Zambian woman arrested in Ethiopia for wearing Ivory bracelets

by Davies M.M Chanda (Times of Zambia)



A ZAMBIAN woman has been arrested in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for wearing ivory bracelets.

Ruth Mwale, 46, was arrested at Bole International Airport yesterday upon her arrival from Bangkok, Thailand on her way to Zambia.

This is contained in a statement released by first secretary for Press at the Zambian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Dorcas Chileshe.

Ms Mwale becomes the second Zambian woman to be arrested in Ethiopia for wearing ivory bracelets after a female student was last week arrested and fined US$600 (about K2.9 million)

Zambia Ambassador to Ethiopia Albert Muchanga expressed concern at the increasing number of Zambian women being arrested in Ethiopia for wearing ivory bracelets.

Mr Muchanga has advised Zambians travelling to Ethiopia not to carry or wear any processed ivory products to avoid being arrested.

He said although some Zambians wear ivory bracelets as a symbol of cultural identity, they should avoid doing so when travelling to Ethiopia or transiting through the East African country.

The Ethiopian law on ivory trafficking carries a five-year maximum jail sentence or a fine of $1, 800 (about K8.7 million).

 Mr Muchanga said it was important for Zambians travelling to Ethiopia to adhere to that country’s laws on ivory trafficking to avoid being inconvenienced or having a criminal record.-ZANIS

UNEARTHING CHILD SEX TOURISM IN ETHIOPIA

By MEIRAFE BERHANE

“She promised to buy me a house and a minibus after she collects the money from the sale of her house in London. My family and people that care for me are surprised by the fact that I am marrying a 50-year-old lady. However, what I am after is money and wealth,” says 17-year-old Mekonnen (not his real name) who married a 50 year-old British woman.

The boy who grew up in the old town of Gondar, 525 km north of the capital, is an eighth grade dropout who is working as a local tour guide. They young man assists tourist in their shopping, takes them to hotels, clubs, tourist sites and helps them to contact girls whenever they want. The young man met the old woman while working. She told him that she wanted to be with him if he is willing to make her happy with her remaining life. Mekonnen accepted the offer, keeping in mind the wealth he will be able to get out of the relationship. As the minor asserts, the woman had another boyfriend that she abandoned in order to be with him.

Mekonnen’s story is quoted from a research assessment on Child Sex Tourism which was made by End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), a Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2010. Yet, his shocking story is not the only one of its kind.

“I used to meet many tourists, both local and foreign. However, I never slept with any of them until I met a Danish tourist who promised to take me abroad. So I slept with him for the first time and that was my first experience of sleeping with a guy, at age 15,” says 18-year-old Martha (not her real name). This young girl soon started working in one of the hotels in Harar, 525 km east of the capital. The young girl joined the hotel following the death of her mother. She immediately quit school at grade seven after her mother died and ran away from home to avoid her father’s domestic harassment. As she had no place to go to, one of her friends, who is a tour guide, advised her to start dancing in a hotel for she was a good dancer. “I was told that I could make a lot of money, so I joined a hotel band without hesitation.” Read More

Michelle Obama Africa Trip Aims To Inspire African Youth

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE


PRETORIA, South Africa -- First lady Michelle Obama embarked on a goodwill visit to sub-Saharan Africa on Monday, a weeklong stay designed to show that America cares about the continent's issues and people.

Accompanied by her two daughters, her mother, a niece and nephew, Mrs. Obama planned a trip through South Africa and Botswana that was also shaping up to be an emotional and educational journey for the three generations of Obamas.

Many of the first lady's stops will highlight the legacy of Nelson Mandela and others like him whose struggles and sacrifices ultimately led to the undoing of apartheid, South Africa's system of racial separation. read more

Ethiopian Airlines Resumes Flights to Djibouti; Volcanic Ash Cloud Clears

Bloomberg News


Ethiopian Airlines Enterprises, sub- Saharan Africa’s second-biggest carrier by passenger numbers, said it resumed flights to neighboring Djibouti as an ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Eritrea cleared.

Flights to northern Ethiopia and Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, remain suspended, the Addis Ababa-based airline said in an e-mailed statement today.

