Zanzibar Sea Cliff

After Ethiopia we escaped to the small Tanzanian island of Zanzibar. We wanted to visit ever since our trip to Mombassa, Kenya. The white sands and blue water is the perfect backdrop for Omani architecture. I can't get enough.

Our flight to Zanzibar was delightful as we were the only passengers on the Ethiopian aircraft. There were more crew than passengers. It was our own private jet. The plane was tiny and it was a little unnerving feeling the turbulence knowing that the airline wouldn't feel much of a loss if the plane went down.

When we arrived on the tarmac of Zanzibar there wasn't a soul to be found. It took us about 15 minutes to search out the immigration officer. He finally showed up and hit us with a $200 USD visa fee. The high price was special for Americans. I wished I had brought my Canadian passport for at least a 50% discount. Dual citizenship has its perks.

Our resort was my favorite. We had a seaside view and full board. The setting was just as I had hoped.

It was even more dreamy than it seems in these photos, if that is even possible. Zan-zi-bar is a must see....

Ethiopian Shopping and Food

Shopping in Ethiopia is limited, but what you can get is bright, beautiful and versatile. The scarves and cotton in Ethiopia are unique and bold, which makes it irresistible to pass up. One is never enough.

Did you know that the Rasatari Movement all began in Ethiopia? The Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I, was considered a reincarnation of Jesus. As a result, there was a movement that took place in Jamaica to support this belief. In addition to this, if you are a true follower of Rasta, you smoke weed. This is considered a sacrament for the soul. How many teenagers would quickly convert on that principle alone?

My handsome man amongst all the overpriced African junk a tourist could want.

If the trip didn't go as well as planed, I could have come home in a fancy casket. Luckily, all was well and I have a photo to share with the mortuary when my day finally comes.

The spoils of our trip modeled by my sweet children. They made quite the entrance to church this Friday. I believe Sedona wore her dress for at least 4 days straight.

FOOD

Ethiopian food is incredibly unique. I honestly can't think of a similar food out there. It has such a distinct, different taste that it is hard to liken it to any other culture. Injera is served every day, all day long. It is a flatbread that is spongy and sour. It has a vinegary acidic flavor, which is definitely an acquired taste. The Ethiopian people are true to their food and don't deviate much from that. I don't think you can buy another type of food in all of Ethiopia. It is injera on the bottom, injera on the side, topped off with a little more injera.

I was skeptical at first about the food. It may have been that it was served with a raw meat dish that is typically eaten with the injera. It didn't do much for me, but Axel was sold. The 'wat' (stew) that you eat with it was delicious though. I grew to like all of it. The whole meal came with a nasty orange drink that tasted twice as bad as any horrible tasting cough syrup that you have ever choked down. Rarely do I spit anything out, but that drink was just not my friend. I later found out it was because it was basically highly concentrated alcohol. Glad to know my taste buds are still working.

Ethiopia is also well known for its coffee. From what I understand, it is one of the best producers of coffee in the world. This was evident with all the peudo-Starbucks shops throughout Addis. Even the inside of the coffee shop was trying very hard to convince you that it could just try to take over the Seattle giant. Maybe.

Our favorite night in Addis was at a cultural center where they served you injera with all sorts of different shades of poop dishes. Poop looking or not, it was delicious. There was also plenty of African cultural dancing to keep you from remembering that the beef was not cooked and there are still starving people in Africa.

Sitting with a few less dollars in our pocket, a bag full of clothes and scarves, and a full belly. Two very happy tourist!

Ethiopian Eucalyptus

While on Entoto mountain we explored the beautiful eucalyptus forest. The green was the most vibrant I have ever seen. I felt like I was in a J.J.R Tolkien book. There were no fairies to be found, but I am not ruling out that we may have squished a few on our way down.

The strange thing about this forest was that there were no birds to be seen. Apparently, the potency of the eucalyptus is unfavorable to fowl and they avoid even going remotely near the area. The blasting Doha summers have the same effect, just less pretty.

Haile and Axel

We were led to a 'cave' while following two young boys throughout the forest. The cave itself was quite unremarkable, but the boys' excitement to share their finding was worth the trip. Apparently, this is a old soldier's fort, mud throne and all.

I was tempted to take some leaves back with me just to brew up my own decongestant. Then I realized spending $1.50 on Tiger Balm in almost any country around the world would be as equally as effective. Also less messy....and less questionable when going through customs in Doha.

Entoto Mountain

My friend, Wakanyi, who I met in Nepal, used to live in Ethiopia. She moved just one month before we arrived. I was so sad that we didn't get to see her, but she was so incredibly kind to make a schedule for us while we were visiting Addis Ababa. We even got to hire her old driver. He knew all the special spots and took us straight there.

One of those special spots was Entoto Mountain. The mountain is the highest peak in the Addis Ababa region. It is about 3, 200 meters above sea level. The drive is absolutely beautiful (if you can avoid, the tree branches, cows, sheep, and children) and the greenery was gorgeous.

At the top of the mountain you will find several churches and monasteries. It is believed that the Arc of the Covenant makes its way to one of the churches every year. One of the Ethiopian pastors on June 25, 2009 told the world that he would unveil the Arc of the Covenant the following day. However, on June 26, 2009 he said he decided not to and that his testimony of the existence of the Arc should be enough. I guess that is enough for me, why wouldn't I believe?

It is commonly known that the Arc of the Covenant was housed in Axim, which is in the north of Ethiopia. We were very tempted to make our way up to Axim, but sadly, for the sake of time, we had to shave off that expedition. Yet another reason to visit again. Next time we will explore with Harrison Ford, and if Shia LaBeouf works on his acting skills and becomes less annoying he can tag along as well.

Me and Haile, our trusted driver and friend

The old king's palace is also located at the top of the Entoto Mountain. It is humble, to say the least, but has classic style. Oh, how I wish I could renovate.

This colorful house was actually where they kept the king's wife's body after she died. She is no longer there, but man, if you can get over the stench, what a great place to take a photo.

Our visit was blissful and the scenery was gorgeous. It was worth the climb and the best part is yet to come: the eucalyptus forest.