Crucial Tidbits for New Arrivals To Ethiopia

Thinking about coming to Ethiopia? Great. I can almost guarantee you’d love the vibe here. But what tiny bits of information is there to know if you’re new here? Things guidebooks don’t bother to mention? Here is a short list of such advices, coming from a fellow new-bie:

The Clock System

Ethiopians have their own method of counting hours. To put it simply, we count up til twelve twice a day; once starting from 6:00 p.m (6 is 00:00 and 7:00 is 1:00) and the second time starting from 6:00 a.m. It’s like having two half days in one. This custom is not exclusive to Ethiopia. Certain tribes in countries like Saudi Arabia also employ this method.

This was confusing to me when I first came here (and at times, still is!). However, do not worry much about it as many Ethiopians can ‘fix’ the time according to what the person they’re talking is used to.

But keep this little fact in mind anyway. Better to rule out the chance of some major misunderstandings.

The Currency; The Birr

The value of the Birr is depressingly low when compared to international currencies. When being exchanged to dollars or euros, the Birr has to be divided by two-digit numbers!

However, one look at the value of other developing countries’ currencies and the humble Birr suddenly seems worth the patience.

U.S Dollar: Birr — 1:20.33

Euro: Birr — 1:23.17

U.K Pounds: Birr — 1:31.38

Saudi Riyal: Birr — 1:5.42

Australian Dollar: Birr — 1:15.79

Russian Ruble: Birr — 1:0.33

(Exchange rates as of 19/02/15)

The Floor

It took a while for me to get used to the idea that the entire capital city is built on ‘bumpy’ land. Addia Ababa is not just built on mountainous terrain but it is also the fifth highest capital city worldwide, with an altitude of 2355 m. When I walk up some roads, it seriously feels like a hiking experience, complete with the scattered rocks on pavements, holes from construction sites and the steepness of the path. Here’s my advice: invest on good shoes. Comfortable and durable shoes. Preferably, you’d get dark colored ones as it gets pretty sandy too. Sure, a pristine white Nike is eye-catching but I bet you the shine won’t survive a week. (Unless, of course, you spray your shoes with one of those new shoe protector sprays.)

Ladies, you’d better save your best high heels for the special occasions. On Addis streets, shoes follow Darwinism all the way: it’s about the survival of the fittest!