Flying in from Somaliland, we had an overnight in Addis Ababa at the RadissonBlu before our flight to Dire Dawa with Ethiopian Airlines.

Dire Dawa is the second largest city in country and only a couple of hours away from Harar by minibus (20 birr). Besides some random monkeys at the airport there wasn’t much excitement in town, though we managed to exchange our leftover Djibouti francs at the blackmarket.

The drive through the mountains, farmlands, and finally arid desert was very picturesque.

Right outside of the walled city, we found the Tewodros Hotel which had really basic rooms to say the least. The resident guide was friendly though, so we decided to stick around and get a tour with him.

We were surprised to find out that the owner is an American Ethiopian from Maryland. We chatted with him briefly before he offered us a delicious traditional lunch with injera and Harar beers.

Our guide then took us on a comprehensive tour of the city starting with the Smuggler’s Market, outside of the old city wall. This local market was not meant for tourists and offered everything from recycled clothes and car parts, to food and electronics. Interesting to see metal ammunition boxes repurposed as shoeshine kits. 

We then entered through one of the gates into the ancient walled city of Harar. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a maze of alleyways, mosques, single floor houses and shrines. I felt like I was back in Fez!

Navigating the narrow streets lined with market stalls, the windy roads led us to a traditional house with tapestries and crafts decorating the walls.

The guide took us to Feres Magala, a central square with a church and one of the ancient gates.

We visited the museum Casa Museo di Rimbaud and Arthur Rimbaud Center, both set in traditional houses of former traders.

Outside another gate we purchased some khat, the local plant that people like to chew on for a mild high. Apparently the best khat in the world is grown here.

Circling the wall, we admired the works performed by UNESCO in restoring the crumbling stone. Children exuberantly ran up with a “hello money” and then lining up for pictures.

Back to where we started, our guide took us to a cafe where we learned to eat the small young leaves of the khat over a coffee. I didn’t really get a buzz but the leaves were quite fragrant like a fresh tea.

Across the table were three other foreign tourists also seemingly waiting for dusk when the nocturnal animals start to play.

Our driver arrived and took us on a really short drive just outside of the wall to a man with a straw-basket seated on the side of the road. He was calling names and we noticed behind him were several hyenas.

The car lights lit the scene so we could start our hyena feeding. Our guide first showed us how to feed them with his mouth. He held a stick with his teeth and the feeder hung a slab of meat which the shy hyenas carefully snatched before retreating again. 

We took turns feeding the beasts. It was definitely an experience to remember, though the hyenas seemed more fearful of us than the other way around. http://world-adventurer.com/harar-walled-city/ http://world-adventurer.com/harar-walled-city/

Our night concluded at a restaurant aimed at tourists, but it didn’t matter. We were glad to relax over a beer and relive the events of the day.