- Next up, we fly halfway around the world to another sky-high mountain capital city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We're just in time for the Timkat Festival, which brings together the faithful from all around what might be the world's oldest Christian country.

Later, we join my good friend Heran for a traditional meal of scrumdidlyumptious Ethiopian cuisine.

Yes, I said, "scrumdidlyumptious."

Let's go.

[ Airplane engine whirs ] ♪ I'm Ernest White II -- storyteller, explorer.

I believe in connecting across backgrounds and boundaries.

I mean, look at us!

We're chasing the sunset.

Join me and my friends... What's going on, boy?

♪ ...and discover that no matter the background, no matter the history, the whole world is our tribe.

♪ Come with me.

♪ Whoo!

"Fly Brother."

- Major funding for this program is provided by... Marie Roberts De La Parra -- personal coaching, executive leadership, and self-empowerment.

Courageous Conversation Global Foundation.

Promoting racial justice, interacial understanding, and human healing.

MetalShake by Sweden.

Additional funding provided by the following.

♪ ♪ ♪ - Bustling and busy.

Vibrant and vital.

Addis Ababa is a city on the move.

As capital and largest city of Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa, Addis is a young city in a land with some of the oldest areas of human habitation, and with traditions and influence that have reverberated around the world.

♪ ♪ Park.

Coffee shop.

Churchill Street.

Addis Ababa.

♪ That's the Lion of Judah.

♪ On this trip, I'm here in Addis to experience a few of those traditions, but first...coffee.

♪ ♪ [ Ding! ]

I'm on Churchill Road, where folks are buying outfits for today's Timkat Festival, when, suddenly, something overtakes me.

♪ When I tell you Ethiopian coffee is strong, and I had two.

♪ [ Laughs ] Who's had Ethiopian coffee?

Me!

First established as Ethiopia's capital city by Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu Betul in 1886, Addis Ababa sprouted into a boom town of some 4 million people in just a few generations.

Guarded by nearby Mount Entoto, Addis Ababa is a center of commerce, industry, entertainment, and governance for Ethiopia and the continent of Africa as a whole.

In its comparatively young tenure as a capital city, Addis is home to the sprawling Menelik Palace, Emperor Haile Selassie's stately National Palace, and the futuristic headquarters of the African Union.

The city continues to bloom as befits its name.

In Amharic, Addis Ababa means "new flower."

Addis Ababa is a center for the mixture of cultures thousands of years old and from all over the region.

It's got some of the oldest traditions in the world.

And not only are we here to experience them, but we're going to show them to you right now.

[ Drumming, singing in native language ] Timkat is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany, a Christian tradition mainly commemorating the visit of the Three Kings, or Three Wise Men, to Baby Jesus.

[ Singing continues ] [ Clapping rhythmically ] ♪ ♪ ♪ Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian nations in the world, its faith dating back to the 4th century, when Ezana the Great, of the ancient Kingdom of Aksum, embraced Christianity.

Judaism in Ethiopia dates back at least as long, while some 34% of the country's population adheres to Islam.

But it is the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church that predominates in the country, with slightly less than half of Ethiopia's 110 million inhabitants identifying with the denomination, and over half of the population identifying as Christian.

[ Drumming, singing continues ] ♪ [ Horns blowing ] ♪ [ Ululating ] [ Horns blowing ] [ Clapping rhythmically, singing in native language ] ♪ ♪ The word Timkat in Amharic means "baptism," and the festival celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan.

The largest festival in the Ethiopian calendar, Timkat draws participants from around the country, who congregate under the bright Ethiopian sun, in Addis and in towns and villages around the country, and dress in elaborate attire to re-enact the baptism, while also escorting a replica of the biblical Ark of the Covenant, the chest containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments, in a procession around the city.

It's a joyous event, full of pomp, circumstance, pageantry, and revelry.

[ Singing continues ] [ Drumming ] [ Clapping rhythmically ] ♪ The costumes reflect religious, political, and regional traditions, melding aspects from the various ethnicities within Ethiopia and the surrounding regions of East Africa and Arabia.

♪ ♪ But you don't need a costume to join the fun at Timkat, just a little rhythm.

[ Singing continues ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ - And here, among the crowds, humanity and connection take a personal turn when a young man approaches me to offer a useful tip while filming.

So, Leo, we just met you out here in the parade, man.

You were giving me good advice, telling me either to step out to the side or to step closer to get the footage that we needed.

And I really appreciated that you identified us as people who were here visiting for the first time.

Oh, no doubt, man.

- Yeah.

- So, we were talking about connection.

Why is connection important to you?

Right, one source.

Yes.

Yes.

Yeah.

Right.

Teamwork makes the dream work.

Yes, yes.

To the whole planet.

Amen.

Yes.

Yes, man.

