I was able to taste many things, try my hand at sifting teff flour, ask questions of Yared and vendors (using him as a translator), etc etc.

Although this was just a small sampling of Mercato, Yared was able to use his friendships with many market vendors to provide a much deeper and richer experience than would be possible exploring on your own. We spent three hours meandering from traditional crafts to an excellent rooftop viewpoint, to spice, grain, and incense areas, to teff and chile mills, to a kocho production area, and on to metal and plastic recycling areas.

I had an excellent first visit to Mercato, which was greatly enhanced by my local guide Yared. I departed a little bit late that day, if you wanna go you'd better leave 5 hours for that amazing jungle!

There are so many of them so you'd better schedule your time properly. And like a video game which has hidden plot, Yared would lead us to a historic place and asking if we wanna get inside. We first stopped at the famous Tomoka coffee shop, which is the oldest of the first coffee-drinking country of human kind, then we went through the blankts and accessories area. He knows not only merkato very well but also places nearby. He is patient in a way where I could ask anything, including sensitives things like religions, polygamy, politics. He is probably the best guide I met in Addis. Not the living area, but the Merkato is showing us the hustle and bustle of lower class african lives, they are working, striving, and fight for their own future, the ethic and vibe educated me that though life could be hard, you still should fight for it. I've been to places like Kebra in Nairobi but the Mercato is another thing. It was an amazing experience! It definite worth you ah half to a day! I spent 5 days in Addis and this is the most exciting and adventurous tour.

Car gebeya