We did not see a supermarket or grocery store outside of Ethiopia's capital (though I'm sure they probably exist in the bigger towns). Instead, we visited the many colorful - and to Westerners - exotic open markets that sold everything one could possibly imagine. I especially loved the fragrant spice markets, which boasted bulging bags of fenugreek, cardamom, pepper, ginger, ground garbanzos and more. The aroma was overwhelming and the stronger peppers induced much sneezing, especially when visiting the back rooms where the spices were ground into fine powders.
Outside of Harar, not far from the border with Somalia, we visited a bustling camel market. Here we learned that a fine adult camel could be had for 25,000 Ethiopian Birr (about USD1,000) and a youth for between 7 and 8,000 Birr. Our guide, Abdul, also shared that in Somalia, the families of young men paid 10 camels as a dowry for a bride, and for this reason, girls were preferred to boys in some areas there. At the market, we saw both men and women brokering sales, retaining 10% for their hard work. Just over a concrete barrier, a livestock market was in full swing offering goats (2,500 Birr/USD110), donkeys (up to 2,000 Birr/USD90) and cows (about 15,000 Birr/USD665).
Another fascinating place outside Harar was the wholesale Khat Market. Khat is considered either the scourge or bounty of Ethiopia, depending on whom you ask. While it is one of the largest sources of hard currency for the country, selling to neighboring countries, especially Somalia where, according to Abdul, 90% of men are users - it is also highly addictive and becoming more and more popular in Ethiopia.
Abdul, a self described "former addict," subscribed to the belief that this ubiquitous green shrub now covering the countryside outside Harar should be avoided. He recalled the days where he ate little but sought out camel's milk to soothe his upset stomach, a side effect of khat. He explained that the leaves are chewed, much like tobacco, and then retained in the cheek. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency describes the resulting sensation this way, "Khat can induce manic behavior with grandiose delusions, paranoia, nightmares, hallucinations, and hyperactivity. Chronic khat abuse can result in violence and suicidal depression."
Abdul described the cycle among many who use khat during the day and then alcohol at night to relieve insomnia, another side effect. In addition to its physical toll on the body, khat plants also require huge amounts of water to thrive. Abdul showed us the site where there once was a large lake, explaining that the water had gone to grow khat. People now dug huge pits to capture the remaining moisture, but he acknowledged it was an environmental disaster in the making, ignored by the local government. As we left the market, Abdul shook his head and waved his hand toward the produce stands, "All this nice fruit, beautiful fruit for sale, but no one buying because of the khat."
The khat market proved to be the lowlight of our trip for our ethnically Chinese twelve-year-old daughter. For the first time, people began chanting in her face, "CHINA! CHINA! CHINA!" versus "Ferengi!" the generic word for foreigner, we'd heard since arriving in the south. A friend later explained that it may be because of the abundance of Chinese businessmen now in Ethiopia, and in some cases, the only foreigners these locals may have seen. It didn't help that both she and I also experienced naughty boys pinching us on the back of the arm and then running away. We even had a few rocks thrown at us. We weren't sure why our reception was different here than other places, but we couldn't help but wonder if it were something to do with the khat.
