Wednesday 29th August 2007 Somewhere near Dongola.
We explored the desert a bit before it got too hot, as the low cloud in the east covered the sun till 8.30. The temps soon climbed to 35, then 46 at 4pm. There was evidence of a couple of small mammals, hunting birds and small rats. There were moths, caterpillars and locusts too, but NOTHING else, only the occasional heap of sun dried bones and parched skin with sand piled up. This is the Nubian desert which has a thin black layer of laval pebbles. It looked to me like in ancient times a very thin layer of very liquid lava ran into the cracks and crevices of the underlying sandstone, solidifying into strange shapes.
We arrived in Dongola (Well, what we thought was Dongola) after travelling along a new tar road for the last 60Km. The Sudanese are really developing their country and it is going ahead well.
We rested under a tree in the shade instead of investigating archeological sites and was invited to sit on the beds and given tea. Sudanese men lie on these beds in the shade from 12.00 noon til 3pm resting and drinking water and hot sweet tea (without milk) Even truck drivers take their beds along and put it up in the shade of the truck at these hot times. As we were about to leave this ramshackled town we discovered the real Dongola was across the north flowing Nile, so we took a ferry again and came across this lovely bustling town and found the two Swiss cycling friends there. We had been worried as she had been sick in Khartoum. She was still sick, diagnosed with Typhoid, but much better.
We think no internet before Egypt which we will reach on Thursday next week, and have to wait for the Landy till Saturday morning which goes on a different ferry to us,(cargo ferry) along the Aswan Dam.
Tuesday 28th August 2007 Carved Rock and Well between Karima and Dongola.
On the way again we were surprised to see flocks of ordinary white storks migrating down to SA, and drinking from the pools after the rain in the desert. There are a few camels and the odd goat. There were three mobile homes next to the road in a twisted heap from the wind and huge signs blown over. This is a real test of endurance with the heat increasing to just on 50deg, and at midnight still 36. From Karima we went on 30 Km tar then a good gravel road. At Karima we went to the 'Holey Mountain", Jebel Barkal and saw more pyramids (not demolished this time) in the heat, but couldn't get to the tombs we would have like to see at El Karru because the Nile had blocked the road. We crossed the south-flowing Nile again using another ferry, the bridge was nearing completion, and spent a lot of time trying to get our satphone to send and receive sms messages to Vodacom cell phones in SA, but discovered that Vodacom has blocked this, so have only the use of the sat to talk to SA. We drove into the desert, the true desert now and came across a huge sandstone boulder standing alone and camped nearby. Nev climbed up and found ancient carvings all over the top. The sides of the rock had been sand and wind eroded to a pedestal and not much was engraved there. We came across a circle of stones on the ground in the sand and dug around with our spade. We found it was an ancient well. It was too hot to dig much but the stones were laid beautifully lining the well. Nev is drinking 8 litres of liquid per day (I am drinking about 7 litres) We only eat supper because we don't get hungry in the heat. It is date-picking season and the fresh dates are very sweet, similar to dried dates. At night we didn't even bother to put up the tent, and slept on the ground wrapped in wet skirts. We take regular showers, the wetness cools us down in the wind.
Monday 27th August 2007 Windy Camp between Atbara and Karima
The guide book said we were in for a terrible road, but surprise surpise, we had perfect new tar all the way to Karima. The temps rose up to 46 and the worst part is, it doesn't cool down till 5am the next morning. Over 30, it is difficult to sleep. The desert is fat and sandy around here. At Atbara we had to cross the North flowing Nile just before the last tributary, the Atbara River (bigger than the Zambezi at this time of the year) joins the Nile. We crossed the Atbara River using a bridge, but had to use the ferry to cross the Nile. No matter how hot we are, and all we are looking for is a swimming pool, when we see the Nile water, we just cannot bring ourselves to jump in it because it is like liquid chocolate. It has been said that someone 'walked on water', this is nearly possible here. We found a campsite in the desert, just off the road behind a row of low hills and set up camp. We had showers every 10 minutes to keep cool. The hottest part of the day seems to be around 4:30pm. Then it doesn't cool until the next morning around 4am. At midnight we took down the tent because of the wind reminiscent of Lake Turkana, and spent the rest of the night sweating on the mattresses next to Landy on the ground.
Map of Africa
Our route
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Atbara, Sudan
Monday 27th August 2007 – internet cafe Atbara
In the morning, roaming around starkers, a camel man and a donkey man arrived and caught us in the nick. I had to hide while Nev dressed and brought my clothes to me. It was panic stations in this country of Islamic law!! Anyway all worked out and we drove towards Atbara after exploring the quarry and cave where they had hewn the rocks for the pyramids. The British had used the cave as an ammo store during WW2. We spotted the first wild mammal we had seen in Sudan there up a cliff. It was a red fox with a long white-tipped tail, and it disappeared into a crack in the rocks.
The first 50Km the landscape was black, topped by a thin layer of shattered volcanic lava over the sandstone. The next 50Km was flat and featureless and dry and hot 44deg.
As we neared Atbara we saw 10 X10-tower centre pivots. None had crops under them at this time, and one had been blown right upside down. There is nothing to stop the force of the wind and the road signs, although concreted in, also get blown over.
They are building huge canals through the flat, sandy land.
Small orange trees had been recently planted in a huge grove. The Nile is flooding its banks and the last tributary before the mouth, the Atbara River is 300m wide here and flowing strongly.
I still cannot get my satphone to work properly and am trying to get help from Aladin in Khartoum without much success.
It is much cooler in this internet place than outside in the hot dusty Atbara town.
Sunday 26th August 2007 Pyramids at Shendi/ Meroe
In the cool of the morning we finished exploring the ruins at Naqa and made our way towards Sheni and the Sudanese pyramids. The country was flat with inselberg (odd lava-topped mountains). The temp reached 44 deg when we got there and survival was our main aim. We squirted water onto our shirts and bodies to keep cool, and it made a huge difference.
At 5pm we went to the pyramids, and a very kind Sudanese paid for us to enter and were taken around by the guide with the Sudanese translating.
The over 100 small steep pyramids were in various states of disrepair due to the efforts of one Italian in 1834 who blew the tops off all of them looking for treasure, only finding some gold in one. The maximum height was 15m. They were very well made, 1000 years older than the famous ones at Cairo. They are made with rough sandstone blocks, filled inside with rubble, then cladded with beautifully hewn rectangular sandstone, the covered with a type of lime sealer. The sealant has now been sandblasted off by the elements and the carvings are being eroded.
We found a sand campsite nearby between two hills to catch any breeze at night, stripped naked, set up the shower and kept ourselves wet to keep cool. The water in our water tanks was at 37 deg, temp outside 40 deg (at 7pm). At 10pm it had gone down to 37deg. It is very difficult to sleep at that temp, but the breeze did help at 4am when the temp went down to 29 just before sunrise.
Saturday 25th August 2007 Naqa (Nagaa) Archeological Site.
We drove slowly north towards Naqa and arrived when it was getting cool. This was a temple that was still in good condition. It had an avenue of rams carved out of sandstone and the walls of the temple were decorated with serpents, lions, royalty etc, with much more excavation waiting to be done. They were built in the 1st century AD. They were very Egyptian looking with the wall carvings. The soft sandstone is being wind and sand eroded fast now that the outer cladding has fallen off, and we felt a sense of panic that nothing is being done to preserve these ancient fascinating buildings.
We found a campsite a couple of Km away. It was very hot, 34 deg and climbed a small mountain and came across the quarry hidden on top. There were carved stones still up there, shaped and ready to take down. The markings still very evident.
The night was hot with no breeze, temp in the morning at 7am 29deg.
Friday 24th August 2007 Nile River Sailing Club Khartoum
These are names that need to record:
Felistia de Jager, SA Attache.
Corina and Daniel, the two Swiss cyclists
Helen and Neil Cox, Rob and Viv: Auzzie overlanders going north.
