Even though being referred to as “The Horn of Africa”, few of the African custom carries over once you cross the border from the South to Ethiopia. As one Ethiopian even said, and I quote: “This is not Africa brother, this here is Ethiopia.”
We soon realized that this was going to be a whole new experience, with the vast difference in scenery, people and nearly everything else we came upon.
Very much sleep deprived, very stiff and sore left us both a bit irritable and we chose to spend our first night in the Yabelo Motel. Initially we gasped at the tourist rates, but the fantastic beds and good food somewhat made up for it. A three hour drive from the Moyale border, Yabelo would be your first stop if you aren’t up for pushing further towards Dila or Awasa.
To our dismay, we had to rise early to catch the 6am bus from Yabelo to Dila, and from there a mini bus towards Awasa. This journey seemed like a pleasant dream compared to the previous one, and we caught a few winks in between stops.
On arrival we sorted out finances at the Dashen Bank, and checked into the Beshu Hotel, a fairly good priced option with a comfortable room and location right across from the bus station.
Complete recovery from our last journey only kicked in once we got settled in Awasa, and then only were we able to start enjoying some of the unique qualities this country has to offer.
Getting accustomed with aspects such as them not making use of cutlery, and only using your right hand when eating seemed awkward at first, but as we got the hang of it, we couldn’t see any other way than to enjoy traditional food the traditional way!
Their referral to time is mind boggling as well. Our 12 o’clock is their 6 o’clock; our one o’clock is their 7 o’clock, and so on and so on. One always has to make sure whether they refer to schedules in their time or “foreigner” time. They have absolutely fantastic coffee to be found everywhere, from roadside stalls to restaurants, prepared fresh, strong and from scratch with ground coffee beans. Juice seems like an art form, sometimes served with a spoon because it is too thick to slurp through a straw. From avocado to banana and honey juice, or a colourful combination of all the juices on the menu, it is pure, not sweetened with extra sugar or diluted in any way.
We stayed in Awasa for one day, walking from one end to the other, enjoying Macchiato at the lakeside and ending off with a tummy filling dinner of lamb tibs and injera (staple food).
And after a pleasant nights rest, it was off to Addis Ababa, a long awaited destination which we both anticipated would turn out to be a worthwhile one!
Cheers!
Accommodation Rates:
Yabelo Motel: 200 Birr per self contained room per night.
Beshu Hotel in Awasa: 80 Birr per self contained room per night.
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