Harar, the wild things…

My parents, Abel and I went to Harar just after New Year for our last trip together. It took us 9 hours ½ by car to reach our destination. And let me tell you, 9 hours ½ of beautiful scenery, going from t’eff fields to coffee plantations, from flat plains to the ridge of a mountain, is still 9 hours ½ in a very small space, and even worse for me, a small space in motion.

We had been driving in the dark for 45 minutes when we reached our destination. You know when Borringer says, a town at night is beautiful, well, he surely is not talking about Ethiopian’s city. Because, a town by night, in Ethiopia is… pitch black when there is a power cut. So, the arrival was certainly adventurous, we could not see a thing, and finding our hotel was a crusade. We did finally get there to discover that hotel in Ethiopia are all the same, whatever standards they claim to have: ugly and dirty.

In the morning, we met with our “French speaking” guide (still not sure what language she was speaking) and started our adventure in Harar. The old city is a little jewel. Built as a Medina in the 8th – 9th century, Harar is home to 110 mosques and around 150 shrines. It is a maze of small streets, all paved, with white traditional Harar houses and green mosques. Most streets are completely empty, except for the ones which host a market. These are full of people wearing very bright colors buying hundreds of spices, pots, cloths etc… There really is a buzz to this town and it is beautiful.

Harar is famous for its coffee (I will let my dad comment on that) and ch’at production. Ch’at is a leave that people chew to get high. It is legal in Ethiopia, Somalia and the region, but also in the UK. Someone would need to chew it for 6 hours before to see the “benefit” of this drug. It is apparently energizing and keeps you awake. From what we saw, it is more mind-numbing than anything else. Most people have green lips and teeth and can’t focus any more. They are lying on the ground, chewing and smiling. When I asked Abel if he would ever try Ch’at he answered me with disgust that he was no sheep, so no, he was not going to chew on leaves for hours. I think he did not have much respect for the chewer, as he tried to take his picture with the most ridiculous ones. When Ethiopia wonders why its economy is not growing faster, I think one of the reasons laid in front of our eyes during this trip: ch’at kills entrepreneurs, kills businesses, kills employees and definitely kills brain cells.

Harar is also famous for being home to Arthur Rimbaud. We visited his museum to learn his incapability as a business man. Ah, realizing you are a genius to young is definitely bad for your health (look how he finished), I am glad I haven’t found yet what I am really good at (contract law does not count).

Finally, Harar is unique for its hyenas feeding spots. The tradition started not that long ago, but it is very popular. You have to understand that hyenas in Ethiopia are dreaded animals. They kill children in every city and decimate life stock. Two men feed hyenas on a daily basis in Harar. They come 15 kilometers for a bit of fresh meet, you can hear their laugh from miles. So, we went to feed the hyenas. The parents weren’t that impressed, but I am sure they were playing cool. Abel and I were subjugated. We had to brace ourselves to get in the queue to feed the wilds. You feed them from a stick around 15 centimeters that you can hold in your hand, or for the bravest, in your mouth. I did the hand, and then, the show man fed them next to my ear!!! I very courageously closed my eyes and just focused on the noise and the smell… enough adventure for the month!