Yes.

[ Singing in native language ] ♪ Timkat celebrations begin the night before, called Ketera, during which various parishes of the church take their replicas of the Ark to nearby rivers, streams, pools, or reservoirs to pray and sing hymns through the entire night.

[ Singing continues ] ♪ ♪ ♪ The next morning, typically on January 19th, the procession begins in the center of Addis Ababa, where hundreds of thousands of participants move joyously through the city with religious songs and dances echoing for miles around.

♪ ♪ As the afternoon sun begins its slow descent, the crowd moves ever closer to the official baptismal pool on the edge of town, where the symbolic re-enactment of Jesus' baptism takes place.

Ethiopia's Christian traditions harken back some 1,700 years, and throughout the centuries, Christianity has had a recognizable impact on the country's history and its art and culture.

And Ethiopia's history as one of the only African countries never to be colonized by a European power, the brief Italian occupation of the late 1930s notwithstanding, means that its traditions and style of worship are almost entirely homegrown.

[ Singing in native language, clapping rhythmically ] ♪ ♪ The closer the crowd gets to the end of the parade route, the heightened energy, pride, and solemnity meld into a palpable and humbling excitement.

[ Singing continues ] ♪ ♪ ♪ Entire families, young and old alike, assemble from near and far for the official baptismal proclamation, made by the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Patriarch Catholicos of Ethiopia, Abune Mathias.

[ Men vocalizing ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Crowd cheering, laughing ] ♪ Once the blessing has been made over the baptismal font, water is showered over everyone as a rebirth, a renewal, a profession of faith extending until the next Timkat celebration and beyond.

♪ ♪ ♪ [ Men vocalizing ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Addis Ababa balances the modern and traditional, with glass skyscrapers rising on the horizon, while old-school artisans continue to weave the rich cultural tapestry of the country.

♪ ♪ Later this afternoon, I join my friend, writer Heran Abate, for a traditional Ethiopian lunch and a convo about culture.

What's going on, Heran?

Thank you so much for meeting us.

You are beautiful.

- Thank you.

Welcome to Ethiopia.

- Alright.

Thank you.

- So, now we can sit.

- Yes.

- Alright.

- How you doing?

- I'm great.

How have you been enjoying Ethiopia?

- Ethiopia's phenomenal.

- As you know, we're a very hospitable country.

And you get your hands washed... - Okay.

- ...where you're sitting.

- So, the handwashing, huh?

- Yeah, yeah.

It's -- that's the sign of respect, when a guest comes over to your house.

- Okay.

- Especially when there's a big feast or something.

- Thank you.

- You get your hands washed, you know.

It's a courtesy, basically.

- Okay.

Well, I appreciate not having to get up from the table.

- Yeah.

We're all about hospitality.

- Right.

I'm all about any place that helps me be a lazier person than I already am.

Thank you.

- Or makes you feel like a real guest.

- That's true.

I'm sorry.

I'm being... ♪ Okay.

So... - The exciting part.

- Yes, it is.

And very prompt service.

<i>Ameseginalehu.</i> [ Chuckles ] Okay.

- So, just for an introduction for what we're about to have... - Yes!

- ...here, we've got some carrots and some string beans.

- Okay.

Very healthy.

- Super healthy.

Everything we're about to have is healthy and delicious.

- Nice.

- And then, here, we have split peas with a little bit of turmeric.

This is red lentil with berbere, which is the hot sauce.

It looks something like the meat we have here.

- Picante.

- Yes.

[ Both chuckle ] And then, shiro is made from chickpeas.

- Okay.

Or also garbanzo beans, I guess, as we say in the South.

- And then we have cabbage with some carrot.

And then, this is our version of collard greens, which is my personal favorite.

- Yes.

Alright.

- And then, here, we have strips of beef cooked in some hot sauce, and everything else you see, the tomatoes and the onions as well.

- Nice.

- And, as you know, we don't really eat with fork and knife.

- I do know that.

- Yeah.

We eat with injera.

- Okay.

- And injera is made from teff, which is a cereal that until very recently was only produced in Ethiopia.

- Okay.

- So, there's also a difference between the two kinds of injera.

They're both made from teff.

- Is one wheat and one white?

- Well, yes -- - I'm joking.

[ Chuckles ] - It's actually called -- This is white, made out of white teff.

And then this is made out of red teff.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

So, the only real difference is the red one has more iron.

- And we like iron.

- Yes.

Yes.

- Alright.

- Yep.

♪ I'm so excited about this meal.

- So, you're hungry by now?

- Yeah.

- Okay, good.

♪ ♪ - Alright.

- Alright.

And then, we're going to have our tips.

- So, is it cooked right there in the dish?

- So, they actually panfry the tips.

- Okay.

- And then they put it on this pot to keep it warm.