Faisal Ali and Samira, kind Sudanese who fed us so well.
We got up and met Felistia and her friends at Ozone, a coffee bar in Khartoum and had a wonderful chat over breakfast. Then headed west and after 30Km Khartoum still hadn't ended. This is a huge city. We headed back and found the Omderman souq (market) where we watched the so-called Whirling Dervishes, the highlight of a visit to Khartoum. Well, we think we were lured there under false pretences because we didn't see much of what was going on, because we were the centre of attraction for the locals. Nev, with his big beard had to teach the locals to speak English under the guidance and instruction of the main Imam there. We shook hands with tens of people, I was given the name Fatima (because Lorraine was too hard for them to say). The 'show' was actually chanting and clapping by a special order of Moslems, but we interacted with the people while trying to hear them over the noise of distorted loudspeakers. We had fun, was given local sweet tea and sweet lentils to eat. No diarrhea after that, we were surprised. We headed back in the dark and had a lovely long chat with the Auzzies who have invited us to Auz after this trip.
In the morning, roaming around starkers, a camel man and a donkey man arrived and caught us in the nick. I had to hide while Nev dressed and brought my clothes to me. It was panic stations in this country of Islamic law!! Anyway all worked out and we drove towards Atbara after exploring the quarry and cave where they had hewn the rocks for the pyramids. The British had used the cave as an ammo store during WW2. We spotted the first wild mammal we had seen in Sudan there up a cliff. It was a red fox with a long white-tipped tail, and it disappeared into a crack in the rocks.
The first 50Km the landscape was black, topped by a thin layer of shattered volcanic lava over the sandstone. The next 50Km was flat and featureless and dry and hot 44deg.
As we neared Atbara we saw 10 X10-tower centre pivots. None had crops under them at this time, and one had been blown right upside down. There is nothing to stop the force of the wind and the road signs, although concreted in, also get blown over.
They are building huge canals through the flat, sandy land.
Small orange trees had been recently planted in a huge grove. The Nile is flooding its banks and the last tributary before the mouth, the Atbara River is 300m wide here and flowing strongly.
I still cannot get my satphone to work properly and am trying to get help from Aladin in Khartoum without much success.
It is much cooler in this internet place than outside in the hot dusty Atbara town.
Sunday 26th August 2007 Pyramids at Shendi/ Meroe
In the cool of the morning we finished exploring the ruins at Naqa and made our way towards Sheni and the Sudanese pyramids. The country was flat with inselberg (odd lava-topped mountains). The temp reached 44 deg when we got there and survival was our main aim. We squirted water onto our shirts and bodies to keep cool, and it made a huge difference.
At 5pm we went to the pyramids, and a very kind Sudanese paid for us to enter and were taken around by the guide with the Sudanese translating.
The over 100 small steep pyramids were in various states of disrepair due to the efforts of one Italian in 1834 who blew the tops off all of them looking for treasure, only finding some gold in one. The maximum height was 15m. They were very well made, 1000 years older than the famous ones at Cairo. They are made with rough sandstone blocks, filled inside with rubble, then cladded with beautifully hewn rectangular sandstone, the covered with a type of lime sealer. The sealant has now been sandblasted off by the elements and the carvings are being eroded.
We found a sand campsite nearby between two hills to catch any breeze at night, stripped naked, set up the shower and kept ourselves wet to keep cool. The water in our water tanks was at 37 deg, temp outside 40 deg (at 7pm). At 10pm it had gone down to 37deg. It is very difficult to sleep at that temp, but the breeze did help at 4am when the temp went down to 29 just before sunrise.
Saturday 25th August 2007 Naqa (Nagaa) Archeological Site.
We drove slowly north towards Naqa and arrived when it was getting cool. This was a temple that was still in good condition. It had an avenue of rams carved out of sandstone and the walls of the temple were decorated with serpents, lions, royalty etc, with much more excavation waiting to be done. They were built in the 1st century AD. They were very Egyptian looking with the wall carvings. The soft sandstone is being wind and sand eroded fast now that the outer cladding has fallen off, and we felt a sense of panic that nothing is being done to preserve these ancient fascinating buildings.
We found a campsite a couple of Km away. It was very hot, 34 deg and climbed a small mountain and came across the quarry hidden on top. There were carved stones still up there, shaped and ready to take down. The markings still very evident.
The night was hot with no breeze, temp in the morning at 7am 29deg.
Friday 24th August 2007 Nile River Sailing Club Khartoum
These are names that need to record:
Felistia de Jager, SA Attache.
Corina and Daniel, the two Swiss cyclists
Helen and Neil Cox, Rob and Viv: Auzzie overlanders going north.
Faisal Ali and Samira, kind Sudanese who fed us so well.
We got up and met Felistia and her friends at Ozone, a coffee bar in Khartoum and had a wonderful chat over breakfast. Then headed west and after 30Km Khartoum still hadn't ended. This is a huge city. We headed back and found the Omderman souq (market) where we watched the so-called Whirling Dervishes, the highlight of a visit to Khartoum. Well, we think we were lured there under false pretences because we didn't see much of what was going on, because we were the centre of attraction for the locals. Nev, with his big beard had to teach the locals to speak English under the guidance and instruction of the main Imam there. We shook hands with tens of people, I was given the name Fatima (because Lorraine was too hard for them to say). The 'show' was actually chanting and clapping by a special order of Moslems, but we interacted with the people while trying to hear them over the noise of distorted loudspeakers. We had fun, was given local sweet tea and sweet lentils to eat. No diarrhea after that, we were surprised. We headed back in the dark and had a lovely long chat with the Auzzies who have invited us to Auz after this trip.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Into Sudan
Thursday 23rd August 2007, Nile sailing club again.
We sorted out the registration and photo permits at last. We have to have a permit to take photos, and if traveling off main roads or into Darfur or Southern Sudan, have to have a travel permit. We are not intending to go into those areas, and will travel only where it is safe.
We drove up the western bank of the Nile which is now full and overflowing its banks. The white Nile from Uganda and the Blue Nile from Ethiopia meet in the middle of Khartoum. Both are muddy brown at the moment but are said to run side by side for kilometers before mixing. Just outside the main city the desert starts. There is a huge military base which stretches into the distant desert.
This is an islamic country and we have to cover our shoulders and legs. Actually very useful for keeping away the flies, and the mozzies, but really hot. Apparently temps are cool for this time of the year, 34 instead of the usual over 40.
The price of diesel is 1Sudanese pound per litre, which is R3.50.
Wednesday 22nd August 2007 Nile River Sailing Club, Khartoum.
We left early and traveled towards Khartoum passing only one irrigation scheme that we could see, which seemed to be flood irrigation from huge canals.
All the land is flat, and with the Nile River so close, we were surprised there was no more irrigation. They have thick black rich cotton soils here which make the soil impossible to work when it is wet. The fertilizing and weed and pest control is done by air.
As we approached Khartoum the land got flatter and drier. 30Km from Khartoum it was already starting to be built up with brick houses on either side with flat roofs surrounded by brick walls. Not painted, very earthy. Khartoum is a huge first world city with modern buildings and humming with vibrant activity. The economy is obviously good.
We had to register at the ministry within 3 days after arrival. The red tape and bureaucracy is comparative to the size of the country, and things move very slowly. Everything has to be photocopied in duplicate, and stamped by a few people.
At the SA Embassy the lady couldn't believe that anyone would want to stay in Sudan voluntarily. She thinks it is too hot and foreign for her. She helped us a lot, and we set off to register, but got there too late.
We were chatting to a couple of local Sudanese, in the campsite and they insisted on taking us for dinner at a posh restaurant, and then bought us a whole container of Sudanese sweet pastries to eat afterwards, and would not hear of us paying. Sudanese hospitality is famous, as the two Swiss cyclists who are also at the campsite testify.
The traffic in Khartoum is very heavy and slow, but the economy is vibrant and first world compared with Ethiopia. 1USdollar is 2 Sudanese pounds, and the cost of stuff is very much like the cost in SA.
