Shashemene

I dedicated a year to myself, traveling and exploring Ethiopia and Northeast India (the Seven Sisters). During this year, your tips and those of many others accompanied me in moments of distress and times without any source of information. With deep appreciation, I wanted to share a few things I learned myself. Enjoy reading.

My experience:

Inbali and I split our time in Shashamane into two visits: before Dodola and after Dodola. I must admit that the first time didn't seem pleasant; on the contrary, the place felt not sympathetic at all in our (initial) humble opinion, and going back to it was a fallback choice.

We arrived at Ras's place after an unpleasant experience at the bus station, where people tried to aggressively pickpocket us and steal our bags. We reached Ras's compound via a Bajaj (tuk-tuk) driven by Ras's friend, and it turned out he owns a Rastafari palace painted in green, yellow, and red, adorned with pictures of Haile Selassie and Bob Marley. Ras was sleeping, so Mula (his son) welcomed us and gave us a short tour of the place. Okay, we were in total shock. But not long after, Mimi (Ras's helper) served us amazing tea—the most amazing tea I've drunk in my 22 years outside my mother's womb—which later turned out to be made from ganja. Later on, Ras woke up and we had to get used to the fact that Ras speaks Hebrew, so we couldn't talk about him in the third person (and believe me, there was plenty to say).

Anyway, as time went by at Ras's palace, the experience grew weirder and weirder. We realized we wouldn't spend the next day with him and would move straight to Dodola, without blinking another unnecessary blink here…

But wait!

Let me reassure you – when we returned, the experience was completely different. We knew what to expect and took everything with a grain of salt. What made things much easier was the upgraded private room we received, 5-star level, and all that ran through our minds was "pampering at Ras's". Mimi served us ganja tea non-stop, and Ras shared stories from his life. We babbled on while treats were continuously served to us: Mimi's ful (an Ethiopian dish – fava beans with vegetables and egg) and a delicious salad.

The next day, we went with Ras and his Sudanese friends to the hot springs in Wondo Genet. In case you didn't know, Ras has another house in Wondo Genet, not far from the hot springs. We sat and chewed sugar cane that left us all sticky, were invited to the neighbor across the way, and ate crumbs made from false banana tree (a southern Ethiopian specialty) – looks like cookies, but it isn't... And then came the big moment – dipping in the village hot springs. We started with a walk through green lawns that led us to lukewarm water springs that Ras wasn't satisfied with. We walked further up the spring until we reached Ras's special spot. A beautiful pool, perfectly hot; all we had to do was soak inside and scrub our skin with the sand underneath us. That's Ras's medicine. That and ganja tea with pure honey. When it started to rain, we headed back.

Ras will take you to the most pampering places. He loves pampering himself! And you get swept up in his pampered vibe. Delicious juice, Bizza (pizza with an egg on top), and Mimi's food—simply living like royal guests at the court of the one and only.

How to get there?

Three taxis from Piazza in Addis taking about 3 hours will take you there. Total 140 Birr for 3 taxis.

Ras's number: 09-11404644

Before you arrive in Shashamane, call him so he can arrange a Bajaj to pick you up and take you to the palace.

How much does it cost?

The hat method (pay what you want). Go, pamper yourselves, do whatever you like – at the end, leave the amount you feel is right.

Ras, bless your soul!