New Years Day
Every day seems a feast for the senses. Today was no exception. We woke early again – and met my friend Assefa Tofu at the Hotel. He took us to his home and we ate a huge Ethiopian meal of Enjera, a few types of wot (stew), plus Enset bread, and many other traditional ethiopian dishes. It was like Chirstmas for Ethiopia. I met Assefa’s new son Isaac, and Zach played chess with his other son David who is 14. Muki (Assefa daughter) and David are fantastic children, and we were given the most amazing hospitable Ethiopian welcome. They gave us some gifts of traditional Ethiopian clothes for the Dettmann family – they are the most beautiful and amazing gifts (Which Zach is wearing in this photo). We passed on the pram I had brought with Joseph Kamara – as well as the books and lights – and then went to the airport – and flow over the green fields to Bahir Dar – arriving at the Ghion Hotel and taking a long walk around Lake Tana. On the way back we got talking to a guy who was a lecturer from the Unversity of Bahir Dar – but who we discovered was from HUMBO (the small town I have been working at over 1000kms away). It was amazing..... I hope we can keep in touch – he seems like a great guy.
Sunday September 12. We started early with breakfast and & an 8am boat ride to the islands on lake Tana that were first visited by James Bruce in the 17th century. We saw four monasteries on islands and around the edge of lake Tana. Having read Graeme Hancock’s book ‘the sign and the seal’ a few years ago - this for me was dream fulfilled that had waited a long time. It was amazing slowly moving across the second largest lake in Africa to these tropical jungle-like islands which were incredibly quiet, peaceful, steeped in seclusion and tradition. We were the only tourists we saw all day – so it was very authentic..... we were introduced to the monastery, and the museum on each of the islands. The museum priests showed us books which were almost 1000 years old (which we were encouraged to touch). The monastery museums also had crowns of the emperors who had visited the monasteries over the centuries (the oldest of the lake monasteries we saw was built in (I think) the 12th century – but there are monasteries on other islands than date from the 5th century BC.)
Today was probably one of the more amazing experiences of my life. 
The monastery tour took until about 2 in the afternoon – whereupon we took a taxi to the Blue Nile falls (with our guide Thomas from the morning). A long and bumpy drive through typical African villages – we arrived at the blue Nile falls – and this was somewhere I could have sat and reflected for hours. The falls were incredibly beautiful, and in many ways nothing like what I expected - though they looked the same – they were in a totally different landscape context than I had imagined – and much more remote – and much more difficult to get to. Here drains the heart of Ethiopia on its long and winding journey through Sudan, Egypt and into the Mediterranean. This is the Blue Nile, and 85% of the Nile comes from the Blue Nile, with only 15 coming from the White Nile from Uganda.
Monday the 13th - to Lalibela
An early morning trip to the Airport (6.45 departure) before flying to Lalibela via Gondar. Something went wrong with the plane and it was delayed for about 2 hours – leaving our guide Casa waiting for us a long time in the Airport. Then a drive from the airport (which is about 25km away – basically out in a very remote area where they could find enough flat land to build an airport.... Ethiopia is very mountainous) up to the town of Lalibela. We arrived at our hotel (the Tukul Village) and Cassa organised for us to do the tour of the churches. We saw the most incredible rock hewn churches.... they are mindblowingly beautiful and precisely made. These are all CARVED. No stones have been laid, no mortar mixed – they are just carved from the solid rock. They are much more than I would have ever expected. They are large, very large some of them – and carved out of the solid rock. I felt like I was in a dream walking through these ancient, yet still functioning places of Ethiopian Orthodox worship. We saw 7 of the rock hewn churches today – and there are still another 4 here in Lalibela. Tonight we dined at the Jerusalem Hotel – total bill was about $10US for all three of us – we told stories and really laughed – Mart has some pearlers......
