Ethiopia - a pilgrimage - we prepare to leave Addis Ababa

modern Addis Ababa

It is beginning to rain as we come out of the Trinity (Selassie) Cathedral in Addis Ababa to head back to our hotel - but it is short lived and the sun is soon out again. Beggars surround us watching for any of us to become separated from the group, when they close in to appeal to our Christian natures. It is so difficult to know what to do and we ask our guide for advice. We cannot after all give money to everyone who appears needy, much as we may like to. There are about 32 Ethiopian Birr to the British pound at the moment. Apparently a 1 or 5 Birr note is an acceptable response to genuine requests - the problem is knowing who is genuine! I get into the habit of always having my small notes handy when we come out of churches and monasteries or when reward for a photo shot is in order.

outside Holy Trinity Cathedral

And that's another thing. It is so tempting sometimes to take photos because everything to us about this amazing country is new and colourful and fascinating. But these people deserve our respect, and permission should always be sought for photos of them in close up. 

building work Addis Ababa

Back at the hotel we meet for a service of evening prayer - we are allocated the poolside bar - quite surreal as we are surrounded by unsuspecting couples there for just a quiet drink - so prayers are abandoned and we just have a chat about the day's experiences. The Revd. Canon Adrian Slade, our leader,  talks about the filters we all use in understanding our faith. In Europe, influenced by the Roman Catholic church, our faith is based on the word, the worship book and liturgy being very important to us. In the Eastern European Orthodox church, there is a very different mindset, where sound and sight are crucial - the visual and the aural. In Ethiopia the form of worship of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is quite primitive compared with what we are used to, founded very early in the history of Christianity, c. 340AD by Emperor Ezana of Aksum following his conversion by Syrian monks, and before the influence of Rome and Europe. I will revisit this, and we will experience some of this at first hand in the days to come - especially on Sunday when our own perceptions of worship will be seriously challenged…

contrasting living conditions Addis Ababa

We head off for supper and an early night - we will be having a wake up call at 4.30, breakfast at 5am, leaving the hotel at 5.20am for our domestic flight to the North of the country, to Mekele and Axum…Exciting days ahead. 

Ethiopia - a pilgrimage in search of the Ark of the Covenant

Addis School children 

All my inoculations are up to date - hepatitis A, diphtheria, tetanus, typhoid, polio and yellow fever, and I've been taking the malarial tablets for a week. I'm ready to leave for Ethiopia "in search of the Ark of the Covenant" along with the other 13 in this party of pilgrims organised by McCabe Pilgrimages. So it is that after a busy Sunday in our local church I find myself at the airport in the early evening for the overnight flight to Addis Ababa, the world's third highest capital city - sprawling across the southern slopes of central Ethiopia's Entoto hills and reaching an altitude of more than 2600m at its highest point.

detail of the roof in Holy Trinity Cathedral
Addis

As we start the descent into Addis Ababa after a fairly sleepless night - why do airlines turn up the lights again and serve breakfast just as you are beginning to nod off from sheer exhaustion? - the scenery below us is stunning - the rock formations are incredible, and the mountains appear to be cut into huge slices of cake with precipitous drops from huge plateaus. I fear I see a little air pollution hanging at the base of the hills in the near distance though.

Addis street view on way to hotel

We arrive into a chilly dawn, staggering bleary eyed into an airport which is much quieter than I imagined. We are very soon being whisked off to our small coach and introduced to our driver and our wonderful guide Johannes who will accompany us throughout the trip. Although the air is brisk, the sky is a clear pale blue, tinged with the various hues of a pink dawn and promising a pleasantly warm day ahead. Already the streets are very busy with people scurrying to work, if they are lucky enough to have a job to go to. It is soon apparent that unemployment is a problem here, as we see scores of young men poring over the huge notice boards which we are told list work vacancies. The contrasts everywhere are stark: modern buildings tower over mud and corrugated iron roofed huts, beggars plead on street corners as children in their neat uniforms stride purposefully to their schools, bundles of books under their arms, and there are small flocks of sheep standing around for sale awaiting their fate - these are destined for private homes where they will be slaughtered by the family, skinned and butchered for the next few meals.

City of Refuge Church sign

bustling Addis early morning

We are glad to arrive at our hotel where we have a welcome breakfast. Eggs will be cooked however you like them as you watch - I particularly like the omelettes which incorporate finely chopped onions, tomatoes, peppers and chillies - very tasty. We have time for a few hours rest before we are taken on an orientation tour of the city. The National Ethiopian Football Team is staying in the hotel - there seem to be presentations going on and much noise in the room next to mine! I am reluctantly forced to ask a maid if they could please be quieter. Once we are suitably refreshed we will visit the National Museum of Ethiopia, a must to see on everyone's visit to Addis Ababa, and the Trinity Cathedral where Emperor Haile Selassie and his wife are buried, with its wonderful stained glass windows and wall paintings.More about that in the next post...