Just reaching the end of the second day of Ethiopian travel/cuisine. I am really impressed with both so far. The people are truly wonderful. It’s great to be in a country where people are smiling. I have finished the visa gathering process for Somaliland (it was really easy actually – 11 minutes/$40 to be exact). After reviewing the itinerary, the plan has changed slightly. The plan is to go to Somaliland via the Jubba Airways flight and to hire a land cruiser to drive back to Addis. From Addis, there will be a little extra time, so a detour to Yemen is needed. I’ll be flying into Sana’a on the morning of the 17th, and returning on the evening of the 19th. The Yemeni visa situation (which is quite a pain) was taken care of today and I will pick my passport tomorrow. This leaves one more day of soaking up everything Addis has to offer and catching my flight to Djibouti City the day after tomorrow. One thing that I didn’t realize, Ethiopians fast for a little over a month prior to Easter. It’s sort of like a Christian version of Ramadan, however they can only eat vegetables instead of waiting for sundown. The vegetable dishes have been amazing though. Pictures to follow for sure, but take my word for it, they are like nothing you have ever seen! A helpful phrase in Amharic for the gluten free travelers: Sende na besso yamenyal. Meblat alchelem (Wheat and Barley – I can’t eat. It makes me sick).
UPDATE: New pictures below…
The Gluten Free Travel Blog 