming and strikingly attractive. However, their bizarre tendency to *gasp* (seriously) instead of saying “yes” or “umm” or nodding their head was a bit disconcerting until I got used to it. We also ran across fluent English speakers constantly, even in tiny towns. Also, not once did I see a piece of garbage on the ground. To me, though, it was indicative of Ethiopians’ pride and patriotism, feelings that were well understood after just a short time there.

Ethiopia boasts one of the world’s oldest civilizations and is said to be home to the infamous Queen of Sheba, whose son with the biblical King Solomon is believed to have stolen the Ark of the Covenant and brought it back to his home in northern Ethiopia. We visited the dilapidated church in the ancient city of Aksum that supposedly houses this mysterious piece of history, only to find that it was viewable only by chosen priests once a year. Women couldn’t even enter the sanctuary where it resides, encased by heavy curtains in a design much like the Old Testament “Holy of Holies.” The male members of our team scoped it out and left uncertain… Obviously, it’s a job for Indian Jones himself.

With a biblically entwined history like this, modern Ethiopians are mostly Ethiopian Orthodox – a overtly-devoted type of Christianity that compares to ones practiced in parts of northern Africa and the Middle East. Cathedrals with bulb-type domes popped up on even the most remote hillsides, as did barefoot kids wearing more cross necklaces than Madonna in the 80’s. Ancient rock-hewn churches carved into towering mountainsides also remain as revered pilgrimage sites for Ethiopians and evidence of centuries of persevering faith. The iconography of these places of worship is uniquely Ethiopian – generations of artists have etched wide-eyed, almost cartoonish, biblical figures in an endless variety of scenes. I even came home with my own Ethiopian depiction of the Last Supper. Suffice it to say, Jesus is not a white dude. It’s a very favorite souvenir, along with my traditional coffee pot…

Which brings me to (what is to me at least) another impressive Ethiopian historical claim – it is the birthplace of coffee. Whether it’s true or not is still up for debate, but the country fosters its validity by serving up a java masterpiece at even the most inconspicuous stop. You won’t find Nescafe instant stuff here, only clay pots or industrial sized espresso machines, with no in-between. The impeccable taste likely comes from the beans themselves, which are grown widely on small, humble farms, cultivated solely by hand. In one of the extremely remote villages that we visited (a 15 minute hike down a mud path, after a 10 minute walk up a narrow dirt road, following a 45 minute drive along a deserted gravel road), we were invited to a traditional coffee ceremony by the community matriarch, known to everyone (including us) as “Mama.”

Mama wouldn’t take “no” for an answer and ushered our gaggle of ferengi (“foreigners” in Amharic, the language of Ethiopia) into her thatch-roofed hut. While we had been at her neighbor’s house seeing a brand new baby sleeping under bed net, Mama had already prepared a virtual Ethiopian banquet for us – coffee, fresh baked enjira (their staple food, much like an enormous pancake), and popcorn (half-popped, salted kernels actually, so very delicious). We’d eaten so much at lunch just before our trek, though, that I just couldn’t force myself to eat the mound of enjira that Mama had graciously served me, which was equivalent probably to five or six slices of bread. So, I nibbled on it slowly, pondering my dilemma. I didn't want to appear rude or ungrateful, or make another cultural faux pas (I’d made several already at this point in the trip, mainly by asking for coffee “too early” during a meal), so I waited until our group was laughing at someone else’s faux pas going on across the room then I quickly folded up the slab of pancake and stuffed it in my pocket. Thankfully, my Marmott rain jacket has many fantastic features, including very big pockets.

Though I could ramble on for hours with anecdotes of our misadventures, people’s kindness, and adorable children (or “pantless wonders” as we began to call them after seeing so many who’d forgotten their lower apparel), I will sign off for now since I actually have to write the entire experience up for work as well. I will try to have a link up to photos from the trip soon, so the images can speak for themselves… In the meantime, here’s Mama’s lovely coffee ceremony set up, and a few more to give you a glimpse into life in 1999.