Into the Eth(iopi)a

I feel like the image of Ethiopia in much of the world's eyes has never shaken off grinding poverty, drought and emaciated children crawling with flies. In fact this nation of over 100 million, in Africa second only to Nigeria, is a booming powerhouse. It is beset by political and social problems but is developing rapidly. I only had to glance down at Addis Ababa as I landed from Juba to see the construction explosion and the city sprawl. It's not picturesque, in fact someone in Juba told me to avoid it because the buildings were ugly. However I don't think there's value in writing a place off for aesthetic reasons. There are always redeeming and interesting features and to think otherwise does a place a disservice.

It feels very overwhelming, confusing and unique. I haven't explored much yet as it's a work day and I was chained to the laptop, but I look forward to exploring over the weekend.

Flights from South Sudan arrive unhelpfully at the domestic terminal, where it was pretty chaotic explaining how they should process my e-visa. These have been recently introduced by the government. The immigration official stared blankly at my papers as if she'd never seen anything of the like. I wasn't the only one having trouble judging by the high blood pressure and raised voices that I saw.

Addis requires layers at night as it's high up and I feel decidedly chilly. Packs of dogs are howling outside and the government has blocked Whatsapp. My hotel window doesn't close properly, but the staff are beyond hospitable and have already promised legendary Ethiopian coffee in the morning.