Sheraton Addis Hotel to Present Art of Ethiopia Exhibition

Art of Ethiopia 2011 will be exhibiting nearly 400 works of art from 43 of Ethiopia’s leading established artists from Aug. 26 to 29 at the five-star Sheraton Addis Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, in the Lalibela Grand Ballroom from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. with free admission. In addition to the artists’ work on display, guests will also get the opportunity to view the works of some exciting new talents showcasing the future of Ethiopian art. Read more...

Ethiopian Airline Essential Travel Information

Author: Peter Claussen

 

Ethiopian Airlines is an airline based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the national airline of Ethiopia, operating scheduled international passenger and freight services to 50 destinations world-wide, as well as domestic services to 28 destinations and passenger and cargo charter flights. Its main hub is Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa.

Passport, Visa & Health Requirements

Passport, visa and health requirements vary from country to country. Contact your travel agent or the nearest Ethiopian ticket office for current passport, visa and health requirements of the countries you are planning to travel to.

Many countries require proof of return/onward and sufficient funds for your stay. Please contact the nearest Consulate of the country to which you are traveling to for additional information.

Passengers traveling on Ethiopian Airlines between Rome and Stockholm who require entry visa to Schengen countries must have a valid multiple Schengen visa if traveling between Stockholm and Rome on Ethiopian Airlines flight. Passengers holding single Schengen visa already used to enter Sweden, Italy or another Schengen country cannot travel on Ethiopian Airlines flight between Stockholm and Rome. This is necessitated because the flight is operated as transit flight carrying international passengers beyond European airports.

Identification Cards (ID)

Please remember to have your government-issued picture ID card available at all times. Note also that you may be required to present proof of age (such as a birth certificate) at the airport for children whomay be traveling with you.

Customs Regulations

Customs regulations and procedures that apply to travelers entering or exiting vary from country to country and are changed frequently. Contact your travel agent or the nearest Ethiopian ticket office for current customs regulations of countries you are planning to travel to.

Agricultural Products

Several countries have restrictions regarding importation of agricultural products. Contact your travel agent or the nearest Ethiopian ticket office for current restrictions on importation and export of agricultural products.

Suggested Arrival Times

To make your trip as enjoyable as possible, please allow enough time for check-in, security screening and boarding.

Due to some lengthy security checkpoint waiting times, earlier arrivals are recommended. We recommend that you check in at least 3 hours before your flight is scheduled to depart.

Tips for a Comfortable Flight

• For your own comfort try and travel light.
• Wear loose clothing and elasticized stockings made of natural fiber.
• Increase your normal intake of water and only if need be drink alcohol but in moderation.
• Use moisturizing cream to keep your skin from drying out.
• Take off shoes in the plane to prevent your feet from swelling up or wear shoes that will cope with expanding ankles.
• Avoid heavy meals during the flight.
• Short walks once every two hours are excellent for circulation.
• Try to touch your toes when waiting in the aisle to stretch your hamstrings.
• On arrival at your destination, have a hot shower or a relaxing bath.
• On arrival a quick jog, brisk walk, or a vigorous scrub will help stimulate your circulation.

BAGGAGE INFORMATION:

 

Ethiopian Airlines baggage allowance depends on the passenger's travel destination and class of service. Luggage's image by MLProject from Fotolia.com Ethiopian Airlines has checked and carry-on baggage allowances that depend on each passenger's travel destination and class of service. Each plane can only carry a limited amount of weight including all passengers, staff, fuel, and baggage; therefore, Ethiopian Airlines cannot allow passengers to travel with an unlimited amount of baggage.

 

Checked Baggage for Regional Flights

Passengers traveling in economy class on regional or domestic flights are allowed 20 kilograms of checked baggage. Passengers traveling in business class are allowed 30 kilograms of checked baggage and infants are allowed 10 kilograms.

 

Checked Baggage for International Flights

Ethiopian Airlines passengers traveling in economy class to London have a 30 kilogram baggage allowance and 8 KGS of hand luggage and in business class a 50 kilogram allowance and 8 KGS of hand luggage. Passengers traveling to other international destinations in economy class may bring 30 kilograms of baggage and in business class 50 kilograms.

