So when the busy bee returned we started to look for the address for the Australian Consulate online. We found the address and phone number and decided to call them before heading out in the car to see them. It is just as well we did this as they have a third party visa processing center that does all the tourist visas. So we got that address and decided to have lunch before going. The point of doing it while I was here was in case they needed something from me, I could do the paperwork and leave it with Z rather than trying to get it too him down the track while I am on tour somewhere.
As it was just the 2 of us for lunch we decided to head back to the Top View Restaurant and have a romantic lunch. There were a lot of embassy cars in the car park, so it must be a really good spot for somewhere to eat. Z was explaining how all the number plates work in Ethiopia and you can tell which cars are diplomats and you even know to which country they belong. The Germans had 3 cars in the car park, the Spanish, the Kenyans and 2 British cars were all dining at the same restaurant. Rubbing shoulders with the best of them, that’s me!!!
Next stop was the VPC (Visa Processing Centre). Zeme knew the address and after sitting in some extreme traffic we found the building no problems. They were located on the third floor (no lift) and Z had to sign in, security check and leave his phone with me, as I wasn’t allowed to go into the waiting area at all. It then surprised me to only have to wait 5 minutes and he was back out again. He pretty much got fobbed off to a website that would tell us all the information that we needed to know. I HATE the fob off, but we had no choice so when we got back to the hotel we jumped onto the said address and after a good 15 minutes clicking around the government web site we found the visa that Zeme needed and all the answers to our questions. We decided to print off two copies of the application form, I was going to fill in one and then Zeme would copy the information in his hand writing onto the second one once again to try and nab any paperwork or questions in the bud while I am here. So we saved them to a USB along with my letter of invitation that was also required and off Zeme runs to the printers to get it all printed. In the meantime he also picked up the stickers on his return. He is amazing at doing all the running around all day.
We were struggling for dinner ideas tonight so Zeme asked what food I liked. So besides Italian food I said I liked Chinese food. Well he’s never had Chinese before and I said you should like it as it is just meat and vegetables served with rice. So he knew where there was a restaurant and he was happy to give Chinese a crack. Well we pulled up at Lin Jong’s Chinese Garden and walked in. There were a lot of Asian people sitting at the tables and I saw this as a very good sign, if they are eating here it must be pretty good. Well we ordered a beef in black bean, crispy chicken and rice and I have to say it was just about the best Chinese food I have ever eaten and Zeme loved it! The crispy chicken was like it had been cooked in a BBQ fire and the skin was super crispy and very succulent. So it was a great decision on our part and I am glad that Z liked it. In Ethiopian terms the meal was quite expensive at 19AUD including 3 drinks but man it was a good feed. It was a great last meal to have had in Addis Ababa and I know that I will definitely be eating there again on my return.
Saturday was D-day for meeting Zeme’s family and I was nervous as hell. We had a few things to do before that though and filling in the Australian visa application was one of them. It was 16 pages long, so it took a little time, but it all looked easy enough and they didn’t seem to need anything out of the ordinary. Mind you what it looks on paper and the actual process are completely 2 different things and when we got to the end of the application I could legally fill the form in for Zeme and we just declare and sign the application, so it was good that we did do that before I left. Zeme has a tour to Kenya in April, so once he is back from there we will start the process and let’s hope it is as easy as it looks on paper.
My flight on Saturday night wasn’t until 11.35pm, so I decided to pay the additional nights’ accommodation at the hotel so we could have the room up until 9pm. There is nothing worse than having to check out at 12 noon and then not being able to freshen up and have somewhere to relax with a 36 hour travel day in front of me; the 50AUD was well worth its weight in gold. We were told that we couldn’t keep the room we had as it had been booked, so I had packed early in the morning and we waited for the new room to be ready, well at 10.30am they decided that we could keep the room we had after all!!! What a pain as I was all airline packed and ready to go.
Zeme wanted to show me a little more of Addis that I hadn’t seen on my last visit so our first stop was the Holy Trinity Cathedral, known in Amharic as Kidist Selassie. It is the highest ranking Orthodox cathedral in Addis Ababa. It was built to commemorate Ethiopia's liberation from Italian occupation and is the second most important place of worship in Ethiopia, after the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum. The cathedral bears the title 'Menbere Tsebaot', or 'Pure Altar'. The church compound is the burial place for those who fought against the Italian Occupation, or those who accompanied the Emperor into exile from 1936 to 1941. Emperor Haile Selassie I and his consort Empress Menen Asfaw are buried in the north transept of the cathedral. Other members of the Imperial Family are buried in the crypt below the church. The High Altar of the cathedral is dedicated to 'Agaiste Alem Kidist Selassie' (Sovereigns of the World the Holy Trinity). The other two altars in the Holy of Holies on either side of the High Altar are dedicated to St. John the Baptist and to 'Kidane Meheret' (Our Lady Covenant of Mercy). In the south transept of the cathedral is a recently added chapel of St. Michael, which houses the Tabot or Ark of St. Michael the Archangel, which was returned to Ethiopia in February 2002 after being discovered in Edinburgh. This relic was taken by British forces from the mountain citadel of Magdalla in 1868 during their campaign against Emperor Tewodros II. It was pretty amazing church and it had some beautiful stain glass windows running down both sides of the church. It wasn’t open to the public, but you could pay to enter and the priest and a guide would let you in for a small tour.
