Just when you think you've seen it all...

I'm leaving Ethiopia tonight. Before I flee the madnes I feel I should finish with an account of one of my most memorable experiences in my short but very intense time here: I had an encounter with a hyena a few nights ago.and I don't think I'll ever forget it!. Harar is famed for the packs of spotted hyena which live in the wilds outside the city walls. One evening a few nights back I was walking outside the walls at dusk, soaking in the atmosphere when before I knew it, darkness had fallen (I always happens much quicker than I think it's going to). Harar is a confusing place at the best of times, but now in the darkness it became a bit unnerving. There were no lights of course, so the darkness became total, and I couldn't find the small gateway I had come through back into the city. Suddenly I began to make out various high-pitched whining sounds, strange- almost like a horse whinnying, and I realised to my horror that it was the Hyenas. I realised that my scent (pretty bad these days) would be giving me away to the animals, and the spine-chilling high-pitched 'laughing' sound was getting closer. I needed to move faster. I was right up against the wall, feeling my way along the stones, trying to move as quickly as possible, in the blind hope i would come to an opening, but I hadn't thought, that in positioning myself like this, I was essentially trapped.

Suddenly, I could see it creeping out of the darkness towards me, a huge beast, with long front legs and powerful back legs it bagan to run, and I froze as it launched itself at me, its powerful bone-crushing jaws inches from my outstretched arms....

Okay, that's not really how it happened- but I did get to within centimetres of those terrifying jaws. There is this mad (read: typically Ethiopian) custom of feeding the wild Hyenas after dark. There are 3 or 4 mad eejits who appear to make a living by bringing a basket of meat out to certain patches of wasteland after dark and calling the hyenas... and they come. When I went to watch, about 8 or 0 of these huge beasts skulked out of the gloom towards the nutter. They moved in a loping, bulky kind of way, coming close, then shying away and circling round, eyeing up the meat being held out by the guy. They were seemingly unfazed by the small group of us that had gathered to watch, presumably because they could have had us easily. I had already checked the group out- there were a few fit-looking guys, but one quite plump one, and a plumpish woman, who I reckon I could outrun if it came to it, so I thought the pack might go for them first.

The spotted Hyenas were much bulkier than I had imagined- almost like small bears- their back legs very short and stocky, their front legs long and powerful. The high-pitched squealy giggle which they went into fits of every so often just made them even more sinister. I didn't see what was so funnu- I thought they were terrifying.

The Hyena man would hold out a piece of meat at arms length and a plucky hyena would come and snatch it from his hand with its massive toothy jaws. Jings, rather him than me! Then he decided to show off by holding lumps of raw meat in his mouth and the huge beasts would come and snatch the meat right in his face. Ooyah Beezer!

Then, he suggested I have a go. Well, you know, when you're there, you may as well- so I crouched down beside him, the pack circling round shadily, and he poked a wee stick into a lump of meat which I then held out in a confident manly way (shaking like a leaf). A muckle big beast came and jumped at the meat, its gaping maw lit up by torch light and camera flash. It ripped the meat from the stick and skidaddled away. I tried not to pee my pants. I held out some more meat and the big beasties circled, eyeing, judging, then one loped forward and snatched, and the others had a wee scrap with it to try and get in on the action. Zoinkers Doinkers, enough for me- I think I'll leave this to the Ethiopians.

They insist it's not a show for the tourists, but I cant envisage any reason why someone would want to do this- yet it seems so quintessentially Ethiopian- unfathomable in its irrationality. After all that I have seen here, this seemed the icing on the cake- I feel like I've 'seen it all', and it's time to go home and try, somehow, to process it all. Seeing as my route to Eritrea has become unworkable, I have decided to cut my losses, and rather than spend two weeks doofing around Addis or somewhere, just to quit while i'm ahead and come home. I should be back in a land I understand by saturday night and as it all sinks in I'll probably be laughing like a hysterical hyena all the way home.

Comments

[boxthejack]

A great flourish to end on. By far the most delightful blog I've read in a long time. Good job mate!

[davemartist]

cheers pal but even though I've wussed out back to tha UK this blog aint over yet- oh no!! there's the artist's struggle through the wilderness of his barren imagination yet to come!

[bryanski]

Wowsers hyenas eh. Hope we will finally see some portraits of dogs after all these years. Roger has some guinea fowl he wants a fresco of for his new folly ;-)

[Kristin Jones]

Mr. Martin--I'm returning to Scotland in early August and would love to see you again. I'd like to buy all of your available paintings. Please contact me.

Cheers,
KJ