Funniest Experience (one of many): Successfully smuggling a live chicken into the Hilton Hotel, Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia (and keeping it overnight) [this was not just for fun… there’s actually a reason behind this!]
On a recent trip filming around Ethiopia we spent one week in the country touring around - up to Lalibela in the north and to the Lakes District in the south. We had conveniently timed our trip at the end of September, which on the Ethiopian Calendar is their New Year. For the New Years Day we had to provide a gift for our guide, Yared, who was to have us over to his house for lunch on October 1, New Years Day.
On our drive back to the capital, Addis Ababba, on New Years Eve, Tim.C decided that it would be a good idea to bring a live chicken along with us as a gift for Yareds’ family…. A good idea at the time perhaps – but had he thought this through? Sure it could make a hilarious storyline for our program, but we we’re going to have to take care of ‘Dora’ (the name we later gave to our feathery creature) for a whole night!... And you never guess where we were staying: the high-security Hilton Hotel.
Getting the chicken was easy - stop off on the side of the road where many of the locals are standing there - arms stretched, chickens in hand. Bargain our way down for the cheapest price; put it in the car and drive off.
Next stop, the gates of the Hilton: Cameras on record; Dora under arm covered by Tims’ T-shirt and game-face on, we strut our way into the hotel and are faced with our first hurdle – 2 armed guards for security, cameras everywhere and an X-ray scanning machine. Head down, we fumble with our belongs; are told to turn our cameras off (but leave them on anyway), distract the guards with our cumbersome tripod and squeeze through… How did they not notice Dora? Luckily for us, there was not a peep from her.
Straight into the lift and straight upstairs to our room and Dora was safe…Phew! A quick break; some ‘vegetarian’ room service from the bar and she seemed right at home on the balcony with her lettuce, tomato and water - Still not a sound from her! Semi confident that she would be fine we grabbed our cameras, locked the door and went out to film the New Years Eve celebrations in Addis.
1am we arrive back to the hotel after a busy night filming and all seemed to be in order - Dora was still alive, sleeping on the balcony, and not a sound– perfect! Bedtime for us.
4am: “Cockadoodledoo!!” As loud as ever!... “No! - Doras awake!” Cameras on record and straight to the balcony… The guards we’d snuck past before are walking around with rifles, climbing on the roof of the hotel trying to find this noise that would have certainly woken up our side of the hotel. They were angry, really angry! Stressing & nervous, and knowing that we had semi-done the wrong thing we put a town over Dora, picked her up and put her in the bath, closed the shower curtain, turned off the light and shut the door. Hopefully she would still think it is still night-time and not wake up.
Every ten minutes for the next three hours of our now fairly sleepless night, Dora would start her calling… there was a definite “shhh Dora…. Shut up!” constantly from us.
8am: Time for New Years Day. Shower with Dora, clean up the all the feathers, poop, lettuce & tomato, smuggle her back out of the hotel… (of course making sure the guards wouldn’t catch us) ; straight into the car & straight to lunch. Phew!
Four Ethiopian coffees later, a couple of hours driving and we arrive at Yared’s house. Dora was greatly appreciated by Yared’s family, especially his son, and as far as we know Dora still alive to this day. Whether this will make the latest edit of our travel program is still to be decided. One thing is for sure though, it makes a pretty funny story!
Travel Notes: Addis Abbaba is the Capital of Ethiopia – Ethiopian Airlines has regular flights from neighbouring African countries, as well as Dubai. Ethiopia is well known for its friendly people, the birthplace of Coffee, Christianity … oh yeah, and some pretty lively chickens!
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