Bring An Open Heart

Another FB post made me stop to reflect a bit and the result is this. Everyone who has the luxury of travel, and who is interested in an experience, should travel to Ethiopia. The reason I say this has to do with the aforementioned FB post which happened to be about the airport in Ethiopia's capital city.

Of all the airports in the world, the one that has made the best impression on me is the airport in Addis Ababa. It's not fancy but it's comfortable enough. Definitely busy. A bit chaotic inside. The parking lot is beyond insane given that it is not big to begin with and basically serves as the "arrival lounge" since you can't get into the airport building without holding a plane ticket. It's functionally clean - cleaner in many aspects than some airports in the U.S. although there probably won't be toilet paper in the bathrooms. It's reasonably efficient, especially given that it's an international airport with all that implies. I mean the amount of checked luggage being processed is a thing all unto itself. It has good last minute shopping opportunities, although at the point of departure I am usually broke. Great place for people watching. The worst I can say is that there is is one cafe where for some reason it's impossible to get your bill in a timely fashion. And yet, I've eaten there three times.

But all that aside, there is a level of courtesy that I encountered with the employees of the Addis Ababa Airport that is based on both common sense and kindness. For example:

- The visa processing agent who went along a very long line and pulled out everyone carrying a sleeping or crying child on their shoulder and expedited them at a different table.
- The porter who helped with our lost luggage and GOT.IT.DONE. Who told Atinafu in an moment of fussiness to "Sit" in polite but no uncertain terms. (And he sat, to the exhausted amazement myself and Roxann.) Who insisted on carrying 50 pound Johnathan at a moment when I was perilously near tears. He said to Johnathan "I will carry you" in that same courteous but no nonsense voice. Johnathan looked at him, looked at me, and promptly snuggled into this stranger's neck and went with it. 10 days later,as we were leaving, that same man popped out of the crowd in the parking lot to give Johnathan a hug and ask him how his trip had been.
- The janitor who, when asked where we could buy a card to load up my cell phone with minutes, promptly offered his own cell so we could call the people who were waiting for us in the parking lot.
- The wrapping service in the airport where for a small amount of money you can have that big item that you really wanted to bring home with you basically shrink wrapped quickly and expertly. No fuss/no muss.

Now I'm not stupid. With the exception of the visa agent, all of the above people made some money for providing a service. People have to make a living. Ethiopia can be a hard place to do that. And the combination of my white skin and obvious accent make me easily identifiable as an American. The chances of me being a profitable "customer" are probably better than decent. But the way that each individual provided service was so gracious and kind, that the fact that there was clearly Birr or Dollars involved seemed like an afterthought.

So that's what I have experienced in Ethiopia. As a tourist, the process of moving about from place to place, sightseeing, etc., is at a practical level all founded on the money. That is just a fact. Tourism is an industry, after all. In fact, it's my industry so I should know. But every place I have traveled in Ethiopia, I have been impressed with the fact that tourism is presented with an attitude of "Please, let me show you/let me help you". Kind people have run several blocks away to get bubbly water for my sick child. All the Amharic I know, I have learned in the back of a battered blue taxi cab. I had fun learning it and I remember it all. Many, many strangers in various restaurants and cafes have done what they can to entice my finicky children to eat. With a couple of tiny exceptions, no person I have encountered in Ethiopia has made me feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. And no one that I have met was not proud to show me their bit of Ethiopia.

That isn't to say that your attitude as a tourist doesn't makes a difference. I have seen some extremely rude tourists in Ethiopia, as in everywhere else in the world. I have seen people treat guest house hosts like servants. I've seen people be loud and demanding and entitled. I think that you reap what you sow. While touring a church complex in Axum, I was told very regretfully by the guide that there was parts of the grounds and one church building where women could not enter. Did I want to see the church? Sure. But... instead, while my father went and toured the church, I wrapped my scarf a little tighter around my head and went and sat on a boulder with a group of Axumite women who were there for a religious ceremony related to Lent. We exchanged shy smiles and head nods, shoulder shrugs indicating "gosh, it's a beautiful day", etc. We listened to the chants coming from the church. It was lovely and peaceful and a moment that had meaning to me. And then... we proceeded to watch a group of female American tourists, in shorts and tank tops no less, fuss loudly and harass their guide about the gender restriction and generally make asses of themselves. It was so embarrassing. Really, I blushed for them. From their guides frosty body language I am guessing that their tour was close to over and that if they took anything away from their experience that day, it was basically the same stuff they could have found in a guide book.

Ethiopia is a beautiful country. So much to see, so much history and culture and so many contrasting dynamics. But above all, a place where you can bring an open heart and a sincere interest and receive kindness and courtesy and true hospitality.