Eastern Ethiopia - Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somaliland - page 391

sell their goods (mostly firewood) and then spend their earnings on food and household
goods. All the fresh markets are busiest after 3pm and are pretty quiet on Sundays.
Elbow your way through the Shoa Gate Market Offline map Google map (also known as
the Christian Market) to find etan (incense) from the Jijiga area; it's used in the famous
coffee ceremonies ( Click here ) . This odoriferous market also has spices and bark, roots
and twigs used in the preparation of traditional medicine plus heaps of vegetables.
Behind the Shoa Gate Market's burnt-out half is the Recycling Market Offline map
Google map where men repair metal materials and beat scrap into useful utensils. This al-
leyway transforms into a second-hand and custom-made clothing market, called Cigarat-
era Offline map Google map ('Cigarette Row') after it's former incarnation, which is at the
backside of the Smugglers' Market Offline map Google map , chock-full of counterfeit
clothing and electronics (some real stuff too) from China; most of it is smuggled in from
Somaliland either by night caravans of camel and donkey across the remote desert fronti-
ers or cleverly concealed in trucks.
Across the Old Town, straddling the city wall, are the Erer Gate Market Offline map
Google map (Oromo Market) and the Fallana Gate Market Offline map Google map , both of
which are smaller, meatless versions of Gidir Magala ( Click here ) . North of Fallana Gate
is the weekday Livestock Market Offline map Google map with cows, goats and sheep, but
no camels: these are sold at Babille ( Click here ) .
Tours
Good city maps are sold at most of Harar's museums, but for your first foray it's quite a
good idea to hire a guide. Guides know the location of less-visited corners and the best
Harari houses and arts and crafts shops. They can also arrange vehicles for out-of-town
excursions, but note that hire costs are high here and 4WDs are rare.
Although there are official guides (ask to see their ID), there's no official price. Birr300
a day is standard for a small group. Most people arrange a guide through their hotel and
most hotels only work with good guides. Three guides that come particularly recommen-
ded are Biniyam Woldesemayat ( 0913-448811; [e-mail]) , Hailu
Gashaw ( 0913-072931; [e-mail]) and Abdul Ahemed (
0915-740864) , one of the longest-serving guides in Harar.