Eating the Flowers of Paradise: One Man's Journey Through Ethiopia and Yemen

by Kevin Rushby

Ethiopia in Eastern Africa and Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula remain two of the most inviting outposts for travelers seeking the exotic. In these two places, Qat is just one name given to a green leafy plant that is cultivated there. When chewed, the leaves of this plant release two substances that produce a hypnotic, reverential "high," distinctive in the thoughtful state it induces. Kevin Rushby discovered that the use of Qat is a way of life since it plays a pivotal role in all facets of the culture influencing everything from architecture to television schedules.

Genres: Travel, Ethiopia, Nonfiction, Africa, Middle East, Memoir, Drugs

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1999

About the author

After I finished University (Newcastle) in 1982 I bought a one-way ticket to Cairo and set off travelling. Never having been abroad before I was understandably shocked on arrival in Cairo. Walking out the airport at 2 a.m. looking for a bus (no money for a taxi) I saw a line of people sleeping under their white sheets and joined them. Having built up a bit more courage later I ended up travelling through Egypt, Sudan, Central African Republic, Uganda and Kenya. Several months later I was back in Sudan as an English teacher, first in Darfur, later in the south. The latter was a particularly intense experience. Yambio, the small town in Western Equatoria, was cut off by the civil war for much of the time and I was alone, the only foreigner most of the time. I did vast bicycle rides, journeying deep into Zaire, visiting only remote areas as I had no paperwork or visa. There was no electricity, no running water, no post, no telephone. When I came to write Paradise (published May 2006) I often thought of that time - it seemed like an experiment in living even then. To jump out of one's own world into another, one that offered the most extreme version of the rural retreat ever.

Eventually the isolation was too much. I went to Kenya, then back to England to study education for a year (and in Madrid for some months), then to Yemen and Malaysia. It was in Kuala Lumpur that I started writing professionally, working for newspapers and magazines all across the Far East and South East Asia. Eventually, I went back to Yemen but the country fell apart in the Civil War of 1994 and I was back living in England for the first time in 12 years. Since then I've written books and articles, done some television, rather more radio. (Articles for the Guardian can be found on their website.) I'm now working on some book ideas to follow up Paradise.

- http://www.kevinrushby.com/biography.php

Reviews

[Bob Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking the high road to Qat'land

Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to visit Yemen. Like author Kevin Rushby, I didn't want to do research there, earn money there,. or take anything away from Yemen. I just wanted to see, hear, feel, and know what that faroff land was like. Thanks to my dear Presidents and their warloving cronies, I now have a snowball's chance in hell of ever achieving my dream. Keep on shootin', guys, you'll definitely solve all problems that way. I must say, though, that the next best thing to a Yemen trip could be reading EATING THE FLOWERS OF PARADISE. Though the story of the author's voyage centers around qat, a leaf from a tree which grows in Ethiopia and Yemen, whose leaves are chewed to induce a feeling of dreamy well-being and melancholy happiness, this is a travel book par excellence. While Rushby starts his solo voyage in Ethiopia, his lack of local language, and the general lack of information about Ethiopia other than what he sees and does himself, do not entrance the reader. (Nor does he travel in the more interesting parts of the country.) He meets some wild characters [a Nigerian gem smuggler named Cedric or Arthur or...?] and has a few strange adventures in Djibouti, on the Red Sea coast. It is when he lands in Yemen that the book really gets good. Rushby speaks some Arabic. Yemeni rural people come alive in this book, their villages, the hospitality of all, the terraced mountains where qat, coffee, and other crops are grown, the magnificent, rugged scenery of remote parts of the country. Readers may pick up some recent history, some facts about former times, and details of qat growing and use, but this is a very existential travel book, not given to long-winded explanations. Rushby makes no bones about it. He wandered the Yemeni "outback" looking for good highs. He found plenty. Chewing qat with the locals was an excellent way to integrate himself in Yemeni society, where large numbers of people chew qat every afternoon. Rushby records all sorts of bizarre or culturally fascinating incidents. Some of the bizarre ones have to do with his own behavior and qat-induced dreams. When I finished the book, if someone had offered me a ticket to Yemen, I would have flown out that very evening. Sadly, this colorful, fascinating book is as close as I'll ever get. Two other books on Yemen that make that make a great trio with Rushby's book are "Motoring with Mohammed" by Eric Hansen, and Steven Caton's "Peaks of Yemen I Summon".

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a later book by Kevin Rushby – “Hunting Pirate Heaven” that lead me to this one - his 1998 tale of a 'pilgrimage' from Ethiopia to Yemen in search of the perfect experience of the narcotic leaf known as qat or chat and numerous other names.