 

Carry-On Baggage

Ethiopian Airlines allows eight kilograms of carry-on luggage. The dimensions of each carry on luggage should not exceed 51cm by 20cm by 38cm.

 

Personal Items

Ethiopian Airlines passengers may bring an unlimited number of personal items; personal items include coats, purses, laptops, briefcases, umbrellas, and canes.

 

Baby Items

Ethiopian Airlines passengers traveling with an infant may bring baby items such as diapers, formula, baby food, and bedding weighing no more than 12 kilograms.

 

Sporting Equipment

Ethiopian Airlines passengers may bring 15 kilograms of sporting equipment above and beyond their checked baggage allowance.

 

Ethiopian Airlines offer daily flights from London Heathrow to Zimbabwe. They operate from Terminal 3. They have wide coverage to Africa, Europe, Asia and Middle East through their Hub Adisababa, their Luggage Allowance is 2PC. For more information call our reservation experts on 02079936219 or visit our website: http://www.cheapzimbabweflights.com/.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/flights-articles/ethiopian-airline-essential-travel-information-4586826.html

About the Author

Flights Master: Cheap flights experts to world wide destinations from UK & Europe. Specialised in Direct & Indirect Flights to Africa, Fareast & Australia. Call 0207 993 6219 or visit www.flightsmaster.co.uk

Travel  to Ethiopia: I just saw a herd of cows cross the street:
by Ethio-American's first visit of the motherland

Part Two

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.
Arriving in Addis was exciting.  Although I tried to forget all my expectations, I had visioned what this place would look like my whole life and I was finally seeing it. My cousin surprised me at the airport. She took me to the hotel which my uncle owns. We had lunch and coffee. I also had my first taste of how things work in Addis. She told me we had to stop somewhere really quick to pick up a cd cleaner.  The first place we went to was closed for lunch, then the other places kept sending us to different stores; we went to at least 5 of them before the last guy told us to go to the mercato.  I just thought it was funny because if this was in America, it would have been a one stop shopping trip.

While we were at lunch, we caught up, it had been a couple of years since I had seen her. While we were sitting outside, something across the street caught my eye. I saw a herd of cows crossing the road. When I questioned it, she told me they were preparing for the holiday…. Ew.
After lunch we went to check out the Hilton which was really nice. The pool area reminded me of Vegas, huge pool, lots of lawn chairs, an outside bar and a gazebo area. We sat in the gazebo area until my jetlag started to kick in and it was time for me to call it a night.
 
Day two was a bit more interesting, I was less tired and more aware of my surroundings. If you ask me how I felt about Ethiopia, the only word I could use was weird. My mom’s friend said I was experiencing “transitional confusion” and I thought it was the best way to describe it.  I didn’t think that the culture shock would hit me that hard since I had visited poor parts of Mexico but after today, culture shock as been redefined for me. My mom and I started out the day having breakfast at our hotel, Nigist Towers. Our hotel is pretty new, a bit more modern than some of the other ones. It is directly in front of the Africa Hall and five minutes away from the Hilton. I looked out the window when I woke up and I saw two interesting things. In one corner, I saw a house which looked like it was made out of aluminum. A girl was squatting outside and for at least an hour was making injera. On the other corner four women who looked a bit older, were doing manual labor. In pairs they were moving piles of clay as this man just supervised. I was a little disturbed by the fact that women were doing this kind of work, especially at their age.
After breakfast my mom and I went for a walk and that was when I started to really see the difference. We walked out and saw older women on their hands and knees scrubbing the walk way. I felt so bad thinking about how bad their backs must hurt.  They were still there when we got back from our walk.

I saw a dog sitting on the sidewalk with a wounded eye; it looked as if it was missing. I couldn’t look at it long enough to actually see.  In between the streets, there was a small island divider. I saw a man sitting there drinking coffee out of a regular coffee cup. In front of him I noticed a woman carrying a bag of cups and a thermos. This was one of the cool things that I had seen. The coffee culture here is huge. Inside hotel lobbies or inside shopping centers, there are people with a little coffee shops set up. They have all of the things they need to make coffee and a few pillows/chairs for people to sit at. They also have itan burning, so it gives you an authentic feel. You don’t necessarily have to go to one of the many cafes to have coffee.

