more pre-trip

From the invitation I received in December:
For those of you who have never been there, Dire Dawa and Hararge province are a world apart. While many are familiar with the lush green coffee regions around Sidamo, the Harar region is starkly beautiful, with red and white canyons cut through the land and caravans of camels along the roadside. The walled city of Harar itself is astonishing: painted in white, turquoise, and blue, and dotted with over 150 mosques. Dire Dawa is a bustling city, with a surprising nightlife, and home to the coffee trade for the entire eastern part of the country.
Attendees to the conference will be getting an in-depth look at what makes Harar coffee unique, the intricacies of the supply chain, and the special cup qualities that make it a sought-after coffee from Seattle to Riyadh. Learn Harar from the farm to the cupping table. Presentations by local and international experts give an opportunity for an exchange of coffee knowledge, and discussions in the hallways and over injera and shiro are a fantastic opportunity to forge new and lasting relationships with coffee professionals in Ethiopia and around the world.