Al Qaida Bus to Addis

The price for a car back to Addis kept going up. First it was 2000 birr, then it jumped to 3000 birr. Gas is expensive here, but 3000 birr is just way too much. At first, our guide was helping us out, but he turned out to be more of a hassle than a help. Eventually, we decided we’d find a car ourselves. He just wanted to tag along for the commission. After a long search, we finally found a minibus, an Al Qaida bus, for 2000 birr. Every time you negotiate a price, it seems like half the village gathers around. Everyone wants to chime in. This time was no exception. At one point, someone asked if they could ride along to Addis. Suddenly, half the village was crammed into the car. They thought they could snag a free ride to Addis. Some suggested they could be the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th driver, or our waiter. People were completely wild. After a lot of repeating “No money, no Addis!!!” we finally managed to clear the car. It took us 10 hours to get back to Addis. The first 4 hours were hell. The roads were so bad that we all felt incredibly carsick. Our driver didn’t have a license, and you could definitely tell. Honny took the wheel now and then to give our stomachs a break and let them settle. He actually drove the bus pretty well, skillfully avoiding all the many people walking or sitting right in the middle of the road. There aren’t many cars outside the cities, so people use the road to transport their cows, sheep, goats, and donkeys. Often, you find yourself stuck in a massive herd of cattle that just refuses to budge. Buying bananas is ridiculously cheap. We got 30 bananas for just 4 birr, so we had something to snack on in the car. The driver bought a huge plastic bag full of tomatoes for 10 birr. By 6:15 PM, we were back in Addis, totally battered from the rough ride. We were dropped off at the Hilton since they have an ATM where we could withdraw some more cash. Then we headed over to Ghion Hotel. It’s 90 USD, but it’s a nice place with a pool. We had dinner at Ghion. Finally, we got to eat something other than spaghetti. I’m also done with the diarrhea meds, so we ordered some wine. Delicious. At first glance, Addis seems like a primitive city, but after traveling around the rest of Ethiopia, Addis feels like a true paradise.