The Weekend

Decided to be a tourist today (8 March). Walked up to the Goha Hotel. About 2/3 kms mainly uphill.

Was escorted by two young lads, one called Thomas! About 8 years old and happy to chat in English – they also made me practise my Amharic! They were very entertaining and polite. The older brother joined us. As we neared the hotel they stopped. We had been discussing football and they had been telling me the price of footballs and hoped I would buy them one. At 25Birr, I said no but since they had been charming companions, I did give them 10 birr towards one.



Spent the next couple of hours relaxing in the cool confines of the Goha Hotel. Caught up on the news (CNN style). Ate lunch – salad made with white cabbage, lettuce, onions, carrots, tomatoes. Roast veal with vegetables – potatoes, cabbage, beetroot and banana for desert. Expensive by Ethiopian standards but worth it.
Walking back down, my two companions were sat on a wall playing Oware! I took their photo and they accompanied me to Piazza where they made a last bid effort to get me to buy them a ball.



Later in the evening, I decided it was time to go and investigate the night life – at least the early evening. I went to the local hotel and sat in the garden for a couple of hours, writing postcards, reading and people watching. Walked home in the dark and was pleasantly surprised at the street lighting and number of people around.