A Walk in the Entoto Hills

A Walk in the Entoto Hills

Addis Ababa is at an altitude of 2,400m which makes it the third highest capital city. The city has more than three million residents and is crowded and noisy. The air is dusty and polluted from the heavy traffic. But just a few hours walk from the city are the Entoto Hills, where the air is fresh and cool and the views spectacular.

The Entoto Hills were site of Menelik's capital before Addis Ababa – New Flower - was founded in 1887. They are covered in a thick forest of eucalyptus trees. These trees grow at an extremely fast pace and saved the city from being reallocated to a site 50KM to the west called Addis Alem - New World.

Our trek starts at the British Embassy and takes us on a 24K round trip, walking a circular path high above the city. We pass small villages, farms and schools. Small children rush out of their houses to greet us with the usual call of “Ferengi ferengi!” and shake our hands, as well as ask for money in some cases.

The word Ferengi is generally taken to be a generic Amharic for foreigner, but some say it was derived from the word “Ferenchi” which is itself a corruption of the English "French" or "Frenchie" and stems from the time when the English and French were in nearby in the Yemen and Sudan. This certainly fits with my experiences, as I have been spoken to in French numerous times whilst walking down the street.

 

We picnic on a lovely spot overlooking the valley below and the continue our walk passing a new college which is still being built and ending at the hilltop palace where Emperor Menelik II lived with his wife before moving down to establish Addis Ababa. It has taken seven hours, so we take a line taxi back to the city centre.