24 May 2016
After umming and ahhing about what to do next - I was either going to head back to Lalibela or head to Harar in the Eastern part of the country. Harar won.
The spiritual heart of Ethiopia's Islamic community, the walled citadel of Harar is considered by some to be the fourth holiest Islamic city after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. But I am not here for that. Sounds a bit mental, but I'm here to feed wild hyenas.
The closest airport to Harar is Dire Dawa. It's pretty far away, about 1.5hours drive. When I arrived at the airport I spotted some faranji stood by himself and quickly introduced myself and asked what his plans were. It sounds like a chat up line, but its not. I just wanted to share the cost of transport. He told me he already booked and paid for a private car so I could just jump in. Saved me quite a bit of money and time, so cool!
I arrived at my guesthouse called Rowda Wabera, a traditional Harari style home. The interior is really unique. The open plan ground floor is dominated by a carpet-draped raised area where all social activity takes place. The walls are decorated with niches and dangling items of crockery.
I had a massive room with two double beds. I overheard a girl asking for a room and the owner saying the guesthouse was full. I came out and said 'I have a spare bed, if you don't mind sharing'. So I have a girl from Central Republic of Africa (I didn't even know that was a country) staying with me.
I met up with the airport guy and my new room mate and we got a guided tour of the old city, which is just a maze of alleyways. It was really interesting. It reminded me of parts of India.
Later we went to see the Hyena man. The man makes a living by feeding wild hyenas after dusk. People were invited to feed the hyenas as well and I of course jumped at the opportunity. There were at least 15 hyenas surrounding me. They are pretty bad ass looking I gotta admit. I'll admit I wasn't that scared. They were just like big doggies - that could rip you apart. It was pretty cool to get soooo close to them!
After umming and ahhing about what to do next - I was either going to head back to Lalibela or head to Harar in the Eastern part of the country. Harar won.
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| Airport |
The spiritual heart of Ethiopia's Islamic community, the walled citadel of Harar is considered by some to be the fourth holiest Islamic city after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. But I am not here for that. Sounds a bit mental, but I'm here to feed wild hyenas.
The closest airport to Harar is Dire Dawa. It's pretty far away, about 1.5hours drive. When I arrived at the airport I spotted some faranji stood by himself and quickly introduced myself and asked what his plans were. It sounds like a chat up line, but its not. I just wanted to share the cost of transport. He told me he already booked and paid for a private car so I could just jump in. Saved me quite a bit of money and time, so cool!
I arrived at my guesthouse called Rowda Wabera, a traditional Harari style home. The interior is really unique. The open plan ground floor is dominated by a carpet-draped raised area where all social activity takes place. The walls are decorated with niches and dangling items of crockery.
I had a massive room with two double beds. I overheard a girl asking for a room and the owner saying the guesthouse was full. I came out and said 'I have a spare bed, if you don't mind sharing'. So I have a girl from Central Republic of Africa (I didn't even know that was a country) staying with me.
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| Inside the guesthouse. Trinkets adorn the walls |
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| My room. So cute |
I met up with the airport guy and my new room mate and we got a guided tour of the old city, which is just a maze of alleyways. It was really interesting. It reminded me of parts of India.
 |
| Colourful homes |
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| Wandering the streets |
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| Street life |
Later we went to see the Hyena man. The man makes a living by feeding wild hyenas after dusk. People were invited to feed the hyenas as well and I of course jumped at the opportunity. There were at least 15 hyenas surrounding me. They are pretty bad ass looking I gotta admit. I'll admit I wasn't that scared. They were just like big doggies - that could rip you apart. It was pretty cool to get soooo close to them!
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| Pretty gruesome slaughtered cow |
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| Getting up close and personal to the hyenas |
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