I've been working on a documentary that primarily features the descendent of a long line of Agamé region royalty, Bizunesh Atsbeha. Bizunesh Atsbeha (aka Mama Buzu) is also my grandma. Every visit I have with her is an interesting one. I hope to share some details and stories of interest to those who are curious about the Agamé region in particular and Ethiopia in general.
Adigrat's elevation and geographic surrounding make its climate AMAZING. There is blue sky and mid 20 celsius weather day after day after day. My Grandma says I'm very Canadian because I comment on how nice the weather is.
A beautiful new lodge called the Agoro Lodge has been built just outside of Adigrat. It is situated upon a hill and has beautiful views of the mountains and countryside around Adigrat. A modern semi arid escape. Beautiful slate stone countertops in the bathroom. Quilted 'gabi' bedding. Stone walls. The common room has floor to ceiling windows and a lovely, calming view. The sunsets are incredible. It's also nice that this very quiet oasis is just a few minutes outside of Adigrat. So you can venture into town to see some of the sights, have a coffee, shop at the market, and return to enjoy the peace and quiet of the lodge.
Bonus: The lodge is a non-profit social enterprise whose aim is to reinvest net profit in the community.
There is a beautiful new shopping centre in the eastern part of Adigrat that supports female entrepreneurs. It was built by a charity that offers business training to women in the Adigrat area. Top graduates from the program are offered a subsidized store place in the Green Park Mall shopping centre .
Buying tasty shiro at the Green Park Mall, a new shopping centre in Adigrat, Ethiopia.
You can find honey, crafts, an internet cafe, a general store, a tailor - many little stores at the Green Park Mall.
There are beautiful flowers and green grass on the grounds of the mall here that really make it feel like a little oasis.
The only thing that struck me as a little odd about this place is that everything is written in english and english only. While tourists and other foreigners may find this to be a bit of a relief. It may not seem particularly welcoming to all the community members who surround the space.
Arriving in Addis there was the same old feeling walking off the plane. The air full of spice, frankincense and eucalyptus. I have spent a couple of beautiful days in Addis Ababa. My aunt arrived in the city the evening of the same day of my arrival. We spent our days in Addis arranging itineraries and dropping off gifts from family and friends in North America. Our evenings were spent at restaurants with friends that my aunt and my dad have known since they went to school together.
There is some really delicious food in the city. Of course there is absolutely outstanding national food available all around Addis, but the international fare can be pretty great too. The key for finding good international food is asking for restaurant recommendations .
As Addis Ababa has increasingly become a transit centre for travellers (Bole airport has a great many regularly scheduled connecting flights) its popularity as a great place to have a bit of a longer stop over has also increased. As a matter of fact, even on this last flight I took from Toronto to Addis one fellow who was heading to Nigeria was lamenting the fact that he didn't have a long enough stop over in Addis to go eat somewhere in the city. Anyway, if ever occasioned to stop over, I highly recommend it!
I visited a restaurant called Giordana's Kitchen Restaurant for the first time and it really stood out for its high quality italian food. It is a fair ways away from the airport so it's maybe not ideal for a short stop over. But, wow! The food was beautifully balanced and every dish I tasted had complexity and depth. The restaurant is named after the chef. She also has a popular cooking TV show in Addis.
As lovely as Addis has been, I am greatly looking forward to heading to Adigrat to visit with my Grandma.
Addis Ababa is becoming a beautiful city. It is also 7,726 feet above sea level. Which means that climbing a couple flights of stairs or walking up a hill can leave you fairly winded!
It is really lovely to be back in the country. This is my seventh time visiting in the last 11 years. Each visit brings new discoveries.
