Every night outside of the walled city of Harar a ritual takes places that dates back hundreds of years. The Hyena Man feeds the local hyenas that come from the forests outside of the city. Every afternoon the hyenas begin making their 10km walk to the feeding site where locals and tourists gather to watch… Continue reading
Category: Horn of Africa 2010
Harar
After a 10 hour bus ride Mike and I arrived in the eastern Ethiopian town of Harar. The bus ride was comfortable compared to the last time I was here. Ethiopia is undergoing quite the transformation with high-rise buildings going up in the capital and fast non-stop bus routes in between major towns. This is… Continue reading
No Idea Where I’m Going
Today is my last day in Addis. I’m actually here one day longer than I hoped since I never got my bus ticket out yesterday. You generally need to do it a day in advance and finding bus stations can be quite the grueling experience. Myself and a Canadian guy I met at the guest… Continue reading
The Merkato
I recall Anthony Bourdain saying that the first place a person should go when arriving into a new town is the local market. It is in the market that you get a feel for the people. Addis Ababa is home to the Merkato, Africa’s largest open air market. It was one of two things I… Continue reading
Obtaining a Somaliland Visa: My Way
You can only research before you leave the country so much and even then the practicalities on the ground tend to be so different that it can be difficult to compare two experiences. My goal for the first day in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, was to apply for my visa into Somaliland.… Continue reading
The Draw of the Nubian
I again find myself in awe looking out over the Egyptian and Nubian deserts from the right window of my Lufthansa Airbus, just as I did in 2007 en route to Nairobi. I decided for this leg of the flight I would take a window seat and chose the right one. The vast desert that… Continue reading
Updated Location: 1/10/11
I’m checked in at Tampa International, waiting for my flight to Miami and on to a connection in Frankfurt. I will be en route to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia over the next 24 hours.
Avoid the ‘Phoid
It’s the first question people usually ask when I tell them I’m heading overseas again. “Did you get all your shots?” It’s as if they think I’m just jumping into this carefree and irresponsibly. How dare people question my planning and research? How dare people ask me such a silly inane question? The nerve of… Continue reading
5 Things I’m Going to Miss
The last time I left the country for a long period of time proved that no matter how tough I try to convince myself that I am, I truly miss family and friends when I travel. So, putting the obvious aside for just a moment, these are some things I’m going to miss when I’m… Continue reading
Geography Lesson!
I understand not everyone has a passion for geography like I do, but I feel that a pretty basic understanding of the political and topographical lay out of our planet is important to have. Some of you may be fellow travelers and geography nuts who are are reading for inspiration or trip research purposes but… Continue reading