Monday morning, I woke up bright and early to catch the free campus shuttle bus to Harar. Even though this trip only costs 10 birr ($0.50 USD), I figured I could save money and the hassle of finding a mini-bus by utilizing the shuttle system. The bus leaves, however, at 6:30am. A lot of teachers live in Harar, so this bus picks them up there and then returns to the main campus by 8am. There is another shuttle in the evening to take the teachers back to their homes in Harar.
I needed to stop at the Selam Bus Ticket Office to pay for and pick up my ticket to Addis Ababa for the Meskel Celebration. I was too early though. The office did not open until 8:30am, so I first looked at Selassie Church. Someone told me not to take photographs, but I am not sure why. I don’t think he even worked there, but he must have been offended. Outside of most churches here, you can find people selling cross necklaces. Almost every Ethiopian Orthodox Christian wears one of these necklaces. The crosses are usually wooden, but sometimes metal. Most people wear them on a simple black string, but you also see a tri-colored string of black, red, and white. I like the simple design of these necklaces and had been wanting to buy one. They were so cheap (about $0.50 USD each), that I bought one metal and one wooden cross right away. I think they would make good souvenirs, so let me know if you’d like one!
I still had time to kill, so I decided to have a cup of sweet tea. Solomon and Andarge taught me the word for tea, shai, just a couple days prior, so I felt comfortable ordering one from a street vendor. The local people seemed overly surprised to see a foreigner sipping tea outside by herself. I am still trying to get used to all of the staring and extra attention. I had to deal with this in Korea, but I think it is worse here because there are not as many foreigners in this area. The attention is almost always positive, but sometimes I wish I could just blend in and be ignored. So many people were concerned and asked me what I was doing and if I was waiting for someone. When I explained that I was waiting for the ticket office to open, some people let me be and others actually made a phone call to the ticket office to find out when they would be opening. I am well taken care of here!
I still had time to kill, so I decided to have a cup of sweet tea. Solomon and Andarge taught me the word for tea, shai, just a couple days prior, so I felt comfortable ordering one from a street vendor. The local people seemed overly surprised to see a foreigner sipping tea outside by herself. I am still trying to get used to all of the staring and extra attention. I had to deal with this in Korea, but I think it is worse here because there are not as many foreigners in this area. The attention is almost always positive, but sometimes I wish I could just blend in and be ignored. So many people were concerned and asked me what I was doing and if I was waiting for someone. When I explained that I was waiting for the ticket office to open, some people let me be and others actually made a phone call to the ticket office to find out when they would be opening. I am well taken care of here!
As I was waiting, a small marching band passed by. I was surprised to see such a sight at 8am in the morning! I later found out that today is Ethiopian Flag Day. When I got back to campus, there were national flags and campus flags flying all over!
I got my ticket without any problems. This means that I will be going back to Addis Ababa in two days. I am not sure how long I will stay; it mostly depends on when I can get a bus ticket back. Since there are no classes for me to teach yet, I am lucky to have a flexible schedule. If I have to stay an extra day in Addis, it is no problem; I will just do some more sightseeing.
I got my ticket without any problems. This means that I will be going back to Addis Ababa in two days. I am not sure how long I will stay; it mostly depends on when I can get a bus ticket back. Since there are no classes for me to teach yet, I am lucky to have a flexible schedule. If I have to stay an extra day in Addis, it is no problem; I will just do some more sightseeing.
Once I got my ticket, I decided to walk up to Mikael Cemetery. I heard that there were nice views of Harar City from there. I found my way there easily and passed by a bustling vegetable market. The cemetery was an incredibly serene spot. The graves were scattered in no particular order and had simple footpaths connecting them. The grass and plants were allowed to grow rather than be mowed like our cemeteries. There were also some beautiful trees and birds there. I would have stayed longer, but some menacing gray clouds were looming overhead. I took a different route back to the mini-bus area and then caught a ride back to Alem Maya. Before getting on the final mini-bus home, I stopped at a little market that has items imported from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Malaysia. I bought some hazelnut spread (generic Nutella), orange marmalade/jam, tissue (I have a little bit of a cold), and some whole wheat digestive crackers. Yum!