Elizabeth and I have discovered a breakfast dish called ful that we absolutely love! It is comprised of cooked fava beans, accompanied with a side of onions, tomatoes, garlic, and jalapenos. It is served with bread, which you dip into the ful, similar to the way you would eat crackers with hummus.
Elizabeth and I joke that we both wake up in the mornings dreaming of ful. There is a place right next to the guesthouse, where we have become morning regulars. Our order usually consists of 2 macchiatos and ful – yum! This usually comes out to about $25 birr, equating to only $1 dollar! What’s not to love?
This morning we woke up and went to our local spot, but they were not serving ful (perhaps due to the power outage). A man overheard our request and accompanied us to his friend’s spot up the street that serves ful. We sat down in her small, tarp-enclosed shop and ordered ful and coffee. We were enjoying the sunny weather, chatting about the news, and laughing. A few men walked in and sat down next to us, also ordering ful for breakfast. One of the men asked us where we were from and sparked conversation. He loves poetry and asked if we knew Emily Dickinson. We said yes, and he replied that he loves her poetry, specifically her poem about friendship. He then proceeded to recite this poem for us.
I was impressed by his poem recitation. The conversation continued and he asked if we liked Ethiopian music. We responded saying we hadn’t heard much yet, but would love to. He said his favorite artist is Teddy Afro and that we must look him up. He wrote down Teddy’s name in my notebook.
After finishing up our conversation and paying for our meal, Elizabeth and I walked to work. I walked away from this breakfast feeling relaxed and uplifted. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and we just ate a delicious breakfast, while enjoying a pleasant conversation with locals. Mornings in Gondar are my favorite time of day. The weather is perfect, sunny yet brisk, and everyone is walking up and down the streets and setting up their shops. People seem alert and awake, but at the same time the city feels calm and peaceful.