2014 Ethiopia

Photo Journal of my visit to Ethiopia; the cradle of Mankind and of "Coffea Arabica".
Desolate Southern Egypt from 30.000 feet. Streetlife in Addis Abbeba. An disused highway makes for an excellent place to play soccer. Bankguards. Local street vendors.
Ethiopia. Empty plains just outside Addis Abbeba. Poverty sparks resourcefulness. Who needs a high-tech gym when you have a stick, two cans and some concrete? Ethiopia. : People Inquisitive kids on the side of the road.
Ethiopia. Studying hard. Airplane in a private garden, nowhere near an airport?! Pretty little truck struggling up one of the many Ethiopian hills. Hard fysical labor.
How many mattresses can you fit on a truck? The answer is 98. And a couple of pillows. Passenger in a mini-van. Bustling marketplace in Addis. : People Bustling marketplace in Addis. Bustling marketplace in Addis.
The streets of Addis. The streets of Addis. The streets of Addis Abbeba. Coffee making ritual in Ethiopia; the birthplace of "Coffea Arabica". Curious kids in Shewa Province. : People
Curious kids in Shewa Province. : People And then the big brother comes out to investigate. : People ...and wants to be in the picture as well. : People Little farmhouse in Shewa Province. Bathing and washing in the Omo river.
The Omo river. The Omo river car-wash, Ethiopia. Bathing and washing in the Omo river. Coffee making ritual in Ethiopia; the birthplace of "Coffea Arabica". First the locally picked coffee cherries are dried in the sun and then carefully roasted on a little stove.
First the locally picked coffee cherries are dried in the sun and then carefully roasted on a little stove. : People First the locally picked coffee cherries are dried in the sun and then carefully roasted on a little stove. : People Then the roasted coffee beans are ground. : People Then the roasted coffee beans are ground. Attat hospital sign. This is where the road ends...
Attat hospital sign. This is where the road ends... One of Attat's many tiny sisters in her enormous all-terrain vehicle. Not so "wild" monkey. Not so "wild" monkey. The Attat Hospital.
The Last Supper, Ethiopian style. These two villains on the look-out for something to steal. Enjoying the booty. The Light! Benefits of having a hole in your roof. The Attat Hospital's X-ray building...
The Attat Hospital. One of the primitive, blackened but functional kitchens at the Attat Hospital. One of the primitive, blackened but functional kitchens at the Attat Hospital. One of the primitive, blackened but functional kitchens at the Attat Hospital. Proud young mother showing off her child.
The Attat hospital, Ethiopia. : People Young mother at the Attat hospital. Soon-to-be-mother at the Attat hospital. Young mother at the Attat hospital. : People Althoug communication was impossible, she made very clear that she wanted her picture taken.
The Attat hospital, Ethiopia. The Attat hospital, Ethiopia. Sister Rita holds a tiny newborn. Bulletin board - hospital style. Attat Operating room.
Attat Operating room. Attat's sterilization room. "Experienced!" Disposed mattress in the Attat hospital. Addis Abbeba. Chewing Khat induces mild euphoria and excitement, similar to that conferred by strong coffee. : People
Recycling in Addis Abbeba. Traditional hut in Shewa Province. Streetlife in Addis Abbeba. Performance in Addis Abbeba. Performance in Addis Abbeba.
Performance in Addis Abbeba. Performance in Addis Abbeba. Performance in Addis Abbeba. One of the many NGO-cars in Addis Abbeba. Busy busstand in Addis Abbeba.
Main entrance to Ethiopia's National Museum. Lucy at the National Museum of Ethiopia. Lucy is the common name of AL 288-1, several hundred pieces of bone representing about 40% of the skeleton of a female Australopithecus afarensis. It was discovered in 1974 at Hadar in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia's Afar Depression. In paleoanthropology, usually only fossil fragments are found and only rarely are skulls or ribs uncovered intact; thus this discovery was extraordinary and provided an enormous amount of scientific evidence. Lucy is estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago and is classified as a hominid. Lucy at the National Museum of Ethiopia. Lucy is the common name of AL 288-1, several hundred pieces of bone representing about 40% of the skeleton of a female Australopithecus afarensis. It was discovered in 1974 at Hadar in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia's Afar Depression. In paleoanthropology, usually only fossil fragments are found and only rarely are skulls or ribs uncovered intact; thus this discovery was extraordinary and provided an enormous amount of scientific evidence. Lucy is estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago and is classified as a hominid. So where does Lucy fit in? This doesn't really give you the warm fuzzies about security in the National Museum of Ethiopia.
But this does! Lion of Judah at the National Museum of Ethiopia. The Lion of Judah is the symbol of the Israelite tribe of Judah. The association between Judah and the lion can first be found in the blessing given by Jacob to Judah in the Book of Genesis. Both King David and Jesus hail from the tribe of Judah. The Lion of Judah is also a phrase used in the Book of Revelation to represent Jesus. Ethiopian history, as recorded in the 5th-century "Kebre Negest", asserts descent from King Solomon in Jerusalem, through the Queen of Sheba who conceived the Solomonic dynasty's founder Menelik I. As Solomon was of the tribe of Judah, his son Menelik I would continue the line, which was passed directly down from King to King until Emperor Haile Selassie I (ostensibly the 225th king from King David). In the Rastafari movement "The Lion of Judah" is Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. The African Union (AU) building in Addis Abbeba, Ethiopia. The African Union consists of 54 African states. The only all-African state that is not a member is Morocco. The AU was established on 26 May 2001 in Addis Abbbeba and launched on 9 July 2002 in South Africa to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The impressive African Union (AU) building in Addis Abbeba, financed by China, surrounded by, well, less magnificent structures. Addis Abbeba.
Addis Abbeba. Addis Abbeba in the setting sun.