The people look at us with suspicion and curiosity, then break out in huge smiles with "Welcome to Sudan". We left the you, you, you and begging culture behind us in Ethiopia.
Tuesday 21st August 2007 Coronation Brick camp site on Nile between Wad Madani and Khartoum
We battled to remove ourselves from the silence and excellent camp site, having had little rain in the night. We are fascinated with the crops of sesame, cotton, maize and sorgham. There is lots of grass and the cattle are twice the size of those in Ethiopia, Bos Indicus type.
There are tractors and implements and combines and cultivation, and the lands stretch from horizon to horizon in a gentle slope. A lot of the lands are hoe-weeded.
We cannot believe the sizes of the lands which stretch to mirages in the distance, 20KmX10Km , EACH land.
504m above sea level, hot and humid. We have been stopped frequently for passports to be recorded. The police are very friendly and interested in us. South Africa is Yunubi Africa. On the road are old colourfully painted and unique Bedford trucks loaded to 3m above the rails, Landy trucks looking like peopled hedgehogs and huge articulated heavies, up to 42 wheelers, transport the goods around the country.
We found a campsite along the Nile in an old brick making field. The sun was setting behind us and the egrets were flying south just above the water. We relaxed and enjoyed the solitude.
Monday 20th August 2007 Quarry between Qalabat and Doka.
We left for the border passing through less mountainous area and more flat fertile areas, but less cultivated and less populated but poorly farmed. The towns we passed through were scrappy dirty and tawdry. We arrived at the border, got our passports stamped, went to customs and they didn't have a stamp, and we had to go back 37Km to the previous town, Shehedi to get the carnet stamped. Nev wasn't very pleased!! As we approached the border for the second time the church was howling, people were begging and the kids were yelling you you you. We were glad to leave Ethiopia, but a bit apprehensive about Sudan. It was with amazing relief that we got through the border.
Nev said the biggest industry in Ethiopia is US Aid, then transportation of said AID, then logistics of distribution and selling thereof!!
On the other side the Sudanese were surprisingly helpful, although slow, and we got through into Sudan with no problems, and with continual assurance of our safety.
What struck us immediately was the strikingly green grass, few cattle and goats and fewer people. We stopped at the first quarry and didn't want to leave in case we came across people as we rested our ears in the silence. However, we drove on for another 50Km and found another quarry off the road where we could not see a house nor near anyone. The silence was deafening. Flies, however might be a problem It was really hot and storms were threatening all over.
The road from the border was excellent tar. The Ethiopians and Sudanese agreed to fix their border roads under the trade agreement, and Sudan had done their half. Nev says the Ethiopians are still looking for a sponsor.
We sorted out the registration and photo permits at last. We have to have a permit to take photos, and if traveling off main roads or into Darfur or Southern Sudan, have to have a travel permit. We are not intending to go into those areas, and will travel only where it is safe.
We drove up the western bank of the Nile which is now full and overflowing its banks. The white Nile from Uganda and the Blue Nile from Ethiopia meet in the middle of Khartoum. Both are muddy brown at the moment but are said to run side by side for kilometers before mixing. Just outside the main city the desert starts. There is a huge military base which stretches into the distant desert.
This is an islamic country and we have to cover our shoulders and legs. Actually very useful for keeping away the flies, and the mozzies, but really hot. Apparently temps are cool for this time of the year, 34 instead of the usual over 40.
The price of diesel is 1Sudanese pound per litre, which is R3.50.
Wednesday 22nd August 2007 Nile River Sailing Club, Khartoum.
We left early and traveled towards Khartoum passing only one irrigation scheme that we could see, which seemed to be flood irrigation from huge canals.
All the land is flat, and with the Nile River so close, we were surprised there was no more irrigation. They have thick black rich cotton soils here which make the soil impossible to work when it is wet. The fertilizing and weed and pest control is done by air.
As we approached Khartoum the land got flatter and drier. 30Km from Khartoum it was already starting to be built up with brick houses on either side with flat roofs surrounded by brick walls. Not painted, very earthy. Khartoum is a huge first world city with modern buildings and humming with vibrant activity. The economy is obviously good.
We had to register at the ministry within 3 days after arrival. The red tape and bureaucracy is comparative to the size of the country, and things move very slowly. Everything has to be photocopied in duplicate, and stamped by a few people.
At the SA Embassy the lady couldn't believe that anyone would want to stay in Sudan voluntarily. She thinks it is too hot and foreign for her. She helped us a lot, and we set off to register, but got there too late.
We were chatting to a couple of local Sudanese, in the campsite and they insisted on taking us for dinner at a posh restaurant, and then bought us a whole container of Sudanese sweet pastries to eat afterwards, and would not hear of us paying. Sudanese hospitality is famous, as the two Swiss cyclists who are also at the campsite testify.
The traffic in Khartoum is very heavy and slow, but the economy is vibrant and first world compared with Ethiopia. 1USdollar is 2 Sudanese pounds, and the cost of stuff is very much like the cost in SA.
The people look at us with suspicion and curiosity, then break out in huge smiles with "Welcome to Sudan". We left the you, you, you and begging culture behind us in Ethiopia.
Tuesday 21st August 2007 Coronation Brick camp site on Nile between Wad Madani and Khartoum
We battled to remove ourselves from the silence and excellent camp site, having had little rain in the night. We are fascinated with the crops of sesame, cotton, maize and sorgham. There is lots of grass and the cattle are twice the size of those in Ethiopia, Bos Indicus type.
There are tractors and implements and combines and cultivation, and the lands stretch from horizon to horizon in a gentle slope. A lot of the lands are hoe-weeded.
We cannot believe the sizes of the lands which stretch to mirages in the distance, 20KmX10Km , EACH land.
504m above sea level, hot and humid. We have been stopped frequently for passports to be recorded. The police are very friendly and interested in us. South Africa is Yunubi Africa. On the road are old colourfully painted and unique Bedford trucks loaded to 3m above the rails, Landy trucks looking like peopled hedgehogs and huge articulated heavies, up to 42 wheelers, transport the goods around the country.
We found a campsite along the Nile in an old brick making field. The sun was setting behind us and the egrets were flying south just above the water. We relaxed and enjoyed the solitude.
Monday 20th August 2007 Quarry between Qalabat and Doka.
We left for the border passing through less mountainous area and more flat fertile areas, but less cultivated and less populated but poorly farmed. The towns we passed through were scrappy dirty and tawdry. We arrived at the border, got our passports stamped, went to customs and they didn't have a stamp, and we had to go back 37Km to the previous town, Shehedi to get the carnet stamped. Nev wasn't very pleased!! As we approached the border for the second time the church was howling, people were begging and the kids were yelling you you you. We were glad to leave Ethiopia, but a bit apprehensive about Sudan. It was with amazing relief that we got through the border.
Nev said the biggest industry in Ethiopia is US Aid, then transportation of said AID, then logistics of distribution and selling thereof!!
On the other side the Sudanese were surprisingly helpful, although slow, and we got through into Sudan with no problems, and with continual assurance of our safety.
What struck us immediately was the strikingly green grass, few cattle and goats and fewer people. We stopped at the first quarry and didn't want to leave in case we came across people as we rested our ears in the silence. However, we drove on for another 50Km and found another quarry off the road where we could not see a house nor near anyone. The silence was deafening. Flies, however might be a problem It was really hot and storms were threatening all over.
The road from the border was excellent tar. The Ethiopians and Sudanese agreed to fix their border roads under the trade agreement, and Sudan had done their half. Nev says the Ethiopians are still looking for a sponsor.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Gonder, Ethiopia
Sunday 19th August 2007 Belegese Pension, Gonder
Woke up very early with the sound of wailing priests and headed back to Gonder to prepare to leave for Sudan early tomorrow morning. We have to check Landy and stock up with groceries. In this town they charge firenje prices, which could be anything from double to 5X normal price. It makes me really angry that they think they can hook the foreigners. Trouble is they can and do.
