The Old City in Harar is an ancient historical site.  It is one square kilometer and thirty thousand people live within its walls. There are five gates into the city.

 

There are many traditional homes in the city that you can visit and stay in. The homes contain subtle information. For instance if you curl back the carpet you are sitting on and a reed carpet is evident underneath you know the household has a marriageable daughter or daughters.  If you look above the doorway the number of rolled carpets will tell you how many.   Where you sit and sleep is indicative of your status in the family.

We hired Hailu for a four hour tour of the market. His number is +251913072931.  He was excellent.

To preserve the city no changes can be made to the structures but painting is permitted. Before celebrations new painting becomes evident.

 

The Smugglers’ Market.  Being a traditionally Muslin community,  women cannot be searched by men so many items are smuggled into the country under their hijabs. Our guide was pleased to show off the boots he got here.

Women choose the fabric they like and take it to any of the many tailors available.

 

Colorful market sights.

 

Never any waste.

 

 

 

 

Sugarcane ladened donkeys.

 

Baskets specially woven to hold injera.

 

Truck loads of khat being brought to market. khat is a narcotic plant, chewed by a very high percentage of men in the country and exported to many countries around the world.  It is a problem because it is addictive, and farmers are choosing to grow it rather than food crops, because it is much more lucrative. There are plenty of social and public health problems associated with it as well.

Women selling khat.

 

Injera.

Our guide started this activity with the kites for his tours and to provide a little money to the camel meat shops.

 

A worker holds up a piece of meat, and the kites, who are roosting on the roof, swoop down and very adroitly snatch it from his hand or head or even in mid-air.

The lovely hotel cook who made a special soup for John when she heard he was sick.

 

On Jan 9 we traveled to Dire Dawa by plane. An airport scene.

From Dire Dawa we rode 43 k to Harar,  a predominantly Muslim area,   Stopping for water.

We were overwhelmed by the sights of poverty, congestion, color and animals.

View from our hotel.

When we arrived at the hotel we immediately left with another traveler to see the man who feeds the hyenas.  The man’s father became famous when a National Geographic story was written about him.  Now the son feeds the hyenas every night. He said there are over 150 that come. He kept calling them in a low throaty sound and throwing meat to them. This day there were not many as it was mating season and the dominant female was not there.

I woke up at 4:30 with a terrible itchy rash. I had been itchy for a few days but this morning the itch erupted into red bumps. I felt like I had measles or chicken pox. The night watchman at the hotel got us a tuktuk or bajaj,  as they call them and accompanied us to the hospital where I saw a doctor and got antihistamines. Our so helpful night watchman.

When I got back from the hospital I accompanied these two fellow travellers to the camel market 53 k from Harar, Richard from Worcestershire, England and Alex from Sao Paulo , Brazil.  John was sick and stayed behind..

Responsible so young for the family’s animals.

 

Men dye their hair red if they have been to Mecca or if they are planning to go.

Young men at the market.

End of the market.

Driving back to Harar.