Our next stop was the Lion Park. As we had heard of some lion stories when we were in Gondar, we decided to visit the Lion Park upon our return. I am not sure what I expected but the lions looked like they were 100 years old (reality was most of them were 25 years old) and they looked so sad. The Lion Park is actually called the Lion Zoo and its home to 19 adult lions and 4 young ones – two males and two females. There are nine other animals at the zoo including Gelada baboons, Lesser Kudu, turtles and Egyptian Geese but the lions are the main attraction. The zoo is a small oasis of green in a city that’s increasingly becoming less green. Apparently it used to be the place for couples to hang out once upon a time. The zoo was founded in 1940, Ethiopian Calendar (that’s 1947 for the rest of the world), and started off with a couple of lion cubs – Molla and Lulu – that were donated by the Emperor Haile Selassie. The lions were collected from Western and Southern Ethiopia (Wollega, Elubabur and Sidamo)
We got to the zoo at around 1.30pm and the entry was 10 Birr per person (52 cents per person) and an extra 20 birr (1AUD to be able to take pictures with my camera). We then proceeded to walk around and admire the lions. There are 10 enclosures, each with a pair of lions – male and a female – except for one lone female whose mate recently died. I must say that they are beautiful creatures and they were massive. I don’t recall the game park lions being this big and we did get pretty close to them as well. The zoo reminded me of the zoos of the 80’s. There was no grass for them, the enclosures were small considering their size and that is just the lions. The cages for the monkeys were terrible and people were throwing bottles into the cages and a coke can to watch them play with them. It was actually heart breaking and I decided to not even post any photos on Facebook of my time there. Apparently there is talk of building a new zoo with more room and greenery for the animals, but I am not sure when and if that will eventuate.
The Chinese last night left such an impression that we decided to go back for lunch and we had exactly the same thing and it tasted just as good as it did last night. It was soooooo good. From here Zeme’s house was only a 10 minute drive away and it was time for me to meet the family. I was so nervous but also excited to be meeting them. I think my main nerves were because they don’t speak English, but after arriving and being welcomed in it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. His mum is just beautiful and his Dad speaks a little English. I met his younger sister but his younger brother and older sister weren’t at home, but it feels good to have it done and next time I see them it will be easier and they seemed really nice which is a bonus as one always needs to get along with their In-laws.
So the afternoon went far too quickly and before I knew it, it was time to head to the airport. We got a quick visit from Chombe who came bearing some Ethiopian gifts for me which was super sweet and a quick stop off to say goodbye to Minalu on our way to the airport and the realization hit me that I was finally leaving Ethiopia and saying goodbye to Zeme. People who are not travelling are not allowed to even enter the airport building, so our goodbye had to be done in the airport car park. Luckily we had said most of what we wanted back at the hotel, so after our departing words, hugs and kisses I was left wondering where the last 25 days had gone. My Facebook status for the day was:
“leaves Addis Ababa and Ethiopia tonight. I know deep in my heart and in my soul, that this truly is real love. Real love that overcomes all obstacles-colour, creed and culture. Real love that lasts until the end of time. I'm going to miss you Zeme Moges and we only have 131 days till we meet again xx”
I think this sums up my feeling totally in a nutshell and with a last hug I walked through the throngs of people also saying their goodbyes to friends and loved ones and with a look over my shoulder I saw him wave from the car as he drove out of the car park. I feel sad, but I also feel happy as I am one step closer to getting back to South America to finish that part of the trip, which brings me one step closer to getting to the USA to see friends, which brings me one step closer to New Zealand to see Lisa, which brings me one step closer to getting home to Shelly, my God-daughters and friends and finally Zeme’s arrival in Australia. There is always an upside to a downside and this is what I was clinging to as I checked in and my African Detour comes to an end.
So with that said I need to thank my wonderful boyfriend Zeme. He has restored my faith in love and romance. There are so many things in this world we can't control, so it's important to remember the things we can change. There is one thing that turns a lonely place to a beautiful place and that is love. Love gives us hope. Hope for the future. 131 days till I see my lover, my friend, my soul mate is just a dip in the ocean of the rest of our lives together. You make me a better person Zeme and I can’t wait for my return to you and your beautiful country in August. I love you baby xx
Happy travels and may your love blossom.
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