Not sure of the internet or cell phone availability in Sudan, so watch this space…..
Saturday 18th August 2007 Dib Anbessa, Bar Hadar
After a chilly night we headed towards Gonder.
Just as I was thinking that Ethiopians spend too much time in the churches or on the roads, and not enough time working, we visited an un-typical community which is setting a shining example to them all. It was founded by Zumra Nuru, the Awra Amba Association (Box 36, Wareta), in 1974 with 18 others. Their motto was, to help everyone, to learn and use their brains, and work hard. They are monotheistic, but their worshiping consists of helping each other in all ways. They use education to haul themselves out of poverty instead of religion and prayer. They have a neat school and library made only of local materials with the shelves, tables and benches made of cow dung and mud plastered over poles. The old-peoples home was a dormitory of cubby-holes. They had designed a stove out of cow dung and mud to prevent children falling on the fire in the middle of the floor. They make their living out of weaving, have 17,5Ha of land, and have just started a small dairy. It is so difficult to start with absolutely nothing and the cogs have just started to turn although they have been going 30years. They are a community of 100 families.
We arrived at Bahir Dar next to Lake Tana which is the start of the Blue Nile, and booked into the above Hotel.
Friday 17th August 2007 Simien Park Hotel, Debark
I'm getting really tired of stinky toilets and showers that don't drain. Anyway, we finished our tour around Axum. We went to the quarry where they used to mine the stellae before transportation. There is a lion carved into the rock from 4AD. We then saw more tombs and a huge stella which had fallen down, but no archeologists are excavating at the moment, there must be an enormous amount to discover.
We headed west towards Debark along a more level area of plateaux which were relatively more fertile and the valleys flatter, but they were still cultivating to the top of the hills. Nev decided there was more than enough ground to feed the nation, but the ground they do have needs to be more productively utilized by more efficient farming methods and better fertilization.
Then… the road to Debark was the scariest yet!! We rose 2000m with hairpin bends piled on top of each other. This was Sani X10. I found myself closing my eyes and lying on Nev's lap. At one place the road had been scooped out of the cliff. We couldn't believe that anyone could have dared to make roads on cliff faces like this. The Italians should have stayed in Ethiopia more than the 6 years they did, and this country would have been far more developed. They had planted gum trees wherever there was a bit of soil on the side of the road and these are now huge 70-year old trees. Other places were sheer drops of 500m Nev said if he had been told to build a road there he would have run away and become a monk!! It had rained just before we got there and there were waterfalls cascading onto the road, and there were several rockfalls and landsides. It was really beautiful but I ended up with a tension headache!! The simian mountains nearby were mostly covered in clouds, but some of the finger-like peaks towered above the clouds.
Really chilly. We reached Debark at 2800m
Woke up very early with the sound of wailing priests and headed back to Gonder to prepare to leave for Sudan early tomorrow morning. We have to check Landy and stock up with groceries. In this town they charge firenje prices, which could be anything from double to 5X normal price. It makes me really angry that they think they can hook the foreigners. Trouble is they can and do.
Not sure of the internet or cell phone availability in Sudan, so watch this space…..
Saturday 18th August 2007 Dib Anbessa, Bar Hadar
After a chilly night we headed towards Gonder.
Just as I was thinking that Ethiopians spend too much time in the churches or on the roads, and not enough time working, we visited an un-typical community which is setting a shining example to them all. It was founded by Zumra Nuru, the Awra Amba Association (Box 36, Wareta), in 1974 with 18 others. Their motto was, to help everyone, to learn and use their brains, and work hard. They are monotheistic, but their worshiping consists of helping each other in all ways. They use education to haul themselves out of poverty instead of religion and prayer. They have a neat school and library made only of local materials with the shelves, tables and benches made of cow dung and mud plastered over poles. The old-peoples home was a dormitory of cubby-holes. They had designed a stove out of cow dung and mud to prevent children falling on the fire in the middle of the floor. They make their living out of weaving, have 17,5Ha of land, and have just started a small dairy. It is so difficult to start with absolutely nothing and the cogs have just started to turn although they have been going 30years. They are a community of 100 families.
We arrived at Bahir Dar next to Lake Tana which is the start of the Blue Nile, and booked into the above Hotel.
Friday 17th August 2007 Simien Park Hotel, Debark
I'm getting really tired of stinky toilets and showers that don't drain. Anyway, we finished our tour around Axum. We went to the quarry where they used to mine the stellae before transportation. There is a lion carved into the rock from 4AD. We then saw more tombs and a huge stella which had fallen down, but no archeologists are excavating at the moment, there must be an enormous amount to discover.
We headed west towards Debark along a more level area of plateaux which were relatively more fertile and the valleys flatter, but they were still cultivating to the top of the hills. Nev decided there was more than enough ground to feed the nation, but the ground they do have needs to be more productively utilized by more efficient farming methods and better fertilization.
Then… the road to Debark was the scariest yet!! We rose 2000m with hairpin bends piled on top of each other. This was Sani X10. I found myself closing my eyes and lying on Nev's lap. At one place the road had been scooped out of the cliff. We couldn't believe that anyone could have dared to make roads on cliff faces like this. The Italians should have stayed in Ethiopia more than the 6 years they did, and this country would have been far more developed. They had planted gum trees wherever there was a bit of soil on the side of the road and these are now huge 70-year old trees. Other places were sheer drops of 500m Nev said if he had been told to build a road there he would have run away and become a monk!! It had rained just before we got there and there were waterfalls cascading onto the road, and there were several rockfalls and landsides. It was really beautiful but I ended up with a tension headache!! The simian mountains nearby were mostly covered in clouds, but some of the finger-like peaks towered above the clouds.
Really chilly. We reached Debark at 2800m
Friday, August 17, 2007
Axum, Ethiopia
Thursday 16th August 2007. Kabel Hotel, Axum.
Another snakey road with a 1000m drop. We traveled 34Km and advanced only 10Km. The Italians originally carved the road through these impossible mountains, and the road is now being rehabilitated by the Chinese who are skimping on cement, (like they are in China we hear).
Axum is the centre of the Christian Orthodox Church in Ethiopia, and dates from long before Christ. There is lots of intricate history from BC to Axumite empire to the present.
We started a tour with a guide to be completed tomorrow. We started at a stellae field. These huge granite monoliths were dragged by elephants (they say) from a quarry 4Km away, shaped and engraved on site before being erected next to tombs. The largest still standing is 23m high, weighs 150tonns and is engraved with false windows and a door. There are two explanations, one traditional (sometimes obviously not true) and the other archeological (sometimes too conservative for us). Of course it has left us intrigued with more questions than answers. 95% of Axum has still to be excavated and explored by archeologists. This has been another one of our highlights, and we thought we would only reach the history in Sudan and Egypt.
Wednesday 15th August 2007 Central Agame Hotel, Adigrat.
We went to the museum in Mekele, taken around by a knowledgeable and amusing caretaker. He showed us lots of triptyques. Three pieces of wood hinged with thong from the 16 th century which were carried about by the devout. They have biblical paintings and lots of martyrs and saints. Some were very well done. Then a long discourse on Emporer Johannis iv with his original carved wooden throne, saddles, clothes etc.
We then proceeded north to Adigrat and called in at the three rock-hewn churches at Teka Tesfai. The first was up a very high sandstone cliff and I was too chicken to climb up, the second was very small and plain but was interesting for the chanting of the priest and worshippers, and the vivid colourful paintings. The third wanted to charge us Birr50 each, which was exorbitant, so only I went in, and wasn't impressed after those at Lalibele. We had to climb a steep smooth rock to get there.
We then proceeded north through villages of square houses made of sandstone blocks hewn from the surrounding area and quite camouflaged. The roofs are made of stone slabs suspended on wooden poles and covered with sand. There is grass growing on the roof, and we saw sheep grazing on the roofs.
