Throwback Thursday, Bati Market, Ethiopia, 1973

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Click on photos to enlarge

The year was 1973. I traveled through this area where highland farmers met and traded with lowland caravans who traded camel dung as fuel and other goods for food grown by the farmers. I ended up living in Ethiopia for a year and a half, mainly in Addis Ababa.

 

For Throwback Thursday–a glimpse into the past.

22 thoughts on “Throwback Thursday, Bati Market, Ethiopia, 1973”

          1. Marsha

            Maybe someone another author would help you with the last 1/4. I’m sure it would be a compelling book and one we should read, Judy. Your life has so many interesting facets, you could write ten books each with a different theme.

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  2. wetanddustyroads

    Wow, these are now really ‘throwback’ photos! It’s very interesting to look back to the year 1973 … I wonder how much has changed in Ethiopia over the years … Thanks for taking part in the challenge, you have certainly take it a whole notch up! Greetings Corna (South Africa)

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    1. lifelessons Post author

      Corna, I just answered that question in answer to Alleta’s comment which I read before yours even though it came later–because it was higher in the notifications queue. Hope you can find it if you go back to the post.

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      1. wetanddustyroads

        You can tell me more about 1967 in South Africa (because I wasn’t born until 1972) 😉. Have you visited South Africa and where have you been? But you’re right, so much has changed over the years … probably like everywhere else in the world.

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        1. lifelessons Post author

          Apartheid was still in effect when we were there. I was on a university ship with 500 students, sailing around the world and we all had home stays scheduled for Capetown, but at the last minute, our college cancelled the stays and instead we were just allowed to leave the ship and go to dinner at different homes and to tour wherever we wished, but we had to come back to the ship each night. Everyone was so congenial and none of the black students had any problems, so we left Capetown assured that Apartheid was not the horrible thing we’d been led to believe. It wasn’t until we left port that our teachers showed us the headlines and stories from the papers a few days before we landed. The stories told of a ship full of young people selected for this four month journey around the world, some of whom would probably one day become the leaders of their country. Citizens of Capetown were told not to hassle any of the black students and to treat all of us with courtesy. In fact, Apartheid was more or less abolished for the few days were were there and the black students went wherever they wished. Our teachers told us we had been easily hoodwinked and had not had an authentic experience and this was why they had cancelled our home stays. It was an interesting episode in a 4 month experience that truly changed my life.

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          1. wetanddustyroads

            This is so interesting to read, thank you so much for sharing this story! I grew up in a very secluded diamond mine town on the West Coast of South Africa. And knew almost nothing about Apartheid until I went to high school (to another town), which was in 1986. In the diamond mine town, we were told to respect each other – black and white – because we lived in such close proximity without any influence from the “outside world” … it was actually so ironic to think I grew up in Apartheid, but experienced very little of it as a child.
            Oh, and I think you won’t recognised Cape Town if you see it now 😁.

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    1. lifelessons Post author

      In some respects it has changed incredibly. I don’t think I’d recognize Addis Ababa. The house where I lived is now gone–with a huge highway interchange built over it. The federal prison where the royal family was held after the coup was right over my back garden wall. I wonder if it was buried as well. There have been huge changes in government after the horrible reign of Mengistu. That revolution started while I was there. I’m sure traditions and the Coptic church haven’t changed, but Eritrea, which contained their Red Sea Base, achieved independence after the Revolution. Fighting still, alas, goes on.

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