Rushby enjoyed the social side of qat as much as the effects of the leaf itself, which varied depending on the quality of the raw leaf being chewed.

Of course, this is just an excuse – a ‘selling point’ if you like, for what is an adventurous journey over land and sea on foot, by automobile and Arab dhow, courting death and disaster more frequently than you would expect from an experienced traveller.

Rushby had lived in the Yemeni capital of San’a previously, so it’s not that he didn’t know what to expect, in particular from the xenophobic authorities who might not be so happy about some of the other countries whose stamps decorated his passport.

The descriptions of seedy cities, near deserted hamlets and even lost valleys that could be mistaken for Paradise (except for those compelled to live there) are wonderfully evocative, making you either long to go there or glad you’ve been spared the opportunity!

The characters that populate these spaces and places are a colourful mixture of qat chewers and abstainers, some who fondly remember colonial or communist days, some who long for capitalism and some who lean towards fundamentalism.

It’s a strange journey, coloured by qat-induced dreams and enlivened with humour as well as moments of personal danger for the author.

My verdict? Forget the pirates – “Eating the Flowers of Paradise” is definitely the preferable journey.

Review by Kerry Hennigan
Dec 3, 2013

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin Rushby is brave enough to go through these dangerous places in search of a drug that is legal in some places but banned in others. The drug is called qat and it causes the user to have vivid dreams and can keep you wired enough to go two days straight without sleeping. The author journeys through places where life is hard and it is no wonder people use it as an escape from harsh reality. Kevin Rushby has few ill effects from the use of qat besides nightmares and constipation but long term use could lead to worse things.

[Iván · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gran libro de viajes. Me ha gustado mucho la historia. Una experiencia personal que conecta el viaje con la historia de los lugares a través del consumo y cultivo del khat.

[Owen Friedrichsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very highly rated 3 stars, only missing the next 2 due to difficulty of understanding and confluence to my current knowledge of Middle East places, names, and phrases.

Super fascinated by the world that is lived through Yemen and Ethiopia, between the Islamic and Jewish religions co operation, the different occupancies there over time, and the routes that are taken on average and normal days due to poor infrastructure.

Each mans will to live is defined by the circumstances in which they grew up. With a steady faith, social interactions, and qat, these men are able to enjoy their life as much as they can.

Will Defintely be looking in to more Kevin Rushby, thoroughly enjoyed his writing and style.

[Jessica Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when history gets told through an unconventional lens, in this case the history of parts of the Middle East and Africa through their relationship with an intoxicating plant called qat. But the author isn't just here to regale us with drug-addled hijinks (though there is definitely a Hunter S. Thompson vibe, and it's great). He uses his travels and the entree he gains to locals via his affection for qat to do a deep dive into regional culture, conflicts and history. There are also fun flickers reminiscent of Shantaram.

[David Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eating the Flowers of Paradise: One Man's Journey Through Ethiopia and Yemen ** Read in Moroni, Comoros islands and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (August 2023)

[Joellyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Lessons learned - had to look up information to understand the historical and geographical contexts. New world opened. A little difficult to get through at times as the book is the authors’ thoughts and observations throughout his journey.

[Kay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found reading this book extremely difficult. The author may have historical contextual information, but he wasn't able to convey it credibly in this book. His emphasis on having his daily Kat fix was disturbing.

[Turi Becker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading another of Kevin Rushby's books, and noticing this title - sounded interesting. It is a chronicle of a trip that Rushby took through northeaast Africa, and focuses on the use of qat, a mild drug that is chewed from leaves and is mostly used socially. It as interesting reading, but like the other book of his I read, seemed kind of meandering. He didn't really seem to have a point or goal, but just floated around noticing things until the book ended.

[Heather D-n · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the travelogue scattered with historical information, but I found this account sort of annoying in places. Kevin Rushby is obsessed with khat, the exotic, and accounts of swashbuckling adventure travelers. That said, he brings up interesting historical anecdotes and the style reminds me a bit of Peter Hessler's books on China.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book with many funny moments. He comes across as really being interested in the people of the countries he visited - and affords the reader some understanding of very complex peoples. Makes you re-think your ideas of drug taking and culture.

[Jrobertus · Rating 2 out of 5]

[close] an englishman follows the route of coffee and quat from ethiopia to yemen. spends a lot of time with quat chewers (a mild psychotropic drug) and comments on the local culture.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny account of all things Qat (also known as Khat or Chat) related. Worth reading if you've ever traveled among Qat-chewing peoples.

[Marsha]

--

[Silvia Mendes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good