This morning CNN says Lufthansa pilots have called a general strike. It seems the 15 percent salary increase the company was offering was insufficient. The pilots want 30 percent. Since my flight was delayed four hours by the strike, I tracked down a bicycle to rent at the train station and spent the morning by peddling around the city. This is a great way to fight jet lag. Travel expert Rick Steves always says, “Go local.” There is no better way to fit in with Europeans than riding a bike. One German even asked me for directions! “Sorry. Nine Deutch,” I said.
On the list of Europe’s many travel destinations, Frankfurt is not high up. It’s a city known for banking, not charm. Most visitors are just passing through to wine country or the Alps. Still, it is a Germany city, complete with an old cathedral, museums and elegant bridges spanning the Main River. After the bike ride and a quick tour of the German Museum of Film History, I went back to the station and caught a train to the airport. Fortunately my flight to Ethiopia was not one of the hundreds that were canceled.
On the plane from Frankfurt to the Ethiopian capitol, Addis, Ababa, I had the privilege of sitting next to a
very distinguished Ethiopian gentleman dressed in a rugged khaki suite with white oxford dress shirt. When dinner came, he put down his trashy romance novel and we talked. Mr. Goobyai asked about my visit to Ethiopia and I told him about the Mekane Yesus Church and the aids story. My new friend turned out to be a graduate of the University of Kansas where he earned a bachelors and masters degree in the 1960’s. “An American company offered me a job for $2,000 American dollars a year. In 1965 that was a lot of money. I couldn’t believe it. I told them, “No. Ethiopia is my home and I want to go back.””
Our conversation covered Ethiopian history, politics and religion. Goobyai said he is Orthodox from the Amhara tribe, but never goes to church. “Why the hell should I go to church to find God?” he said. I told him many Americans feel the same way. The most interesting part of our conversation came when I told him of our desire to tell positive stories of Ethiopia rather than re-enforce negative stereotypes. This really got him steamed. “Ethiopia is all f___ed up!” he complained. “American’s don’t care because they don’t know the truth. You are going to see some things that will shock you in Addis. Begging has become a profession. When I was a boy, it was a curse to be a beggar. The only ones allowed to beg were students who wanted to become priests. Even if they had money, they still had to beg, in order to learn humility. Now there are beggars everywhere. People urinate in the street. It didn’t use to be like that.” Goobyai went on to say that democratization and U.S. military intervention against non-democratic states was Africa’s only hope.
Our flight from Frankfurt to Addis stopped in Cairo, Egypt. As we approached, I glance out the window. To my absolute
astonishment and delight, there, bathed in the light of the setting desert sun stood the Great Pyramids of Giza! “Yes,
Virginia. There really are Pyramids in Egypt.” After dropping off most of our passengers and refueling in
Cairo, the mostly empty Boeing 757 took off for Addis. We landed around midnight. I passed customs and looked for my
Ethiopian contact, Yonas Gorfie. No Yonas. That old sinking feeling crept in. “Here I am in Addis Ababa. It’s
midnight. I’m by myself and I don’t know a soul.” As the small terminal began to empty, I decided to follow the
Lufthansa flight crew to the Sheraton Hotel shuttle bus. The hotel agent told me that the Addis Sheraton had rooms,
but they cost $150.00 U.S. a night. “No problem,” I said. Just as I sat down in the shuttle, the agent came to the
door and said, “Come, come. There is a man named Yonas looking for you.” I thanked the agent and followed him
into the dark parking lot where a rather handsome man with shaved head, goatee moustache and beard, waited. The
sign in his hands read, “Tim Frakes”. It’s good to have friends.
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