Kigali, Rwanda to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

An easy travel day. 

My flight out of Kigali was at 10:55 AM so, being neurotic, I was at the airport by 8:00 AM to drop off the car.  It wasn’t what you would expect to get a car rental agency in the United States but it served me well.  And I only managed to get two speeding tickets during my 11 days with the car.  Given the number of speed cameras throughout the country I consider this lucky (about $65 out of pocket for both tickets).

Checking in and the flight to Addis Ababa was uneventful which is typically a good thing when flying. 

Getting through customs in Addis Ababa was more eventful.  Apparently, part of the requirements of my getting an Ethiopian visa was that I wouldn’t bring binoculars into the country.  I vaguely remembered reading this but assumed that was during the civil war, not now that a peace treaty was in place.  Well, I was wrong.  They were confiscated, logged, packaged and placed into secure holding and I would pick them up on my way out of the country.  Hard to spot birds and other wildlife but…

I was out of the airport by 3:00 PM and, eschewing a taxi, I opted to walk to my hotel (~1.5 miles).  A good, uneventful walk but I was still drenched by the time I got to the hotel.  It didn’t feel that hot but it was definitely more humid than I had anticipated.

My local guide met me at the hotel at 6:30 PM and took me out to a place with ‘authentic’ Ethiopian music, singing, and dancing.  I think it was all probably authentic but yet a little kitschy.  The best part was actually watching the Chinese tourists/businessmen interact with the staff.  I have to admit, they are not embarrassed to put it out there!

Back to the hotel early in preparation for an early flight in the morning.