Another cool thing I noticed was that the people are not afraid to show affection here.  Walking down the street you will see men and men holding hands or having an arm around one another. There is no homosexual conduct to it, just people showing their compassion, affection and love for one another. Women do it too, its lovely.

My mom’s friend took us to a city outside of Addis called Sululeta. This drive was gorgeous because it was up hill which gave us a bird’s eye view of Addis. It was a smaller town than Addis, very quiet and country-ish. I saw lot things that I had never seen. I saw donkeys being used as transporters and one of the saddest things I have seen yet.  There were women carry a bunch of branches- not like twigs- but real long tree branches. They had to weigh at least 20-30 pounds. The branches were tied up and they were carrying them on their back down the large hill we drove up. What made this so sad was that most of the women that I saw were old. I just couldn’t believe it. Without a doubt after seeing this, they are the strongest women I have ever met. Not only physically strong to be able to carry that, but their strength as a person. What they were doing and going through to make a small amount of money shows their strength to survive. It’s hard to describe in the right words what I felt after seeing this besides shock and sadness. I found them and their strength completely admirable.
At this point, I’m still not sure how I feel about Ethiopia. It’s not that I don’t like it, because there is something about being here that I enjoy. I’m not having a terrible time, but I feel like it’s hard to say that I love it when there are so many things that aren’t right. I feel like it would be wrong to say that I love a place that is in need of so much help.  Like I said, I feel that my definition of culture shock as been redefined. I haven’t cried yet, because I think I am literally numb in a state of shock.  Everyone told me that I was going to need awhile to adjust before it was fun or before I enjoyed but I really think they mean, I just need to first accept how things are before I can enjoy it. The thing is, even though this is reality, I do not want to accept it.

I think the thing that confuses me the most is the lack of separation of rich and poor. I’m staying at this super nice hotel and right across the street are clay/ aluminum homes and shops. The rich men in suits are walking side by side with the people in holey jeans and run down shirts. Stray animals are everywhere and herds of cows, goats and sheep are walking the streets with us. It is so weird. Back home the rich people are in their nice areas, the poor are in the ghetto and the animals are at the farm. Here it just seems like complete chaos.  Half of the city is under construction, the area is dry and polluted and there are so many people everywhere.
A friend was telling me that everything was once very civilized but through the governments attempt of modernization everything has been lost. Whether they are neglecting becoming modernized or what something is off. I feel like the city is as confused as I am.

More to come from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Stay tune

 

Travel  to Ethiopia: I just saw a herd of cows cross the street:
by Ethio-American's first visit of the motherland


For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to take the long anticipated trip to Ethiopia. I've been told about Ethiopia since the day I was born. I was fed the food and word all up until now. Now, I was having the chance to experience it all first hand.  I'd like to share my trip experience with you as I travel around Addis because I think as an American born Ethiopian, sheltered to the facts of the real world, my experience is going to be interesting, something you may be able to relate to and might even open your eyes to a different reality. A reality that isn't comprehend-able living in America. I will publish my entries whenever I can get connected to the net...till then...this is the beginning.

This whole trip seemed surreal to me.  I didn’t tell anyone we were going until we bought our tickets and even then it didn’t really hit me. I didn’t know what to expect because I have heard about Ethiopia my whole life from my family and the media. So the fact that I was finally actually going was a bit unreal. I was also checking off an important item off my bucket list: visiting the city/country where my parents were born. Seeing, firsthand the culture that I have been raised in. I wasn’t really nervous until the day before the trip. People kept asking me if I was excited and that just wasn’t the feeling I was feeling, it was more denial and nerves.  I was nervous because I was going to Africa for a whole month, what if I didn’t like it? What if I couldn’t emotionally handle the culture shock? I felt especially nervous not really because I was going to a new place but because this trip was going to be personal.  Whether I liked Ethiopia or not, it is my heritage, who I am and I just feel like everything about this trip is personal. I was nervous up until I talked to my brother and got a text from my cousin. My brother told me to “take every expectation I have and throw it out the window,” to go there with an open mind and take it all in.  This just helped me put into perspective that my nerves were getting me no where and that I have to take this experience head on. I also received a text from a cousin before I left “wishing me a safe trip home.”  This just made me even more excited, as I boarded the plane and realized that it was finally all really happening… I was going HOME.

