Addis Ababa (say it quickly three times...I have trouble saying it once) is Ethiopia's capital. A mixture of old and new with some of Africa's most important museums. It's a laid back city with friendly people. We only have one day here with lots to see and do. Jumping in feet first, an intensive tour of Addis at an altitude of 2,500m/8,202' and to the Entoto Mountains north of town and the site of Menelik's former capital for a "view." Haze...no view. Bit of trivia: Addis is the third highest capital in the world.

ex-Marine and I were astounded, and dismayed, by the women carrying timber up and down the mountains three to four times a day. Sammy said the stack of wood probably weighed close to 70 pounds/32 kilos. This poor lady was so bent over under her load that she made a perfect 90 degree angle...

On the way down from the Entoto Mountains, we passed by a local clothing market. That was interesting.

Next, St. George Church finished in 1911 with the help of Greek, Armenian and Indian artists. An unusual combination that resulted in a brilliant interior. There are services in the morning only and our guide unlocked the church to show us the inside. The ceiling was gold and blue while the outer wall of the Holy of Holies was covered with paintings and mosaics. It was interesting how church paintings of Christ also show the Star of David. When asked, he explained the Star of David is usually represented to show the bloodlines from King Solomon. Interesting. We also looked at old church paintings and artifacts, the guide demonstrated a typical Orthodox Christian ceremony and then, out-and-out, asked for a tip. We do not tip when people ask for one! A constant stream of worshippers approaching to pray at the door and/or inside. There is also a little ecclesiastical museum which didn't interest me. It may interest you, however.

Today was Saturday, the big day in the Mercato, the main central market. We were told to watch wallets, and don't wear jewelry. (When watching the videos, you'll notice that I am not the type of person who has to be told not to wear jewelry. My style of dress has been compared to "street people" dressing.) The Mercato was huge with masses of stalls, produce and people buying food, "Chat/Kat" (a leafy narcotic that is chewed) and chickens. Locals and people from all over the country flood in on Saturdays and it was chaotic. Finally asked Sammy to get us out of there.

The National Museum has "Lucy," the fossilized hominid discovered in 1974. There are two casts of Lucy and I couldn't get over how small she was. (No vitamins 3.2 million years ago.) Her actual bones are preserved in the museum archives but we also found out that "Lucy" was busy touring the United States right now.

This museum also had heaps of artifacts and one room with royal paraphanalia. Ethiopian art, secular arts and crafts...a lot to see in a short amount of time.

First impressions: Addis is much cleaner than we envisioned; a huge pizza with two cokes and tip cost $4.00 at Addis Cuisine; and the people are very friendly.

A whirlwind day in Addis, it was back to the hotel to sleep. Setting off tomorrow by Ethiopian Airlines to Bahirdar with a scheduled pick up at 5:00 a.m. Who ever said that "travel" is a "vacation"?

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