Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Op pad na Addis

Addis Ababa

Die naam Addis Ababa en Organisasie vir Afrika Eenheid (OAE) is sedert
my kinderjare in my verstand ingebrand. Baie nuusberigte het dikwels
donkerwolknuus uit Addis vir wit Suid-Afrika gebring.

Daardie dae is gelukkig verby. Vanmiddag laat het ek met my KLR
letterlik die poorte van die ou OAE ingery.

Gister was 'n rus- en wasdag in Awassa aan die oewer van die meer met
dieselfde naam. Awassa kon nie op my groei nie. Ons was soos twee
mense in 'n huwelik wat mekaar moes verdra omdat dit nie anders kon
nie. Ek het vanoggend met 'n ligte hart vertrek.

Awassa was vir my die onsigbare grens tussen suid en sentraal
Ethiopië. Die pad direk noord van Awassa was baie beter as in die
suide. Die dorpies waardeur ons vandag gery het, het nie die
neerdrukkende armoede van die suide vertoon nie. Die baie gewapende
mans wat in die suide met AK's rondgeloop het, sou noord van Awassa
uit plek gewees het.

Met die etniese suiwering wat in Ruanda plaasgevind het, was daar een
keer 'n foto van 'n maraboe-ooievaar wat aan 'n lyk op straat gevreet
het. Sedertdien gril ek vir die voëls, onregverdig. In Awassa was ook
baie maraboe-ooievars …

Die indrukke van Awassa was nie net negatief nie. Gisteraand het ons
saam met 'n Ethiopiese gesin geëet. Pa Zekarias Eshetu, ma Ferehey, en
dogters Meseket en Tenbit was 'n toonbeeld van gesinseenheid en
–liefde. Tydens die ete het die pa dikwels die ma, en die ma die
dogters met 'n stukkie kos uit hul borde "gevoer", in Ethopië 'n
uitdrukking van liefde. Na die ete is dit ook nie die gebruik om te
bly sit en kuier nie. Sodra die gasheer na ete opstaan, is die kuier
verby en moet die gaste vertrek.

Dit behoort nou reëntyd in Ethiopië te wees. Baie dele vandag was
droog, bitter droog. Tonele van die groot droogte en hongersnood van
die 80's het deur my gedagtes geflits.

Dit is in ons gene om te braai, rugby te kyk en swartgallig oor die
toekoms te wees. Dit is in die Afrikabestuurder se gene om sy voertuig
te jaag as hy passasiers vervoer. Ek het nog nie 'n stadige bus of
taxi gesien nie. My Duitse vriende se Ethiopiese vriend het hulle na
Addis teruggebring. Hy was verslaaf aan sperstrepe oorsteek as hy 'n
ander voertuig verbygaan, of in die kleinste gapings in te jaag as 'n
gaping oopgaan. My aartappel was baie suur toe ek na baie swets in my
helm agter hom in Addis gestop het.

Die enigste stadige ding in Ethiopië is die internet. Baie stadig. So
stadig dat geen blog oopgemaak kan word nie.

More, Woensdag, moet ek begin met my visumaansoek vir Soedan. Mag dit
soos 'n Afrikabus wees: V I N N I G.

Groete uit A A!

Addis Ababa

The names Addis Ababa and the old Organisation for (or was it 'of')
Africa Unity (OAU) were burnt into my childhood memory. How often did
we have to listen to news reports coming from the OAU in Addis Ababa,
bringing further bad news for old South Africa.

Fortunately those days belong to the past. As a result I could ride on
my KLR through the gates of the old OAU into Addis this afternoon.

Yesterday was a rest and washing day in Awassa. The city lies on the
shore of the lake with the same name. I couldn't find any reasons to
get attached to the city. We were like two people in a loveless
marriage that had to live with each other because there was no way out
of it. This morning I left with a light heart.

Awassa was like an invisible line between south and central Ethiopia.
The road going north from Awassa was much better than the road in the
south. The towns to the north of Awassa were nearly European while in
the south poverty left its ugly mark. The many men in the south,
carrying AK 47's, would have been out of place north of Awassa.

During the ethnical cleansing in Ruanda there was once a photograph in
a newspaper of a marabou stork feeding on a corpse. Since those days I
had a dislike, unfairly, I agree, in marabou storks. In Awassa there
were many marabou storks, circling above the city or sitting on the
branches of trees. . .

However, all impressions were not negative. Last night we had dinner
with an Ethiopian family. The father Zekarias Eshetu, mother Ferehey,
and daughters Meseket and Tenbit were excellent examples of four
people living together as a loving, caring family unit. During dinner
the father fed the mother with something from his plate, and the
mother the daughters from her plate. In Ethiopia to feed your family
members by hand is an expression of love. It is also customary that
after a meal, when the host gets up, the visit is over and the guests
have to go home.

It is supposed to be rainy season in Ethiopia now. I rode through many
areas that were bitterly dry. Scenes of the big famine of the 80's
flashed through my mind.

It is in our genes to braai, to enjoy rugby and be pessimistic about
the future. It is in the genes of drivers of taxis and busses in
Africa to race their vehicles recklessly. I haven't seen any busses of
taxis sticking to the speed limit yet. The acquaintance of my German
friends was a classical example. Overtaking when it wasn't allowed or
diving into the smallest space possible with his vehicle had me
swearing in my helmet.

The only thing in Ethiopia that is slow is the internet. Very slow. So
slow that one cannot open any blog.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I'll start with my visa application for the
Sudan. May it be like an African bus: F A S T !

Regards from A A!

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