Horror stories about Etheopia: How bad is it really?

[cornepol]

Hi there,

Now in Namibia, travelling north-east on our bikes. We met a few travellers (on a bycicle, and on motorbikes) who told us horror stories about the people in Ethiopia, especically the stone-throwing, the food and the 'you, you, you!!'...So how bad is it really?

Visa for Sudan in Addis Abeba?

Thanx,
Corne

[This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 14 June 2003).]

[RichLees]

I'll be a couple of months behind you (Ethiopia in Nov) so don't annoy the kids too much ;-)
I'm planning on picking up an Egyptian visa in Tanzania or Kenya so that I have a better chance of getting a sudanese transit visa if I can't get a tourist one en route.
good luck
Rich

[chris]

hi
spent a month riding round ethiopia in late 1999:

the food is edible... depends what you're used to... you're in africa...

nobody threw stones at me. then again, if on a pushbike, as the people you spoke to, then they were an easier target to hit.

ref: 'you you you'... you'll get it a lot. i found ethiopia to be the most beautiful country i visited in africa. the people were very colourful (and photogenic), but in some places (particularly major tourist centres) the most annoying and obnoxious i came across on my whole rtw trip.

everything from cape town, via nam, zim, zam, mal, tan to nairobbery is very tame. ethiopia is as our german friends might say 'ze real afrika'

ref sudan visas in addis... you used to get them, .... but now? i don't know.

enjoy.
ChrisB

[Toby2]

Ethiopia was great, its really not that challenging and whilst the you you you is tiresome its really not a problem. Countryside is amazing, had a really good time there. People travelling up the east coast seem to find it more challenging and it probably is the hardest country on the east coast it terms of begging, but those coming from West africa didn't seem to find it at all difficult, get far more over there. Great place, you should enjoy it.

[ChrisK]

Hi, Ethiopia is quite a stunning country scenic wise and probably one of the most interesting countries, however the stories of stone throwing is very true indeed. Having a pillion passenger to do lots of waving at the kids helps but some kids will wave with one hand and throw a rock with the other. It's not in every village and it's only a small minority of kids who lob rocks at you but it will happen, luckily they are crap shots. The you you you is very anoying but if you point at the perpitrators and shout back it embaresses them and they seem to stop. I found the food quite nice in a hot and spicy way, definaly more interesting than the crap further south which is dull and boreing or chips with everything. The roads are demanding in places and you'll be glad of good ground clearance and good tyres. Chris