Cars à gogo

So long no see! I haven’t written for a long time and I may have lost my only fans! (yes that is for your dear parents). But I do have a few experiences to share with you guys.
First of all, I wanted to inform you that I have now driven in Addis. We went to the cinema with Ben last Tuesday to see Wall Street (not bad at all, see below), and I had just received my Ethiopian driving lesson. Actually, I am not sure we can say it is mine because despites the fact it is displaying my photo, it is in the name of Mariget Ulice Nermin… Yep! Fortunately, thanks to the diplomatic plates, nobody should ask any questions.

So, I drove the 8 seater Toyota 4X4 in the most dangerous place in the world in terms of road accidents, and I manage to not kill anybody. I avoided other cars, dogs and people and I did not get lost. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the feeling (extreme stress), but it was a bit less worse than I had imagined and I think I will soon be driving all by myself in the city all the time.

This is because to be perfectly frank, having your own car in Addis is a luxury:
-I tried the buses: you have to wait for a long time to then be stuck with numerous people who to be honest have not washed for a long long time, and often a few chicken or half unconscious goats (looks like a description of a Brixton bus, doesn’t it?).
-I tried the blue donkeys: no spaces at all, you have to fight to get in and they are dangerous drivers. I personally believe it is because they really think the religious icon you inevitably found on every cars is protecting them.
-I tried the taxis: my big favourite, you always have cars that are hardly working and I think you might go more quickly by just walking next to the car. The comfort is really basic, and you might even have a seat bell if you are very lucky, but there is crap music and beautiful fake fur seats. Often, the driver can’t speak any English and having a conversation with them is fun (using hand, drawing, and my broken Amharic). But taxis are expensive, and despite my bargaining skills, I don’t really want to pay 3 pounds every time I go out.
-I tried horses: you can’t park them and they are scared of the cars (understandably), the dogs and even the wind.
-I haven’t tried walking yet, may be this is the solution!