DUBAI.

First of all, our flight was the best international flight I’ve been on yet. We flew with Emirates and it was great. The inside was pretty with pink, orange and purple colors. The stewardesses were dressed like they were in sex and the city 2!  I felt like it was pretty clear that I was going to a whole new world because everything was written primarily in Arabic and then English. When we first got on they gave us a refreshing wipe and a pouch which had a sleep eye mask, a tooth brush and socks. The most I’ve ever received was free peanuts. Also, all the alcohol was complimentary…cool.  The food was delicious and they offered an extensive variety of movies to watch. The categories were like new releases, classics, Disney, bollywood, and romance comedies.  It was like getting movies from red box but for free!
I watched a couple of movies and then slept the rest of the way to Dubai. When we got there we went directly to the mall. We only had a few hours before it closed.  The mall was massive! The shopping wasn’t  anything spectacular because most of the stores are the same as the ones in the US, what made it so amazing was all of the attractions. There was a huge waterfall, an aquarium, under water zoo, the Burj Khalifa- aka tallest building in the world and a fountain with a water show that puts the Bellagio to shame. There was also a section called Fashion Avenue which had all of their high end stores.
I went to a Starbucks there and it wasn’t much different than ours back home. Their promotions were all the same, the only thing that was different was that they only offer five syrups, Vanilla, Almond, Hazelnut, Irish Cream and Almond. So my mom and I had lattes and hung out at the mall before it closed.  To be continued…
..
Next stop Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ethiopian Court sentences US citizen in absentia for smuggling 146,834 birr
By Mikias Sebsibe

Becky Lynn Black, 57, an American national, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison in absentia for attempting to smuggle 146,834 birr in local currency out of the country last in July. Becky Lynn was apprehended at the customs check point in Bole International Airport on July 15, 2010 after x-ray examination of her hand bag revealed that she was carrying 146,834 birr in local currency, exceeding the legal limit of 200 birr.

Prosecutors of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA) pressed the charge against Becky Lynn for unlawful possession of goods which have not undergone customs formalities on July 27 at the Tenth Criminal Bench of the Federal First Instance Court, Lideta branch.

Becky Lynn, who was released on bail, however, did not appear before the criminal bench despite a public notice but the court ordered the defendant to be tried in absentia on October 15. Prosecutors of ERCA brought two witnesses who claimed to have been at the scene of the incident and testified against the defendant. The criminal bench, presided over by Judge Mohammed Siraj, held that the defendant was presumed to have waived her right to defend the prosecution’s charge due to her absence.

The offense, which is targeted on the economy of the country, was committed intentionally, the court ruled on November 15, and found Becky Lynn guilty as charged.

Taking into consideration the amount of money which was attempted to be smuggled out of the country and absence of the defendant’s prior criminal record, the court sentenced Becky Lynn to serve three years and a half in prison early last week. The court also ordered the confiscation of the money the defendant was carrying at the time.

Becky Lynn is the second US citizen to be convicted for unlawful possession of goods in recent times. Just four months ago another US citizen, Michael Nemeth, was convicted and sentenced to 14 months in jail for attempting to smuggle out 100,000 birr in local currency, a decision which was affirmed by the Federal High Court back in August after Michael appealed the case.

After pronouncing the sentence on Becky Lynn, the court ordered the Federal Police Commission and the Addis Ababa Police Commission to hunt down the convict for the enforcement of the jail term. 

The same criminal bench also sentenced Hussien Adem, an Ethiopian athlete, who was caught at the customs check point in Bole International Airport in February 11, 2010 carrying 6000 birr in local currency. Hussein, who was on his way to Frankfurt at the time, pleaded guilty to the prosecutor’s charge of unlawful possession of goods on his first court appearance. The court, which took into account the defendant’s admission, lack of prior criminal record and his act of repentance as mitigating grounds, sentenced the defendant to 14 months imprisonment last week. However, the court also suspended the jail term of Hussien, who is the bread winner of a family of five relying on his athletics profession, for two years.

