The Spice Island

After Addis we got out of Ethiopia to much more tropical Tanzania. We flew into Dar es Salaam and started instantly sweating. After 3 days there we left by ferry to the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar. Zanzibar has a long and treasured history of being the crown jewel for the Swahili, Portuguese, Germans, Omani, and English before finally uniting with the colony of Tanganyka to Form Tanzania.  The island was important in the slave and spice trades and today grows many highly valuable spices.

The old slave holding quarters in Stone Town. People were captured in the African interior and brought to be sold in Zanzibar.

A dhow. Used by the Arabs and Swahili.

Local transport called dalla dallas. They are dusty and rough on the rump.

The beach at Jambiani.

Ein Tropischer Gstunkenerhansel.

Addis Ababa

During the middle of our trip and at the end we spent sometime in Addis Ababa.  It is alright for an African capital, I just couldn't get myself to excited to be picture happy.  I snapped a few that were particularly interesting since a lot of Addis is covered in tin-roofed houses, Chinese Skyscrapers, or nothing at all.

The original Ethio-Djibuti rail station.

Riding the new metro line.  Behind is the in-construction soon-to-be tallest building in Africa.

The Rift Valley

From Harar in the East, we came back towards the center and South to the most Southern Region of Ethiopia to the resort town of Hwassa (Awasa, depending who you ask).  Hwassa is located on a similarly named lake that is one of a stream of lakes that follow the African Rift Valley.  Lake Awasa is a get away for people escaping the rush of Addis Ababa.  People come to eat the tilapia, feel the warm breeze, and relax.  The town has the feeling of a beach town and is a nice escape after the stress of the North or the dust of the East.

Massive storks just chillin.

Eva putting her Master's studies to some good.

Really really really fried tilapia.

The Walled City of Harar

Harar in Eastern Ethiopia is an old walled city that sits at the cross roads between Somali and Arab caravans and the riches coming from Sub-Saharan Africa.  It grew as trade throughout the Indian Ocean grew.  Later conquered by Menelik the First and brought into the Ethiopian state, Harar still has much of its Islamic past and traditions. 

The camel market in Babille.

Falcons on top of the meat market ready to snatch food from people's hands.

Street football outside of the Mosque.

Chat, a highly addictive stimulant that grows in the area and is popular among the people.

The creeping fig tree.  Used for shade and burial markers.

One of Harar's original 6 gates for people to enter the old city.

The spotted hyena.  Africa's second largest predator.  In Harar they feed them each night so they don't eat the livestock.  Note the glowing eyes in the background.