Adigrat is 15Km from the border with Eritrea (which is still closed due to the war from 2000), just south of Asmara where Dad Karg was during WW1.
At Adigrat we bought 1Kg of the famous smooth pure white honey which comes from a place near here called Alitena.
The local farmers have devised a method of retaining water and soil. The hills are terraced with stone walls. On the upper side of the walls are dug trenches which catch the run off, settle the silt and the water gradually drains through. The silt captured is then dug out and used on the lands again.
Since Tanzania we have had guards protecting us every night. In Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda they were armed, here and in Rwanda they are not armed, interesting that at home the security is not as stringent.
Tuesday 14th August 2007 Milanos Hotel – Mekele.
They call them "Rock-hewn churches". There are 11 in the town, totally hidden except from the air. They are massive structures supposedly hewn in the 12 th century in 23years. They are chiseled and carved directly into the massive volcanic rock mounds capping the 2500m peak, called "tuff". Some churches are now cracking and subjected to erosion so, being a World Heritage Site, UNESCO, is funding rehabilitation and protection. Words cannot describe the amazing structures, they have to be experienced. They are in daily use and are an integral part of the everyday life of the orthodox Christians in the area.
After we left Lalibele we passed through 110Km of vertigo-inducing switchbacks, continually ascending and descending 500m at a time on a good road to 2000m. Then we turned East towards Kaorem, looking forward to the tar.
Teff and 'bokela', a type of lupin or bean is planted extensively here in centuries-old terraced lands which have now filled with soil, and the water is finding new routes, and of course eroding again.
I feel really sorry for these people, they are struggling just to survive. The terrain is Drakensberg peaks X 100, with cathedral peak after Cathedral peak, with the road winding right over the peak! Whew!
At Korem we turned North again on a very new tarred road, expecting to make good headway, and found ourselves going up and down "Sani Passes" again at least four times before the land leveled out in Tigrai region at 2000m. It was such a pleasure and relief to see a straight road! We reached Mekele after dark after nearly hitting two hyenas on the road and checked into the Milanos Hotel. Birr130, great room hot shower, good restaurant, safe parking.
Menus are written phonetically, as is the Amaharic language so we see words like Hootelee, for Hotel, and the best on the menu "Jump and Better" for jam and butter.
Monday 13th August 2007 Lalibele Hotel, Lalibele
Woke up early, Nev went to the bathroom and closed the door. Couldn't open it as the mechanism didn't work, he was getting claustrophobic and had to kick the door until it opened. Not a good start to the day, although the hotel was ok but a bit expensive. If you are a foreigner (firenji) they charge you anything up to double the going rate. It is a pleasure and surprise when you are charged the going rate for anything.
The bus accident from yesterday had been partially cleared so we were able to continue our journey towards Lalibele.
There were "Wow, look at that" moments all the time. The terrain is wild and mountainous with deep valleys. The Chinese really have an enormous task to build roads here in Northern Ethiopia. Again teff, maize and a bit of wheat in valleys and any arable places they can find. Some lands are just stone and we wonder how anything manages to grow. We passed USAID bags of grain being handed out, and know from Harar that most of it is sold to passing Gigwils to be resold elsewhere.
The mountains are as rugged as the Drakesberg, but here the road winds right through them, up and down these precipitous slopes. At times I find myself leaning right over to the side, or closing my eyes as I cannot look out of my window. There is no Armco or anything between the Landy and the edge of the precipice to the river bed 1Km below.
We arrived at the town of Lalibele which has grown on the side of a mountain with a view like from the top of Giants Castle. There is nowhere to camp in Ethiopia so we have to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants. I really love the tray-sized injera with all kinds of veges/purees/salads spooned around the edge of it called Bayeyineti.. Ethiopian food is spicy and delicious. Our rand is almost equivalent to the Birr, and judging from we have seen, I wouldn't invest in Ethiopia, I wouldn't get a return like I could in SA. The economy is based on subsistence farming and they rely heavily on aid to feed the people. All development is donated from the first world or UN. It is an insult to SA economy for the Rand to be almost the same as the Birr.
Another snakey road with a 1000m drop. We traveled 34Km and advanced only 10Km. The Italians originally carved the road through these impossible mountains, and the road is now being rehabilitated by the Chinese who are skimping on cement, (like they are in China we hear).
Axum is the centre of the Christian Orthodox Church in Ethiopia, and dates from long before Christ. There is lots of intricate history from BC to Axumite empire to the present.
We started a tour with a guide to be completed tomorrow. We started at a stellae field. These huge granite monoliths were dragged by elephants (they say) from a quarry 4Km away, shaped and engraved on site before being erected next to tombs. The largest still standing is 23m high, weighs 150tonns and is engraved with false windows and a door. There are two explanations, one traditional (sometimes obviously not true) and the other archeological (sometimes too conservative for us). Of course it has left us intrigued with more questions than answers. 95% of Axum has still to be excavated and explored by archeologists. This has been another one of our highlights, and we thought we would only reach the history in Sudan and Egypt.
Wednesday 15th August 2007 Central Agame Hotel, Adigrat.
We went to the museum in Mekele, taken around by a knowledgeable and amusing caretaker. He showed us lots of triptyques. Three pieces of wood hinged with thong from the 16 th century which were carried about by the devout. They have biblical paintings and lots of martyrs and saints. Some were very well done. Then a long discourse on Emporer Johannis iv with his original carved wooden throne, saddles, clothes etc.
We then proceeded north to Adigrat and called in at the three rock-hewn churches at Teka Tesfai. The first was up a very high sandstone cliff and I was too chicken to climb up, the second was very small and plain but was interesting for the chanting of the priest and worshippers, and the vivid colourful paintings. The third wanted to charge us Birr50 each, which was exorbitant, so only I went in, and wasn't impressed after those at Lalibele. We had to climb a steep smooth rock to get there.
We then proceeded north through villages of square houses made of sandstone blocks hewn from the surrounding area and quite camouflaged. The roofs are made of stone slabs suspended on wooden poles and covered with sand. There is grass growing on the roof, and we saw sheep grazing on the roofs.
Adigrat is 15Km from the border with Eritrea (which is still closed due to the war from 2000), just south of Asmara where Dad Karg was during WW1.
At Adigrat we bought 1Kg of the famous smooth pure white honey which comes from a place near here called Alitena.
The local farmers have devised a method of retaining water and soil. The hills are terraced with stone walls. On the upper side of the walls are dug trenches which catch the run off, settle the silt and the water gradually drains through. The silt captured is then dug out and used on the lands again.
Since Tanzania we have had guards protecting us every night. In Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda they were armed, here and in Rwanda they are not armed, interesting that at home the security is not as stringent.
Tuesday 14th August 2007 Milanos Hotel – Mekele.
They call them "Rock-hewn churches". There are 11 in the town, totally hidden except from the air. They are massive structures supposedly hewn in the 12 th century in 23years. They are chiseled and carved directly into the massive volcanic rock mounds capping the 2500m peak, called "tuff". Some churches are now cracking and subjected to erosion so, being a World Heritage Site, UNESCO, is funding rehabilitation and protection. Words cannot describe the amazing structures, they have to be experienced. They are in daily use and are an integral part of the everyday life of the orthodox Christians in the area.
After we left Lalibele we passed through 110Km of vertigo-inducing switchbacks, continually ascending and descending 500m at a time on a good road to 2000m. Then we turned East towards Kaorem, looking forward to the tar.
Teff and 'bokela', a type of lupin or bean is planted extensively here in centuries-old terraced lands which have now filled with soil, and the water is finding new routes, and of course eroding again.
I feel really sorry for these people, they are struggling just to survive. The terrain is Drakensberg peaks X 100, with cathedral peak after Cathedral peak, with the road winding right over the peak! Whew!