According to the laws of the country it is illegal to carry such goods, which have not undergone customs formalities, within 15 km of the geographical territory of the country. In the 2009/10 budget year the ERCA had confiscated 2.5 million birr, 1.2 million dollars, 7,760 pounds, over 500,000 euros and other currencies attempted to be smuggled out of the country.

Ethiopian Airlines Scaling up to Boeing 777-200LRS
By Kaleyesus Bekele

The first of the five Boeing 777-200LRs Ethiopian Airlines ordered from Boeing last year will arrive at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on November 20.

Ethiopian CEo, Girma Wake, told The Reporter that the first B777 will arrive at Addis Ababa on November 20, the second in mid December and the third in mid January. “The deliveries of these aircraft will enhance Ethiopian's flight frequencies to North America and Asia,” Girma said. In July 2009, the airline placed five firm orders for five B777 with a total value of USD 1.3 billion. It selected GE engines to power the five jetliners. 

Ethiopian plans to use the new aircraft on its flights to the US, Toronto (the airline will launch a new route to Canada next year), China and Angola. The B777s are known for their bigger seat capacity and fuel storage capacity.

Ethiopian has been a loyal customer of Boeing for decades. Boeing has completely dominated the company's long haul fleet. Ethiopian was the first African carrier to order the B787 Dreamlinner aircraft in 2005. The airline placed ten firm orders for Dreamlinners valued at USD 1.5 billion. Deliveries of the Dreamlinners were slated for 2008-2010. It has 10 B737-800s on its order book.

For the first time last year the European consortium broke the monopoly of Boeing when Ethiopian ordered 12 A350-900 XWBs.

Ethiopian is the first carrier in sub-Saharan Africa to order the A350.

SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Ethiopia
Trekking in a prehistoric landscape
By Henry Wismayer

SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Ethiopia — As dilemmas go, this was a good one: Watch 50-odd monkeys cavorting across an escarpment studded with giant lobelias or keep drinking in the scene beyond the crags around Chenek camp, where the rising sun was peeling back the shadows to reveal an endless expanse of buttes and mesas. In the end I went with the monkeys. Plenty more opportunity to gawp at the lowlands, I thought

I had spent the last few days discovering what happens when geothermal explosions and erosion conspire to sculpt a precipice more than 37 miles long. Conclusion: If the natural world took to getting jacked-up on steroids, the result would look something like the Simien Mountains National Park in northern Ethiopia.

The Gich Abyss is a showstopper we encounter within an hour of Dawoud Su layman, the park’s preeminent guide, leading us away from the Sankaber trailhead. At the time, standing above a horseshoe of giant, dun-colored cliffs, watching a slender cone of water vaporize into mist as it tumbled into a chasm so deep we could not see the bottom, I would have said the abyss alone was worth the journey. It turned out we were just getting started.

Ethiopia and Ethiopian People in the eyes of an American Journalist  

 

 "I want to make a story that Ethiopia is not only changing altogther but also very attractive to tourists": American journalist watch the video.

Ethiopia offers unique travel experience Wildlife, history, cuisine await adventurous travelers
By JENNY BARCHFIELD
The Associated Press

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — For many people around the world, mentioning Ethiopia brings to mind its devastating 1984 famine. The specter of the disaster haunts the country's international image and still hurts the growth of its fledgling tourism industry.

But here's the reality that awaits those few adventurous visitors who do make the trip: A high plateau of lush, green hills that's more like Scotland than the desert; decadent nightlife in Addis Ababa; and historic sites like the island monasteries of Lake Tana and Lalibela, a remarkable complex of 12th-century churches
In addition, Ethiopia's wildlife parks are teeming with game, but unlike Kenya, where packs of tourists compete for a glimpse of lions, here you might have the animals all to yourself.

