The Hilton in Addis Ababa

By Mark C. Hale

 Arriving at the Hilton in Addis involves a car search, luggage screening, and the wearing of a mask. The security is tight, but the mask policy seems a bit loose. The rooms are sized to what you might find in the U.S., much larger than those found in Rome. The beds are comfortable and the pillows soft.

When the Italians invaded Ethiopia during Mussolini's rise to power in the early 1930's, they occupied the country for several years, leaving behind a considerable influence on the food. Pizza can be found most anywhere, along with pasta and other Italian dishes. I can't say it's as good as the pizza found in Rome, but passable. Not so much for the sauce, but for the dough. The Ethiopians make really good breads! It's one of my favorite things to get here.

Today was spent with the administrative team planning out the next four weeks of teacher orientation. They are a terrific group of inspired educators who are passionate about HMA and excited about the coming school year.


Left to right: Tesfaye, Nabil, and Claudia




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