So I've admittedly not actually had enough time or internet access to properly shoot some stories off but I'll try to catch up in the next few days before heading to Cape Town.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was a wonderful experience. It is the only sub-Saharan African country which has never been colonized (only occupied by the Italians for a few years) and so it leads one to wonder about the impacts of colonization when compared to some of its neighbors and other African counterparts. It is a landlocked country although it was once had many ports when Eritrea and Djibouti were part of Ethiopia. It is a multi-ethnic state with 200 distinct dialects and the principle language being Amharic (which is thought to be related to Arabic and Hebrew).
"Lucy", one of our oldest ancestors was discovered in Hadar linking human life in this country back 3.2 million years ago. Ethiopia is thought to be the origin of our species. The history is quite interesting with a dynasty that dates back before Christ.
Modern Addis Ababa is an interesting place...having many characteristics of a capital city (such as the hustle and bustle and housing the World Health Organization's African regional headquarters) it also resonates a strong feeling of the pastoral life of the rest of the country...with unaccompanied donkeys weaving in and out of traffic and people-- dutifully carrying bundles of fire wood to their destinations.
One of the most fascinating parts of the history is that the coffee bean originated from Ethiopia and the coffee was incredible-both in its history and in the ceremony around it. I actually had a chance to learn how to do the ceremony and roast the beans.
The history around the discovery of coffee is interesting. Kaldi is a shepherd who -as legend has it-tended to the goats that discovered coffee. He noticed his goats turned into "jumping goats" after eating these red berries in the highlands. He decided to collect a few. The stories I heard now diverge at this point.
One version says he brought the berries back to a monastery and the monk did not approve of this "drug". The monk therefore threw the berries into the fire and Kaldi went after them. He washed the ashes off with boiling water and this was the first cup of coffee (roasted and brewed).
The second version I heard was that he gave them to 3 monks and they made them into the coffee we know today. In the ancient and modern Ethiopian coffee ceremony the 3 monks are honored in the brewing of the coffee. The ground and roasted beans are brewed three times in a clay coffee vessel over hot coals. Between each round it is placed in a cloth holder at a bit of an angle to separate the coffee and the grounds. The first brew is called "Abol" after the 1st monk and is made for those you love and respect since this is the strongest and best brew of the grounds. The second brew is called "Nota" for the second monk and is for those you hate because it is often made for uninvited guests. Finally the third brew is called "Bereka" and is the weakest brew made for the travelers, merchants and students coming from afar and hence late.
When we went to a little coffee house that does the ceremony the coffee came with a small leaf which neutralized the bitterness (does anyone know what the leaf is? Stevia?).
Coffee in Ethiopia was a sheer and pure pleasure especially since it is now winter. The heat of the coffee complemented by the berbere (Ethiopian spice mix--their garam masala essentially) cut through the misty fog of the rains and warms you from the inside of your soul to the smile on your face.
--- more on South Africa when I get a chance :)