A couple of ‘by the ways’ The Ethiopian Birr (the local currency) has dropped dramatically in the last few months – so travel in Ethiopia is the least expensive I have ever experienced and also....the place where we are staying was visited by Bill Clinton a few years ago (but his room was booked).
September 14th Ahhh Lalibela
We started reasonably early with Casa (our guide) this morning – and drove 42 km to a Church which was built in the 10th century. It is built from Ebony and marble and was totally amazing – built under the cliff of a waterfall. After such a long drive (42km) I was wondering if this could really be worth it.... but it was. Incredible. It must seem like we are on an Ethiopian Orthodox pilgrimage – but so much of the history of this country is tied to the former kings, and they were very much aligned with the Orthodox Church. Ethiopia converted to Christianity in the 4th Century – and was the second country in the world to do so – so this is very much part of what it means to be Ethiopian.
In the back of the cave were the bones of some 5000 people – who were killed there about 500 years ago. There are a couple of stories about the bones – one that they were part of a genocide – the other that they were pilgrims from Alexandria and asked if they could come to Ethiopia to be buried... many of the bones are children’s though – which makes the first explanation more credible.
The grave of one of the four kings who ruled Ethiopian from Lalibela was also there. It was a very quiet, remote and sacred space (all these churches are). Again we were the only tourists we saw all day – so it was very personal also. In the afternoon we took a mule ride to another monastery/church at the top of the mountain above Lalibela. It was also beautiful. Much more simple than what we had seen – but also quietly special. The guides were great – the mules did a fantiastic job (it was Zach’s first time on a mule/horse and he did great), and the view from the top was to die for – these photos don’t do it any justice – but I think it was like the planet of Pandora in Avatar.... though Mart and Zach did not agree.
Once home we had dinner at the Jerusalem hotel again – which was great fun – more laughing and telling stories.... before our (now traditional) game of Greedy Pig – which Marty has now won for three nights in a row. Tomorrow to Gondar!
14th September. Gondar.
We did the trip to the airport on a mini bus and got talking to this guy names Woodie. He has just come to Ethiopia to start an orphanage – and in the USA is a TV presenter of a kids cooking show called Woodie’s Kitchen. As the flight was delayed we got to talk to him for ages in the Bar... he was an interesting guy. I will take a look at Woodie’s kitchen on youtube when we get back.
Anway so we eventually made it to Gondar where we met with Alex our taxi driver, and he took us to meet Groom our guide. We were staying at a hotel called the Quera (Queen) which is only 400m from the Castle complex. Groom did a quick tour of the castles (in typical Ethiopian guide style). It was short, sharp and to the point..... we then went to the largest swimming pool in the world (apparently) built in the 15th century. It was another truly surprising and amazing piece of architecture. It was a quick tour though – because his tour included the Church also – and it was sue to close at 5.30. We made it in time (just) and saw another amazing Ethiopian church. Built in the 15th century – it took 3 years to paint inside – and has a roof which is very special, with Ethiopian Angels looking down. There were vultures in the high trees all around the church yard – and they told us the story of how the Islamic dervishes went though all of Gondar burning churches – but could not burn this church because they were stung by swarms of bees which were living in the trees around the church.
After the tour we wandered the streets for awhile – then went to the balcony of the hotel and played cards while eating pizza.... (life is tough in Africa).
15th September
Up and packed at 8am – where Groom took us again to the castle (so we did not have to pay a second time) and then we had a better opportunity to relax and take it all in. It is a magnificent complex of buildings – used as the capital city for the empire in the 15th century (king Fastildas ?sp) built the first and most impressive of the castles, and the next four kings followed him. It has very strong Portuguese influence, as well as Indian and Ethiopian. UNESCO put considerable money toward the restoration of the main original castle in the 1970s and it is very well done – it must have been a great royal court at it’s height. All up there are 4 castles within the compound – it is quite extensive and very peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle all around.
I am sitting in the airport as I type and I have just had a 6 year old Ethiopian kid on my lap who typed this....
Mynamismentesnot
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