- Okay, with the coals?

- Yeah.

Yep, exactly.

♪ That's so much food for just two people, don't you think?

- Well, I think I might be able to put her down.

[ Both laugh ] - Alright, so, let's dig in.

- Alright, I'm following your lead.

Okay.

- I know you've had Ethiopian food before, right?

- I have, but... - Right?

- I want you to educate me for the audience at home.

- So, you tear off a little bit of injera.

And then, my favorite part about Ethiopian food is that you just get to pick and choose... - Right.

- ...what different flavors you have in a single bite.

- Okay.

It's a buffet.

Now, I am not a professional at this... - You don't have to be.

- ...so I may get more injera than actual food.

- Yes, and...the sign of a true connoisseur of Ethiopian food is somebody who can keep their hands clean while eating with the injera.

- That's not me.

Even though I'm a connoisseur of <i> all</i> food.

- Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

- I'm also a pig.

- So, how is it?

- Well, I love it.

But, I mean, I knew that coming in here.

[ Chuckles ] That I was gonna love it.

- Yes.

- And, I mean, just, you know, the vegetables with the meat.

I mean, the food is fresh, the ingredients are varied, it's incredibly well-seasoned, you know.

- Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

- So, I met you here last year, and, you know, I actually really enjoyed my time in Addis Ababa, which is why we're back here now.

What are the things that you love about the city?

- A lot of things.

One -- and the reason I came back -- my family's here.

And there's nothing really quite like being surrounded by your aunts, your uncles, your cousins, your mom, your dad, your siblings.

Well, my siblings hadn't come back yet.

So, you know, that was something I had really been missing while I was away.

So that's something, for sure.

I feel a sense of responsibility to come back to Ethiopia because it's home and reverse that trend of brain drain that had been a real problem for the past 10, 20 years.

And it was really great to see that there's so many people coming back and establishing businesses and trying new things when they're here, so that was one of the other things.

And I was very happily surprised to find, also, that people who had never even left, people who had just grown up here, are doing so many exciting things here, and it's just really fueled this dynamism about Addis.

And there's so many things here that I don't ever remember being here while I was in high school.

- Okay.

- So it's really inspiring to see self-starters.

And now... - And now!

- ...we have our coffee ceremony.

It's my favorite part, also.

It's all my favorite part.

- Yes, yes.

- Thank you.

<i>-A continuación,</i> café.

Y'all see that pinkie?

- So bougie.

- Y'all heard that...shade?

- Throwing mad shade.

Mad shade.

Mm.

[ Both laughing ] - See?

Ethiopian shade.

- Mm-hmm.

- Original.

Land of origins.

- Yes, absolutely.

That's who we are.

- We're gonna toast to great coffee, great friendships -- - And great conversation.

- And great conversation.

- And incredible food.

- And incredible food.

- Yes.

Mm-hmm.

- And Ethiopia.

- Mm-hmm!

- This is like the second time in this episode I've been like... [ Ding! ]

...with coffee.

We couldn't get your mouths all watering without offering up Heran's simplified, yet tasty, recipe for Ater Kik, a vegan yellow split pea stew.

You'll need... ...like jalapeño or serrano... Pro-tip -- Always taste as you go.

Rinse the split peas under cold water.

In a sauce pot, combine the split peas and water and bring to a boil.

Keep on a high simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the split peas are mostly soft but still have a little crunch in them.

Drain the peas in a colander and save the water.

You'll use it later.

Set both aside.

In a second saucepan, put 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat.

Add the minced garlic and ginger and a palm-full of water.

Cover immediately so that the garlic and ginger cook in the steam.

Once the garlic and ginger are very soft, add the split peas and turmeric to the pot and mix thoroughly with the garlic and ginger.

Bring to medium heat.

Add about 1/8 cup of water and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally so that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add salt, to your taste.

To get the necessary consistency, keep adding water, about 1/8 cup at a time, and stirring.

Add the green pepper in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

You'll know it's ready when the split peas are very soft.

Eat.

♪ Ethiopia is known as the Land of Origins.

Evidence of some of the world's earliest human beings have been discovered here.

But there are other origins to be found.

The origins of a noble culture.

The origins of a varied, delicious cuisine.

The origins of potent, energizing coffee.

The origins of human connection amid a wondrous, humbling profession of faith.

The origins of experience.

Thank you, Addis Ababa.

♪ ♪ ♪ - Major funding for this program is provided by... Marie Roberts De La Parra -- personal coaching, executive leadership, and self-empowerment.

Courageous Conversation Global Foundation.

Promoting racial justice, interacial understanding, and human healing.

MetalShake by Sweden.

Additional funding provided by the following.

To join the "Fly Brother" travel community or to order your own copy of this episode, visit flybrother.net.

♪