Saturday, April 12, 2008

Laaste dag in Addis Ababe

Addis Ababa

Die Hollandse overlanders, die pa- en dogterspan Peter en Tessa, het
ook in Addis aangekom. Ons het mekaar laas net voor die begin van die
harde roete deur Noord-Kenia gesien.

Wildvreemdes word soos familie hier in die vreemde.

Hulle was ook reeds by die Soedanese ambassade. Daar is ons hoop van
mekaar nog gereeld op pad te sien, verpletter. Die ambassade verlang
van hulle 'n klomp ekstra dokumentasie wat ek glad nie eers nodig
gehad het nie. Daar is vir hulle gesê dit kan tot drie weke duur vir
hul visum.

Dis weer eens 'n bewys van die onkonsekwentheid wat dikwels met
visumtoekennings gepaard gaan, ook by Europese ambassades.

Ek begin Sondag weer te ry.

Ons het Addis Vrydag te voet gaan verken. Dis die enigste manier om
die gevoel van 'n stad te kry. Wat my gevoel is? Ek voel vuil na ek
deur die strate is. Stof en dieselwolke en die reuk van urine en
bedelaars en skuilings op die sypaadjies waar mense slaap. Om ook
regverdig te wees, in die beter gedeeltes hang die reuk van hul koffie
net so verleidelik in die lug as by enige koffiewinkel in Suid-Afrika.

'n Mens moet so versigtig wees om 'n land en sy mense nie na 'n
stadbeeld te tipeer nie. My ervaring van die deursnit Ethiopiër is die
van 'n gasvrye, pragtige mens. Sy omgewing en stad, is maar net die
gedwonge agtergrond vir sy menswees.

Ons het in Addis gestap soos ek dit nog nooit in Johannesburg kon doen nie.

Ons het gisteraand heerlik gaan uiteet. Vir 5 mense was die totale
rekening vir die hele aand ongeveer R 170.00. Dis net in Ethiopië waar
ek nog onder my begroting kon bly.

Vandag gaan ons die grootste mark in Afrika besoek, so sê die
gidsboeke van die mark hier. More is dit dan tyd om die reuk van die
stad te verruil vir die reuk van die onbekende.

Groete!


Addis Ababa

The Dutch overlanders, father and daughter Peter and Tessa, also
arrived in Addis. We saw each other the last time just before the
beginning of the hard route through Northern Kenya.

Strangers become like relatives on the long trek across Africa.

They already submitted their visa application for Sudan. Our hopes of
seeing each other again somewhere along the route were smashed by the
Sudanese Embassy. Peter and Tessa had to submit documents that they
hadn?t asked from me, and they were told their application could take
up to three weeks to finalise.

It is once again proof of how inconsistent embassies, also European
embassies, handle visa applications.

I?ll start riding again on Sunday.

On Friday we tried to get the feel of Addis on foot. It is the only
way to get beneath the surface. What did we discover? Very
contradicting experiences. I felt dirty having walked the streets of
the city. It was dirt and dust and diesel fumes and the smell of urine
and shelters that people called home on the pavements. One has to be
fair, however. In the better parts of the city the smell of coffee was
as inviting as at any good coffee shop in South Africa.

One has to be careful not to use a city experience and brand the
people of a country according to that. I experienced the Ethiopian
people as very friendly and hospitable. It would be unfair to say
Addis Ababa is Ethiopia.

We walked the streets of Addis Ababa, feeling more secure than perhaps
in Johannesburg.

We all had dinner together last night. The total account for 5 people
was about R 170.00. It was only in Ethiopia where I haven?t exceeded
my budget.

Today we are going to visit a market here, according to many travel
guides the biggest market in Africa. And then, tomorrow, I will
exchange the feeling of the city for the lure of the unknown road
ahead of me.

Regards from A A!

No comments: