Mzugu to Ferengi

Ok so Addis Ababa is awesome!  Ignore every image you have of Ethiopia and it's people cos this has to be the most beautiful city i've been to yet. The people here are stunning! Ethiopians have much finer features and the women look almost brazilian. They're fit, with flawless skin and beautiful hair. Unlike the Tanzanian's who hate their hair and spend their lives braiding it away, Ethiopians have long, curly locks. The men are strong and handsome, and they are all very polite. I get more looks here for my blonde hair, but they're not threatening, just curious.

Addis Ababa is a bustling city nestled in the surrounding mountains. There are a lot of Ferengi's (white people) going about their business as Ethiopia is establishing itself as a business centre for foreign trade for a number of reasons. Firstly some key international regulatory bodies have their headquarters here. But more notably Ethiopia is ranked as the top African country for investing it's foreign aid responsibly. Government corruption is low here and the money gets to the source where it's needed most. Even the police are clean. In Tanzania our drivers were often stopped by police, especially in Zanzibar, asking for a bribe for some small infringement. Here the police are honest and well-respected. There have been some terror-threats recently through so in places like the Hilton complex (where westerners go for their money and groceries etc) security is extremely tight and police are everywhere. It can be a little disconcerting but I suppose thats the tail end of the coin - doesn't make travelling here any less valuable. It's a beautiful place and I feel very safe moving around.

As I mentioned Ethiopians use their charity money well and 2 days ago we took a day trip to see a hospital Lyndsay's charity is considering donating to. It is called the Cure Hospital and it was a truly eye-opening experience. This hospital specialises in treating childhood deformities, from clubfoot, to cleft lip/palette, to victims of Noma - a disease that affects the malnutritioned and eats away at their face. The before and after pictures were incredible (i use that word a lot)... as were the children in the wards we visited. We even went into the operating room to see a 2 year old severely bow-legged boy being fixed up. These children go through months of painful operations and castings but this prevents a lifetime of living as a socially ostracised cripple. It only costs $1000 per child to change their lives and corporations can sponsor a bed for 52 children for $52K a year. All donors recieve a full report on the children they've helped. Makes me wish I was a millionaire. Also, it's hard to find good pediatric surgeons who specialise in plastic and osteopathic surgery, so if you know anyone....

After that experience I sampled an entirely different aspect fo Ethiopian life - a day spa. It was glorious! To have all the dirt and dust that had built up under my nails over 4 weeks of trudging through dust and mud in Tanzania was an almost euphoric experience. Bliss at it's best!

I am making plans to see Ethiopia's historic ruins. the oldest catholic church, Queen of Sheeba's castle, the island monasteries. I also just booked a 10 day tour of Egypt!! Stay tuned my friends (and comment me to let me know if you're still reading, what you want to hear more of, or if you have any stories of your own).

Cuddles to my bubbles...

xxx