From India to Ethiopia

Travelling has always excited me, even when it’s an hour-long drive to an unexplored territory. In May, I had the opportunity to go to Ethiopia; it was my first international trip, and I was quite excited. It was the longest flight I’ve ever been on – about 8 hours long.

For me, being in Addis was like travelling to India fifteen years ago. The growing construction activity, booming fashion trends, busy traffic and street food, reminded me of India a little more than a decade back. Moreover, I witnessed people celebrating their weddings with car parades, which reminded me of the weddings in India.

There were many things that I loved about Ethiopia, but there were two things that stood out: the weather and the exotic cuisine. The weather was pleasant and slightly chilly which made the entire journey enjoyable. Weather in India varies across the country and my hometown usually has high temperatures (about 42 degrees) in summer and low temperatures (about 0 degrees) in winter. While I was in Addis, the temperature was a comfortable 25 degrees most days. I have always preferred cold areas to hot or humid areas. Cold and pleasant weather always keeps my mind and my body going.

Having a passion for cooking, I am always up for exploring new food cuisines. Trying out food in different food joints in Addis made the entire stay memorable. My favorite dish was grilled chicken, which my colleagues and I enjoyed at a food joint near our office.

Another thing that I loved while I was in Addis was the specialty coffee. In India, instant coffee is quite popular. My favorite coffee was Robera coffee, and I bought sufficient amounts for my personal consumption back home. I bought about five different kinds of coffees while in Addis as I was quite excited to taste as many as I could.

Weekdays were busy with getting to know my colleagues and understanding more about the organization. Whereas the weekends were mostly occupied with a city tour and other fun activities. An interesting aspect of the city tour was the visit to the market – vegetables, spices, clothing and utensils, were all available in one place. It seemed ironic how such narrow lanes were equipped with all your needs.

Overall, I loved my trip to Ethiopia especially because of the pleasant weather, exotic food and awesome coffee. Above all, spending quality time with my colleagues made the entire journey memorable.