Who Loves Ya Baby? Apparently...Everyone.  

Saturday Sarena was nowhere to be found, but don't worry...

Alem takes to me to the Merkato, where everything possible product can be bought and sold in Addis Ababa. Fruits, vegetables, meat, toiletries, basically one giant Wal-Mart with different stalls covering a square mile or two.

After lunch we then went to a lounge where they use a hookah and chew chat (qat) . The hookah is not used to smoke tobacco but sweet smelling herbs. Chat is almost like chewing tobacco, without being tobacco. I didn't indulge in either because that is not my thing. But the mellow vibe was great. Just 8 folks on a Saturday night in Addis Ababa, intermittently talking about life, Obama, politics, the world economy, the USA, Ethiopia.

Woinitu shows up at the lounge, we start talking and within 10 minutes she decides to take me dancing. Me, I had no plans for the night and Alem is still on duty so we jump in the taxi and drive.

We end up first at a restaurant with a live band. We eat enjera of course, have a few drinks and dance for a little bit there.



Then Woinitu takes us to a club called Harlem Jazz – on Reggae night! So we dance the night away until about 3am.

From a guy who had no plans for the evening I sure had a full one.

Since we didn't leave the club until late I call Alem to meet me at 1PM on Sunday. I run downstairs to talk to Elham and take some pictures.

As I'm getting my camera I run into one of the workers at the hotel.

You're leaving!? Oh we'll miss you!

Ok I'll take your pictures too.

And so that how I hung out with them for an hour, getting an impromptu Ethiopian coffee ceremony, taking more pictures and getting more marriage proposals.

Seems that all the girls were talking about me. Some wanted to go to Las Vegas, Canada. One offered jokingly said that she was small enough to fit in a suitcase. No need to buy a ticket.

At least I THINK she was joking...Nope she wasn't joking...