Category: Ethiopia

Finally left Addis and made our way to the Blue Nile gorge where we bush camped with a great view. We had more than a dozen kids who came to see us, one boy spoke very good English and he explained one of the other children’s geography book to me. We had a very windy night here though but no damage to the tent but it did die down so we could get some sleep. It takes around 1 1/2 hours to go through the gorge as it is a descent and ascent of around 4,000 feet. On the other side of the gorge was lots of farmland with straw stacks as far as the eye could see. The agriculture here is medieval with oxon for ploughing and all the grain harvested with a scythe.

We then drove onto Bahir Dar by Lake Tana which was very pleasant and relaxing. We visited two monasteries on the lake by boat (Rachel wasn’t allowed into the second one which was men only!). This one had an impressive collection of crosses and ancient manuscripts. In the afternoon we visited the local market guided by Daniel who wanted to practice his English.

The following day we visited the Blue Nile falls which didn’t have much water over it (but as the hydro-electric plant was broken more than it might have!).

Drove onto Lalibela on a pretty bad road. Tried to bush camp but were warned by several lorry drivers that it wasn’t safe as there were thieves. There were about 20 locals from the village here (one armed) who were also concerned for us such that they were going to stay at our campsite and not go home! However in the end we decided to go to a hotel at 8pm after supper.

We met Mark & Blanca in their Land Rover 101 Grommit on the road who we had met in Kampala. We camped at the seven olives hotel and Mark & Blance joined us there. We visited the northwest cluster of 7 churches with our guide Daniel who was a church Deacon at St Marys Lalibela. They date from the 12th Century. The churches are incredible hewn from the rock and in many the priest show the crosses associated with that church. The following day Daniel showed us the Southeastern churches (5 of them). In the afternoon Daniel came with us to an 11th Century monastery Yemrehanna Kristos in a cave 42 km from Lalibela. The last few kilometres are very steep and you certainly need low ratio 4 wheel drive! The building is marble and olive wood and there are 11,000 pilgrims buried here. When we returned to Lalibela Daniel took us to his house to meet his father, also a priest. We had Injera (like a huge pancake made from a unique grain called Tef) and chick peas in a spicy sauce while his aunt performed the coffee ceremony.

The following day we visited the market in Lalibela where you can buy vegetables, salt, chilli, incense, coffee as well as livestock. We then left for Gonder but part way there we saw Grommit in a hotel compound so stopped to find Mark & Blanca who it transpired were at the local cultural games where teams from different parts of Ethiopia wrestle and play hockey. We met two Ethiopians here, Nigus an English teacher and Mulugeta, an agricultural student who both spoke excellent English and explained what was happening to us.

Continued onto Gonder on an awful road for 6 gruelling hours, tried to stay at a hotel in the book but it was full and didn’t do camping so we tried the Misrat Pension next door which looked a good bet with Medecins sans Frontiere vehicles outside. Visited the Royal enclosure the following day with its 6 castles and an interesting thatched church outside of town. Met a remarkable 19 year old local lad Bewketu at the Pension who intends studying Tourism at Addis University who was very good at English and I spent some time talking with him and he came to dinner with us.

The following day we went to the Simien mountains with Bewketu where there are magnificent views and Gelada Baboons. When back in Gonder we went to Bewketu’s house and met his family and neighbours and had delicious coffee. Sad to leave Gonder after having made friends with Bewketu but finally left for the border with Sudan. Got another puncture at the border post (this time a huge 6 inch piece of steel reinforcement rod straight into the tyre)! Also realised the fuel tank has split in the same place yet again, fourth time!

We very much enjoyed Ethiopia, charming generous, inquisitive people. The food is pretty crazy, injera and chilli with everything with Italian influences too! The people have no road sense they walk into the road and then surprise themselves when they remember to look! I think I will definitely return here though and would certainly recommend it.

Finally have a Sudanese Visa from Cairo. Our advice if you are in a similar situation (travelling South to North) is to apply in Dar Es Salaam so the authority from Kartoum is there when you get to Addis. We have not heard of anyone who has obtained a Visa in Addis without doing this. Otherwise go to Cairo straight away! In Cairo you need a letter of recomendation from your embassy. The British Embassy charges £20 for a rotten photocopy. ( available here as pdf ).

Given up on getting a Sudanese Visa in Addis Ababa. Some people have been waiting here 7 weeks without success. Booked a flight to Cairo even though its USD480 each. At least that way we know we will get one for sure!

Still ‘stuck’ in Addis Ababa awaiting a Visa for Sudan. Been here for two weeks but hope we may not be here too much longer or we may go ‘stir-crazy’ in cell block F of our £3 per night hotel (no extra charge for the fleas!).

Our introduction to Ethiopia started at Customs. A guide called Antony latched onto us (you are rarely alone in Ethiopia!). We stayed in a pretty rough hotel at the border where they slaughtered goat for supper outside our room with a huge sabre! We had injera (like a huge pancake with the consistancy of foam rubber) and goat meat. OK, can’t complain too much for the equivalent of 60 pence!

The following day was a muslim holiday and a huge outdoor gathering was taking place in Moyale. It also meant we had to go on before we could get the tyre fixed. We stayed the night in Konso the capital of the Omo region we had come to see, again a rough hotel (as no campsite) and injera and spicy goat!

We met a local guide Greisha near the Tourist office who took us to a couple of villages and a stunning gorge known as New York! The village of Mecheke was interesting, the local tribes have a complex culture. Every 18 years the new generation takes responsibility and a pole is erected to mark the event. They also have community houses where boys live until they marry.

We then went to Key Afar a local town with a weekly market. However en route we were stopped at a police checkpoint and asked for our papers. We had read that sometimes the police wanted a letter from the Tourist Office in Konso, Jinka or Addis but we were told in Konso that it wasn’t needed. The local police thought differently and insisted on escorting us to the local police station where we had a major debate through an interpreter with the local Sergeant. In the end I told him I wanted his name and he refused to give it so I went to a group of onlookers at the compound gate and asked them for it. They told me they knew it but wouldn’t tell me. By this time however the Sergeant was worried why we wanted his name and agreed that we could take an armed officer to Key Afar where they would decide.

We duly took the officer to the station at Key Afar where the senior officer was happy that we had a valid visa and an entry stamp at Moyale! So all sorted.

In Key Afar we met a local lad who directed us to somewhere to camp (the ones in the guidebook had all closed). We had a huge gathering of inquisitive local kids here, one of whom Mekonen later acted as guide to some of the local villages and markets. We also met Amanuel who we gave a lift to Jinka and back to see his uncle (another policeman). It turned out that the police escort we had to Key Afer was also a relative!! When we later returned to Key Afer we met Amanuel’s sister on the road and she invited us for coffee and to stay in their compound. They insisted in demolishing their fence so we could get George in and generally made us very welcome and comfortable.

The local museum at Jinka about the local tribes and their customs was very interesting. They have a bull-jumping initiation for boys and also a tradition of body scarring.

One of the Hamer tribe women we met in a village showed us her son who had eyes that were swollen out of their sockets. We later enquired of a Norwegian Hospital Doctor who worked at the local Lutheran Mission what might be the problem. He explained it was an eye infection and that sadly his sight would have been lost. A very tragic thing to see, his mother had taken him to the Doctor in Jinka but sadly it was too late for anything to be done.

Mekonen took a lot of the photos in the villages and markets. The locals expect 1 birr for their photo but he kept snapping away, cheeky fellow!