At Korem we turned North again on a very new tarred road, expecting to make good headway, and found ourselves going up and down "Sani Passes" again at least four times before the land leveled out in Tigrai region at 2000m. It was such a pleasure and relief to see a straight road! We reached Mekele after dark after nearly hitting two hyenas on the road and checked into the Milanos Hotel. Birr130, great room hot shower, good restaurant, safe parking.
Menus are written phonetically, as is the Amaharic language so we see words like Hootelee, for Hotel, and the best on the menu "Jump and Better" for jam and butter.
Monday 13th August 2007 Lalibele Hotel, Lalibele
Woke up early, Nev went to the bathroom and closed the door. Couldn't open it as the mechanism didn't work, he was getting claustrophobic and had to kick the door until it opened. Not a good start to the day, although the hotel was ok but a bit expensive. If you are a foreigner (firenji) they charge you anything up to double the going rate. It is a pleasure and surprise when you are charged the going rate for anything.
The bus accident from yesterday had been partially cleared so we were able to continue our journey towards Lalibele.
There were "Wow, look at that" moments all the time. The terrain is wild and mountainous with deep valleys. The Chinese really have an enormous task to build roads here in Northern Ethiopia. Again teff, maize and a bit of wheat in valleys and any arable places they can find. Some lands are just stone and we wonder how anything manages to grow. We passed USAID bags of grain being handed out, and know from Harar that most of it is sold to passing Gigwils to be resold elsewhere.
The mountains are as rugged as the Drakesberg, but here the road winds right through them, up and down these precipitous slopes. At times I find myself leaning right over to the side, or closing my eyes as I cannot look out of my window. There is no Armco or anything between the Landy and the edge of the precipice to the river bed 1Km below.
We arrived at the town of Lalibele which has grown on the side of a mountain with a view like from the top of Giants Castle. There is nowhere to camp in Ethiopia so we have to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants. I really love the tray-sized injera with all kinds of veges/purees/salads spooned around the edge of it called Bayeyineti.. Ethiopian food is spicy and delicious. Our rand is almost equivalent to the Birr, and judging from we have seen, I wouldn't invest in Ethiopia, I wouldn't get a return like I could in SA. The economy is based on subsistence farming and they rely heavily on aid to feed the people. All development is donated from the first world or UN. It is an insult to SA economy for the Rand to be almost the same as the Birr.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Dessie, Ethiopia
Sunday 12th August 2007 Greenland Hotel, Dessie.
We have been warned that internet peters out a bit further north, so they might not be so up to date in future.
We are getting tired of the noise assault on our ears and the noise pollution from the kids who yap and beg, the mosques which wake us up every morning, the orthodox Christian church which wails for hours on end and broadcasts sermons from loudspeakers on top of the churches, the noisy people and the continual traffic. At least further south the people seem to go to sleep at dusk. Here they carry on all night.
Maybe it is the hard day we have had today, because it is physically and emotionally exhausting when you think you are making headway and find yourself in the same city TWICE!!
We left Dessie heading for Lalibele via Woldia and Gashena. The road is difficult as it is being renovated and we had to by-pass the newly constructed bridges of which there are many, two of which are already cracking and one is washed away. 80Km on there were two busses which had tried to pass on a narrow section and nearly went off the bridge on either side, but blocked the road completely. Busses and trucks backed up three abreast for kilometers on either side, and the tow truck couldn't get there. No problem for the locals, they just sat in the shade making use of the chat availability from the panicky chat transporters, others started to sell the wares they had, others just begged. Nobody took control and tried to clear the road. The tow truck eventually got through and then promptly got stuck itself. That was when we decided to go back to Dessie and take a different route, directly to Gashena. Chat has to be chewed within 24 hours of being picked and the hawkers were panicking that they couldn't get their large quantities to the market in time, so were running it through the blocked place to transporters on the other side.
What a magnificent pass, similar to Sani. They cultivate (and plant teff here) or graze every inch of the precipitous slopes. This is what Nev imagined Ethiopia to be, along with the desolate hot area. We got 30Km and an hour later, we came across a section which had been washed away so had to turn back to Dessie, so feel really tired. There were 1000s of cattle in the valley grazing, a valley of at least 10Km long.
When Chip and Bessie Turner told us there were 'wall-to-wall' people in Tanzania and Kenya they hadn't got to Ethiopia yet, although Rwanda is even worse than this.
We are staying in a different hotel tonight for only Birr70. It is 7.30pm and the streets are still crowded and the shops are still open.
Saturday 11th August 2007 new Fasika Hotel, Dessie
In Harar the price of meat was as follows: Birr30/Kg for camel, 35 for beef, 40 for goat, 23 for scratch chicken and 38 for 'farm' chicken (which is difficult to get).
In Awash we met 2 French people our age who have spent 28 months traveling around mainly Africa on their motor bikes. Quite interesting how we could communicate with neither of us able to speak the other's language. They don't explore quite as much as we do though. They had spent 10000Km in three months in South Africa and really loved it.
We left Awash and made our way towards Miele, which is on the road to the border of Djibuti. An excellent road through the middle of the Rift Valley, which means it is low-lying, hot and drier as we traveled north. At first we cried again at the man-made erosion, overgrazing and over stocking. Then drove through the Alleghedi Reserve where there is grass, trees and indicates what the country could or should look like. Then we got to the real Ethiopia of the media. Dry, desolate, hot, rocky with very little ground cover and the odd herd of camels and goats with the notorious Afar tribe, who used to welcome strangers by slaughtering the men and lopping off their testicles as souvenirs.
That doesn't happen any more, or at least didn't happen to us.
From Miele the road started to climb out of the rift Valley through spectacularly faulted and tilted rock structures up 1000m, then to Dessie. Dessie is in the mountains in a beautiful setting, but must be the ugliest city we have seen so far with rusty corrugated iron roofs piled right next to each other. We see throughout Ethiopia the many new roofs around as if someone has donated corrugated iron and everyone has fitted a new roof to their houses. Rusty roofs look terrible.
Kids here bark you, you, you, like yappy aggressive dogs.
We stayed the night in the very pleasant New Fasika Hotel for R110Birr.
Friday 10th August 2007 Buffet D'Aouache Hotel, Awash.
We went west on a good gravel road, passing hundreds of donkeys and camels carting firewood and charcoal to Dire Dowa market. The country is getting denuded of all trees leaving only small acacias, which are now being eaten by the goats. The subsequent erosion and desertification leaves us feeling angry, frustrated and helpless with in the first world's ignorance, misdirects aid, which exacerbates the situation. Locals are planting less edible crops and the amount of chat growing must at least equal the amount of maize planted.
We came across an oasis which had irrigation canals which were half working, but the men were sitting in the shade of a tree, chewing chat.
The road then changed from good to very poor and we were only able to average 70Km/hr for the last 70Km. We went through many dry river beds whose bridges had been washed away (at least 30). They were full of silt and those that had water, looked like thick chocolate, as the water was full of silt.
With 36Km to go to Mieso (the beginning of the tar), following the railway line all the way, there was an old abandoned and broken fort (?) on a hill. The French built the railway to Djibuti from Addis (It isn't in use from Awash because it is submerged by the expanding Beseke Dam).
We passed a camel caravan loaded with the belongings of a nomadic family. Their mats, semi-circular poles and cloths of their dwellings loaded high on the backs of the camels.
The prickly pear is invading the area.
We arrived in Awash. The first Hotel recommended, the Meridian, no water. Second hotel, a little water. This is Ethiopia.
Thursday 9th August 2007 Ras Hotel – Dire Dawa
We went around the old city of Hara, which is walled, with a guide and found that UNESCO had donated Birr35mil to repave the whole city streets with cobblestones. We also found the wheat donated by America, USAID, selling for Birr250/50Kg. Explanation: corruption. The town had narrow little streets, was clean and neat and painted, all ready for the "New Millenium" in Ethiopia, on 11th Sept. The old town does not have tapped water, and it is all trucked in from 50Km away. There are 37000 people who live in the walled area, 90% are muslems.(1Birr= 80SA cents.)
