Adventure No. 1 - Culture Shock

It was in June 2011 when I came back from holidays in Croatia with my girlfriend (after that holidays fiance). When I went to the office the first day after holidays our boss wasn't there but again touring through Germany, doing some unimportant things so I decided not to do too much. At that time it was more fun to surf in the internet or to complain with my colleagues about work. We haven't been paid correctly since few months so our ambition to work hard has been to holiday also. After three days sitting in the office doing nothing I took a descision: I quit my job in this company and found my own one. It was my long time dream to found my own company plus I knew that I'd get some thousands Euro which I usually had to get the months before already. That was the moment my idea was born: take some of this money and fly to Africa. You're young and you always dreamed about that. Now you got the chance - take it!

My luggage

The 21st June 2011 was my last day as an employee. Then everything happened very quickly. I got my vaccinations when I decided where to go. "Hi, I'm here to get some vaccinations." - "Good. Where do you want to go to?" - "Ethiopia and Somaliland. Three weeks." - "Okay. You need this and that..."

Pinprick - booking - sitting - waiting - boarding.

Nice and clean toilet

I flew from Düsseldorf to Amsterdam and then via Khartoum to Addis Abeba. When I arrived I noticed that my luggage was somewhere else but not where I was. After watching the assembly line for nearly one hour, waiting for my large backpack. Negative. After an hour long procedure at the airport I finally went out. It was midnight already and a lot of people talked to me or tried to talk me into some crappy hotels with their special offers. In the end I went out of the airport and took a taxi. Taitu Hotel was my first address. The hotel's ratings in the internet varied from very bad to good. But man, it was the oldest hotel in this country so I shouldn't miss it, doesn't matter how shabby it is!

My room in the brothel

When I went to the taxi (funny blue 40 years old Ladas from the communist era) the culture shock began. It smelled very very different to anything I ever knew before. It was a mixture from exhaust, burned wood, shit and something else. The next step on the culture shock ladder was driving in this car. Particularly there was no bottom in that car so I could see the street when driving. Nice! Then there came some cars without lights in the middle of the night but everything seemed to be in a flow. It works - somehow.

We finally arrived at the hotel, I got my room and paid some exorbitant 23 $ for a room that night. I was brought to the room which looked more like a room in a 60s brothel. Well, nice. It's the middle of the night and I don't know any other hotel near to that so I had to take it. I slept bad in that 100 years old bed and all the bedclothes felt wet somehow. So I was glad to wake up the next morning and start my adventure.

I went out of my room, checked out and left the hotel property. I stood on a street, looked around and just thought: well, that pretty looks like Africa!

How I met guys, chewed Khat for the first time and how I get fucked by the first chance I will tell you the next time.