Traveling in Ethiopia, however, can be uniquely disorienting. Ethiopians insist on doing things their own way. They have their own calendar — with 13 months; their own year — it's currently 2003; and their own time — 6 a.m. is their midnight. The national language, Amharic, has Semitic roots, like Arabic and Hebrew, and a unique alphabet. (Rest assured, English is widely spoken.) Roughly two-thirds of the people are Ethiopian Orthodox — a creed with its own rites, different from those of the Russian or Serbian Orthodox churches — while a third is Muslim.

A trip to Ethiopia, then, is less like a sojourn in Africa than a visit to some far-flung island, where everything is strange and compelling.

You'll need a couple of weeks to even begin to do justice to this sprawling country — bordered on the north by Sudan, on the south by Kenya and Somalia and on the east by Djibouti and Eritrea, which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year guerrilla war.

Roads are generally poor, and it can take long hours or even days to travel several hundred miles overland — particularly in the April-September rainy season. Luckily, Ethiopian Airlines — widely considered Africa's premier carrier — operates flights from the capital, Addis, to the main must-see sites, including Lalibela.More....

Inside Washington D.C.'s 'Little Ethiopia'
By Misty Showalter for CNN
 

Washington (CNN) -- A record shop blares the contagious thump-thump of Ethiopian music. The aroma of strong coffee fills the air. And thick spices tickle your nose virtually every half a block.

This is 9th and U Street in Washington, D.C. -- the unofficially designated "Little Ethiopia". Africans have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and it's clear here in the 25 shops and restaurants huddled together in one city block.

"You see within the Ethiopian community when you have someone start a business, that person becomes a role model for others," explains Tsehaye Teferra, President of the Ethiopian Community Development Council. "So you are absolutely sure that you get three, four businesses the next day in the same location."

It's a phenomenon that began in the 1970s in Washington's Adams Morgan neighborhood on 18th Street. But when the area became trendy, rent skyrocketed and the Ethiopians moved to less expensive ground.

Tefera Zewdie, owner of Dukem restaurant, credits himself as being one of the first to start the big move, when he opened a tiny grocery store in 1997 selling Ethiopian CDs, meat and spices. It grew to a sandwich take-out, then a small restaurant, to now a restaurant so popular, lines form out the door nearly every night.

"I remember it was if I'm not mistaken somewhere between 2000, 2001 it was something big for us to see one non-Ethiopian coming to the restaurant. If you turn around right now, we have 95 percent of them are non-Ethiopian," says Zewdie.

It's the food that has drawn Washingtonians and tourists to Little Ethiopia -- the brave ones curious to try the family-style eating where utensils are not even a suggestion. Here, everyone eats with their hands from the same plate.

Between 2000-2001, it was something big for us to see one non-Ethiopian coming to the restaurant. Now, 95 percent of them are non-Ethiopian.

"You don't find many Ethiopian restaurants elsewhere," says a Dukem customer from Indianapolis, Indiana. "There was one in my hometown briefly and unfortunately it didn't survive so I have to come back to D.C. to have Ethiopian food."

The popularity of the food is evident in how many entrepreneurs have a restaurant as a second business. There's the Tesfaye family, whose brothers together run a successful parking management business in and around D.C., and who opened Etete restaurant as a surprise for their mother.

"Her dream was always owning a restaurant," says Yared Tesfaye. "She loves feeding people, she loves cooking."

The brothers also bought the building next door to the restaurant, where their sister now has a salon.

And then there is Tutu Belay, who started a telephone directory of Ethiopian-owned and Ethiopian-friendly businesses 16 years ago. It's grown from 80 pages to more than 900. She and her husband, Yehunie Belay, a famous Ethiopian singer, also own a restaurant downstairs from their offices called Little Ethiopia, where Yehunie performs.

Restaurants are in nearly every other building, and they're not confined to Ethiopian. There is also an Ethiopian-owned Mexican and an Ethiopian-owned Italian restaurant.

The Ethiopian population in the Washington, D.C. metro area is the largest in the U.S. Tutu Belay, who has done extensive research on the population for her business, estimates it to be about 250,000 -- though other estimates are much lower.

But it is large enough that there is even a second unofficial Little Ethiopia in Alexandria, Virginia -- just over the Potomac River from D.C.

Proof that in the Ethiopian community, where there is one entrepreneur, dozens more will follow.