We passed some lepers in the town, and there is a Leper Institution on the way to Harar.
The French cars which are the taxis in Addis and here in Harar are 30-year old Peugeots 404s. Our guide's sister is pretending to be a Somali and is in a refugee camp in Kenya. She has one more month to wait, and then can get a green card to work and live in America – clever little thing. We went to the museum and looked at 110-year-old photos of Harar and the surrounds, and very little has changed, from the dress, to the traditional dwellings to the food they eat.
We traveled to Dire Dawa from the highland of Harar we dropped from 2400m to 1100m in a matter of 5Km and the temp rose from 23 to 32 deg C. The terrain changed just as dramatically, from lush cultivated maize and chat to semi desert. The hillsides had been terraced with stones and cultivated sometime in the past, but now all that remains is stones and rocks, with the mountains of topsoil lying as silt in the wadis (dry river beds) below.
Dire Dowa, in a sentence is clean, neat, paved, walled and tree-lined. Dire Dowa is very different from any other Ethiopians city. The streets are also divided down the middle, and although it is the second largest city, it is hard to believe as there are very few people sitting around idle. The main streets are tarred, and the side streets are cobbled. They have recently built neat stone houses right up the mountainside behind the city. We stayed at the Ras Hotel, and did our washing in the bathroom. In the dry air it was bone dry overnight. Recommended Hotel. Although it is semi desert, it rained, as August is the wettest month getting an average of 130ml in that month.
Heille Sellase, an emperor of Ethiopia, was called at birth Ras Tefare. Hence the Rasteferian following from Jamaica whose 8year drought was broken the minute he touched Jamaican soil, or so the legend goes.
Wednesday 8th August 2007 Ras Hotel – Harar
It was getting a bit boring traveling through fertile valley after fertile valley, and suddenly 130Km from Addis we came to drier Karoo type and camels. Then we came across volcanic cones and chunky sharp-edged black volcanic rocks the size of a 20l drum strewn around 5m thick with hardly anything growing on them near Metahara. There were typical volcanic mountains all around and the roads were made of the volcanic ash. This road is tar and in excellent condition. We could have sped along but for the Isuzu haulage trucks. Here the Amharic word on the back of the truck looks like gigwil, so that is what we have nicknamed these trucks. We proceeded up into the mountains to over 2100m, and followed the windy road along the ridge of the mountain with spectacular views on both sides as far as the eye can see. It is heavily populated with village after village and subsistence farmers cultivating to the top of the hills all around. There is a lot of erosion and by the look of the crops (sorghum, maize, chat) the soils look tired.
As we neared Harar more and more chat was grown. Chat is a small bush. If you chew the leaves, swallow the juice and spit out the cud, it gives a high like dagga and the subsequent down with accompanying aggression. Just as addictive, and legal here. A man was walking totally naked through one village chewing his chat and totally zonked out. The saying is that the only fast thing in Jijiga is the chat truck, because chat has to be chewed very fresh and the bulk of the crop is exported by plane to Saudi Arabia.
One question puzzles us. Can agricultural production be increased here, and if so, how? Our gut feel is that commercial Agriculture has economies of scale and is more efficient than subsistence farming. But will it solve the problem of starvation in Ethiopia?
We went to see the famous 'hyena man' outside the walled town of old Harar. He has been feeding the hyenas all his life, and his father before him. These are wild hyenas which have been habituated to humans. They clean up around the abattoir and all around the city at night. This man calls them, and feeds them with meat held on a stick between his teeth. There were 20 spotted hyenas there and all behaved like domestic dogs. However they were timid, and the locals claim that they never attack people or domestic livestock or pets because there is always enough food around for them to scavenge.
Tuesday 7th August 2007 Mojo – Hotel Soloman
Baro Hotel last night was awful. No water because Addis had run out and it was like a rabbit warren. We collected our Sudanese visa and went to meet the others. They had decided not to go to Sudan at this time, nor to Harar, but to do the northern circuit and to decide again when back in Addis. So we said our goodbyes and now we are on our own.
The computer still doesn't work, so I will take it home and hope Brian can recover the data.
We headed east for Harar through 30Km of industrial area, very slowly in heavy traffic. This is the main road to Djibouti and the only available port since Eritrea is closed to Ethiopia and they are at war with Somalia. In Addis there are many old VW Beetles, some in good condition. The taxis are all a French make all in excess of 30 years old. All painted blue at the bottom and white at the top.
We went through flat valley after flat valley and arrived at Mojo. The room was surprisingly nice. Here in Ethiopia the bathrooms consist of a basin, toilet (often without a seat), a shower (never enclosed) with a drainage hole in the middle of the room, and no goose-necks to keep out the smell. There is always a basket for all paper (ALL paper) and a bucket with jug to flush as water is unreliable, as is the electricity.
The Hotel Soloman has the most beautiful flowering garden we have seen for months.
We have been warned that internet peters out a bit further north, so they might not be so up to date in future.
We are getting tired of the noise assault on our ears and the noise pollution from the kids who yap and beg, the mosques which wake us up every morning, the orthodox Christian church which wails for hours on end and broadcasts sermons from loudspeakers on top of the churches, the noisy people and the continual traffic. At least further south the people seem to go to sleep at dusk. Here they carry on all night.
Maybe it is the hard day we have had today, because it is physically and emotionally exhausting when you think you are making headway and find yourself in the same city TWICE!!
We left Dessie heading for Lalibele via Woldia and Gashena. The road is difficult as it is being renovated and we had to by-pass the newly constructed bridges of which there are many, two of which are already cracking and one is washed away. 80Km on there were two busses which had tried to pass on a narrow section and nearly went off the bridge on either side, but blocked the road completely. Busses and trucks backed up three abreast for kilometers on either side, and the tow truck couldn't get there. No problem for the locals, they just sat in the shade making use of the chat availability from the panicky chat transporters, others started to sell the wares they had, others just begged. Nobody took control and tried to clear the road. The tow truck eventually got through and then promptly got stuck itself. That was when we decided to go back to Dessie and take a different route, directly to Gashena. Chat has to be chewed within 24 hours of being picked and the hawkers were panicking that they couldn't get their large quantities to the market in time, so were running it through the blocked place to transporters on the other side.
What a magnificent pass, similar to Sani. They cultivate (and plant teff here) or graze every inch of the precipitous slopes. This is what Nev imagined Ethiopia to be, along with the desolate hot area. We got 30Km and an hour later, we came across a section which had been washed away so had to turn back to Dessie, so feel really tired. There were 1000s of cattle in the valley grazing, a valley of at least 10Km long.
When Chip and Bessie Turner told us there were 'wall-to-wall' people in Tanzania and Kenya they hadn't got to Ethiopia yet, although Rwanda is even worse than this.
We are staying in a different hotel tonight for only Birr70. It is 7.30pm and the streets are still crowded and the shops are still open.
Saturday 11th August 2007 new Fasika Hotel, Dessie
In Harar the price of meat was as follows: Birr30/Kg for camel, 35 for beef, 40 for goat, 23 for scratch chicken and 38 for 'farm' chicken (which is difficult to get).
In Awash we met 2 French people our age who have spent 28 months traveling around mainly Africa on their motor bikes. Quite interesting how we could communicate with neither of us able to speak the other's language. They don't explore quite as much as we do though. They had spent 10000Km in three months in South Africa and really loved it.
We left Awash and made our way towards Miele, which is on the road to the border of Djibuti. An excellent road through the middle of the Rift Valley, which means it is low-lying, hot and drier as we traveled north. At first we cried again at the man-made erosion, overgrazing and over stocking. Then drove through the Alleghedi Reserve where there is grass, trees and indicates what the country could or should look like. Then we got to the real Ethiopia of the media. Dry, desolate, hot, rocky with very little ground cover and the odd herd of camels and goats with the notorious Afar tribe, who used to welcome strangers by slaughtering the men and lopping off their testicles as souvenirs.
