279 uproar from locals it reversed its decision.
Legal Matters
Alcohol Alcohol cannot be served to anyone under 18 years of age in Ethiopia. Disturbance caused by those under the influence of alcohol is punishable by three months’ to one year’s imprisonment. Driving while under the influence is also illegal and attracts a fine.
Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs (including hashish) are strictly enforced in Ethiopia. Convicted offenders can expect both fines and long jail sentences. Consumption of the mildly stimulating leaf chat (see the boxed text, p260) is permitted in Ethiopia.
Maps For simply travelling around the country on public transport, the maps in this guidebook should suffice. For those venturing off into the nether regions with 4WDs, a more detailed map is essential. Since trekking without a guide is illegal in the Simien and Bale Mountains, additional maps aren’t necessary, though topographic maps (see the parks’ relevant sections for details) can help you plan your routes with more precision. » In Ethiopia, the map produced by the defunct Ethiopian Tourism Commission (1987; 1:2,000,000) isn’t
PRACTICALITIES » The best-known English-language daily newspapers
are the government-owned Ethiopian Herald and the privately owned Monitor. Other weekly private newspapers include the Fortune, the Reporter, SubSaharan Informer and the Capital. Only the Ethiopian Herald is available outside Addis Ababa. The weekly Press Digest gives useful summaries of the most important stories from the week’s Amharic and English press. » Radio Ethiopia broadcasts in English from 3pm to
4pm and 7pm to 8pm weekdays. The BBC World Service can be received on radios with short-wave reception, though frequencies vary according to the time of day (try 9630, 11940 and 17640 MHz). » Ethiopia’s ETV1 channel broadcasts in English from
11am to 12pm Monday to Friday and 11pm to midnight daily. ETV2 broadcasts in English daily from 8pm to 9pm. Many hotels and restaurants have satellite dishes that receive BBC or CNN. » Ethiopia uses the metric system for weights and
measures.
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bad and can be picked up in some Addis Ababa hotels. However the road system is now very outdated. » A more accurate map (although it lacks distance labels between cities) of the same scale is available from the Ethiopia Mapping Authority (Map p38; %0115-518445; Menelik II Ave; h8.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-5pm Mon-Thu, 8.30-11.30am & 1.304.30pm Fri) in Addis Ababa. » Of the maps currently available outside the country, the best by far is the new Gizi Ethiopia map (1:2,000,000). It’s much more up to date than any other map and includes elevations, but some of the place names are very different to how you’ll see them written elsewhere. Currently hard to find in Ethiopia, it was, at the time of research, only available through Abeba Tours Ethiopia (p295) in Addis.
ETHIOPIA DIRECTORY A–Z L EG A L M AT T E R S
Remember that when in Ethiopia, you’re subject to Ethiopian laws. If you’re arrested, you must (in theory) be brought to court within 48 hours. You have the right to talk to someone from your embassy, as well as a lawyer. For the most part, police in Ethiopia will show you as much respect as you show them. If confronted by the police, always maintain your cool, smile and be polite. Compared with some other African nations, police here rarely, if ever, ask for bribes (we’re yet to experience it).
Drugs
Money Ethiopia’s currency is the birr. It’s divided into 100 cents in one, five, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins as well as a one birr coin, and there are one, five, 10, 50 and 100 birr notes. Despite a weekly auction determining exchange rates, the birr is one of Africa’s most stable currencies. According to National Bank of Ethiopia regulations, all bills in Ethiopia must be paid in birr. But this isn’t enforced and Ethiopian Airlines, most major hotels and most travel agencies accept (and sometimes demand) US currency. One regulation that’s strictly enforced is the conversion of birr to US dollars or euros; this transaction can only be done for people holding onward air tickets from Ethiopia. This means people leaving overland must budget accordingly. There are black-market traders around the borders, but rates are poor and it’s risky.
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