Yes, a river DOES run through it

Considering how high up Addis is, and in such a mountainous region, I haven’t had that much sensation of being in the mountains so far. Maybe that’s because the rainy season is starting, and the clouds are often hanging low. Maybe it’s because we’re already at such an elevation that the nearby mountains don’t seem so huge. But you do get glimpses of it. From my living room balcony in the evening, I see the sun setting behind mountains that are, according to my trusty map, nearly 11,000 feet tall. And the city of Addis itself definitely has a slope to it: elevations within the city apper to range from roughly 6,700 feet to 7,800 feet (again based on a quick review of trusty map).

All of which explains why a river does indeed run through Addis. It races on a steep serpentine course through the city, in fact, cutting a sharp urban gorge and requiring many many bridges. What a nice infusion of nature into a sprawling metropolis! And indeed, that’s just how it looks, if you look at it from a distance, and just can see the lush greens alongside the rushing water.

But of course a closer look tells another story. Environmental controls have not exactly caught on here yet. The air seems more polluted than Kampala, doubtless due to the trapping effect of the surrounding mountains. And you don’t want to look too closely at the river, filled with suds in one spot, with garbage in another, and certainly with worse.

It’s too bad, said an Ethiopian friend. Where the river starts, not far away up in the Entoto Mountains (the original home of the capital city), this is a lovely, clear mountain stream. I’m hoping to go visit and see.

Stay tuned for more, on donkeys and cloverleafs and who knows what in this crazy city.