I am laying over in Addis Ababa
the capital of Ethiopia
to see the grandmother to all humanity Lucy
the highest ranking orthodox Cathedral of Holy Trinity
tasting the authentic local Ethiopian coffee
and ending the day with bargaining shopping at the Africa’s largest open market
All under 12 hours and all done for $75 or less
anything I can do, you can do!
Addis Ababa means natural springs and is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia
It has a population of 3.4 million with a diverse economy
In comparison to the other cities in the region, it is considered to be extremely safe
The city is home to the headquarters of the African Union
and the UN Economic Commission for Africa,
the Addis Ababa University,
and many other important Ethiopian landmarks
So, let’s began by getting out of the airport by getting a transit VISA
it is required for all nationality with exception of Kenyan and Djibouti
As of 2017, if you flying with Ethiopian Airlines for both the inbound and outbound segment
the $25 24 hours VISA fee be waived and a transit hotel and shuttle will be provided to you at no extra cost
But for those of us not traveling on Ethiopian Airlines
taxi is available right outside the gate
They are not metered, so negotiate and negotiate hard
I was able to get full day driver for $20 plus $5 tips
By the way, make sure only pay after driver return you back to the airport
So, one of the first places we'll go and see is the Holy Trinity Church
Our first stop is Holy Trinity Cathedral
the highest ranking Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo cathedral in Addis Ababa
It was built to commemorate Ethiopia's liberation from Italian occupation
and is the second most important place of worship in the country
It’s also the burial place for the Imperial Family and those who fought against the Italian Occupation
or those who accompanied the Emperor into exile
As a result of the resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon in 451
Ethiopia was one of the first in the world to officially adopt Christianity as the state religion
But regardless whether you are religious, we can all agreed these message in the Ten Commandments
Like...
you respect your father
respect your mother
Like...
and then we don't be selfish
and don't be thief
Oh the way to our next destination, I passed by one of the city’s important landmark
The Yekatit 12 Monument
It is a date in the Ethiopian calendar, equivalent to February 19 in the Gregorian calendar
referring to the indiscriminate massacre and imprisonment of Ethiopians by the Italian occupation forces
Located 2.5 km away from the Cathedral is home to the Ethnological Museum inside the Addis Ababa University
However, the camera are not allowed inside
Set within the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie, and surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains
The is easily one of the finest museums in Africa
Sometimes filming around the globe pose a language barrier especially when you are working with different crews
But I always count on the local hospitality and also opportunity to meet some new friends
This is where I met a university student Kassahun who want to tell me about his future dreams for his country
prospectus nation
peace!
and peaceful country
a democratic country
Our next stop is only ten minutes by foot
Although, unknown to most
the Ethiopian National Museum is a world-class museum
Truly a hidden gem!
On display collections offers artifacts span thousands of years
including some from its earliest days of Ethiopian civilization
as it is one of the oldest in the world
at this museum, you can also find out
the artifacts such as potteries and jewelries and customs that belongs to the people of Ethiopia
it's actually pretty fantastic if you have time to explore this
But the most famous and precious exhibit is a fossilized partial skeletal remains of early female hominids
One of the major attractions here at the National Museum of Ethiopia is Lucy
She is 3.2 million year old
and consider the grandmother of all humanities
well, its time to pay our grandmother a visit
and she is right in the back
Next, we pass by the Menelik II Square on the way to a symbolic coffee house
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee
and I am not leaving without sampling the authentic morning Joe
The perfect place to visit is Tomoca Coffee
This family owned coffee house is symbolic and most famous for being the first coffee company based in Ethiopia
its one of the oldest coffee shop in Addis Ababa
as you can see in the back
all the coffee they sale comes from Ethiopia and from different regions
In fact, some of the coffee you enjoy at the Starbucks or other international chains probably come from here
I am going to put the sugar inside
and you'll stirred it
Wow! That is delicious!
it's really bitter
so...
you can tell the coffee bean is really, really fresh
and so...
Actually you know what?
I can just taste it by itself
fantastic!!!
good job!
I think she likes me!
Our final destination is about 5 minutes drive from the coffee house
The name Addis Mercato means New Market in the Ethiopian language Amharic
It’s the largest open air market in Africa
there is no market at night
What time do they close down here?
Almost 7 pm
Oh okay!
cultural jewelries
they are all beautiful in the open display here
because in Ethiopia is a very peaceful country
because no one can robbed with great security here
The market covers several square miles and employing an estimated 13,000 people in 7,100 businesses
The primary merchandise passing through the Merkato is locally-grown agricultural products
most notably coffee
I really encourage everyone to support the local economy
but the same old rule apply…
bargain and bargain hard
He tells me the first price
I tell him a lower price
then he tell me again the same exact price that he sells
then I return back after I think about it
So after picking up my coffee beans and some souvenirs at a bargain
it’s time to head back to airport
With that being said… I hope you all have amazing time in Addis Ababa!
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Thanks for watching and having a pleasant flight!