That doesn't happen any more, or at least didn't happen to us.
From Miele the road started to climb out of the rift Valley through spectacularly faulted and tilted rock structures up 1000m, then to Dessie. Dessie is in the mountains in a beautiful setting, but must be the ugliest city we have seen so far with rusty corrugated iron roofs piled right next to each other. We see throughout Ethiopia the many new roofs around as if someone has donated corrugated iron and everyone has fitted a new roof to their houses. Rusty roofs look terrible.
Kids here bark you, you, you, like yappy aggressive dogs.
We stayed the night in the very pleasant New Fasika Hotel for R110Birr.
Friday 10th August 2007 Buffet D'Aouache Hotel, Awash.
We went west on a good gravel road, passing hundreds of donkeys and camels carting firewood and charcoal to Dire Dowa market. The country is getting denuded of all trees leaving only small acacias, which are now being eaten by the goats. The subsequent erosion and desertification leaves us feeling angry, frustrated and helpless with in the first world's ignorance, misdirects aid, which exacerbates the situation. Locals are planting less edible crops and the amount of chat growing must at least equal the amount of maize planted.
We came across an oasis which had irrigation canals which were half working, but the men were sitting in the shade of a tree, chewing chat.
The road then changed from good to very poor and we were only able to average 70Km/hr for the last 70Km. We went through many dry river beds whose bridges had been washed away (at least 30). They were full of silt and those that had water, looked like thick chocolate, as the water was full of silt.
With 36Km to go to Mieso (the beginning of the tar), following the railway line all the way, there was an old abandoned and broken fort (?) on a hill. The French built the railway to Djibuti from Addis (It isn't in use from Awash because it is submerged by the expanding Beseke Dam).
We passed a camel caravan loaded with the belongings of a nomadic family. Their mats, semi-circular poles and cloths of their dwellings loaded high on the backs of the camels.
The prickly pear is invading the area.
We arrived in Awash. The first Hotel recommended, the Meridian, no water. Second hotel, a little water. This is Ethiopia.
Thursday 9th August 2007 Ras Hotel – Dire Dawa
We went around the old city of Hara, which is walled, with a guide and found that UNESCO had donated Birr35mil to repave the whole city streets with cobblestones. We also found the wheat donated by America, USAID, selling for Birr250/50Kg. Explanation: corruption. The town had narrow little streets, was clean and neat and painted, all ready for the "New Millenium" in Ethiopia, on 11th Sept. The old town does not have tapped water, and it is all trucked in from 50Km away. There are 37000 people who live in the walled area, 90% are muslems.(1Birr= 80SA cents.)
We passed some lepers in the town, and there is a Leper Institution on the way to Harar.
The French cars which are the taxis in Addis and here in Harar are 30-year old Peugeots 404s. Our guide's sister is pretending to be a Somali and is in a refugee camp in Kenya. She has one more month to wait, and then can get a green card to work and live in America – clever little thing. We went to the museum and looked at 110-year-old photos of Harar and the surrounds, and very little has changed, from the dress, to the traditional dwellings to the food they eat.
We traveled to Dire Dawa from the highland of Harar we dropped from 2400m to 1100m in a matter of 5Km and the temp rose from 23 to 32 deg C. The terrain changed just as dramatically, from lush cultivated maize and chat to semi desert. The hillsides had been terraced with stones and cultivated sometime in the past, but now all that remains is stones and rocks, with the mountains of topsoil lying as silt in the wadis (dry river beds) below.
Dire Dowa, in a sentence is clean, neat, paved, walled and tree-lined. Dire Dowa is very different from any other Ethiopians city. The streets are also divided down the middle, and although it is the second largest city, it is hard to believe as there are very few people sitting around idle. The main streets are tarred, and the side streets are cobbled. They have recently built neat stone houses right up the mountainside behind the city. We stayed at the Ras Hotel, and did our washing in the bathroom. In the dry air it was bone dry overnight. Recommended Hotel. Although it is semi desert, it rained, as August is the wettest month getting an average of 130ml in that month.
Heille Sellase, an emperor of Ethiopia, was called at birth Ras Tefare. Hence the Rasteferian following from Jamaica whose 8year drought was broken the minute he touched Jamaican soil, or so the legend goes.
Wednesday 8th August 2007 Ras Hotel – Harar
It was getting a bit boring traveling through fertile valley after fertile valley, and suddenly 130Km from Addis we came to drier Karoo type and camels. Then we came across volcanic cones and chunky sharp-edged black volcanic rocks the size of a 20l drum strewn around 5m thick with hardly anything growing on them near Metahara. There were typical volcanic mountains all around and the roads were made of the volcanic ash. This road is tar and in excellent condition. We could have sped along but for the Isuzu haulage trucks. Here the Amharic word on the back of the truck looks like gigwil, so that is what we have nicknamed these trucks. We proceeded up into the mountains to over 2100m, and followed the windy road along the ridge of the mountain with spectacular views on both sides as far as the eye can see. It is heavily populated with village after village and subsistence farmers cultivating to the top of the hills all around. There is a lot of erosion and by the look of the crops (sorghum, maize, chat) the soils look tired.
As we neared Harar more and more chat was grown. Chat is a small bush. If you chew the leaves, swallow the juice and spit out the cud, it gives a high like dagga and the subsequent down with accompanying aggression. Just as addictive, and legal here. A man was walking totally naked through one village chewing his chat and totally zonked out. The saying is that the only fast thing in Jijiga is the chat truck, because chat has to be chewed very fresh and the bulk of the crop is exported by plane to Saudi Arabia.
One question puzzles us. Can agricultural production be increased here, and if so, how? Our gut feel is that commercial Agriculture has economies of scale and is more efficient than subsistence farming. But will it solve the problem of starvation in Ethiopia?
We went to see the famous 'hyena man' outside the walled town of old Harar. He has been feeding the hyenas all his life, and his father before him. These are wild hyenas which have been habituated to humans. They clean up around the abattoir and all around the city at night. This man calls them, and feeds them with meat held on a stick between his teeth. There were 20 spotted hyenas there and all behaved like domestic dogs. However they were timid, and the locals claim that they never attack people or domestic livestock or pets because there is always enough food around for them to scavenge.
Tuesday 7th August 2007 Mojo – Hotel Soloman
Baro Hotel last night was awful. No water because Addis had run out and it was like a rabbit warren. We collected our Sudanese visa and went to meet the others. They had decided not to go to Sudan at this time, nor to Harar, but to do the northern circuit and to decide again when back in Addis. So we said our goodbyes and now we are on our own.
The computer still doesn't work, so I will take it home and hope Brian can recover the data.
We headed east for Harar through 30Km of industrial area, very slowly in heavy traffic. This is the main road to Djibouti and the only available port since Eritrea is closed to Ethiopia and they are at war with Somalia. In Addis there are many old VW Beetles, some in good condition. The taxis are all a French make all in excess of 30 years old. All painted blue at the bottom and white at the top.
We went through flat valley after flat valley and arrived at Mojo. The room was surprisingly nice. Here in Ethiopia the bathrooms consist of a basin, toilet (often without a seat), a shower (never enclosed) with a drainage hole in the middle of the room, and no goose-necks to keep out the smell. There is always a basket for all paper (ALL paper) and a bucket with jug to flush as water is unreliable, as is the electricity.
The Hotel Soloman has the most beautiful flowering garden we have seen for months.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
Monday 6th August 2007 Baro Hotel – Addis Ababa
We proceeded back to Addis to the Sudanese Embassy which opened half-an-hour late, and spent four hours applying for the visa (only transit, the full one takes 10 days) which we will hopefully collect tomorrow. We met up with our friends again, who are all confused as they cannot get a transit visa as they are not going to Egypt, and they don't want to wait here for 10 days for a proper visa.
We are typing this on Word in an internet café, as the computer is still not fixed. This bit has taken us an hour. We are not sure how this blog is going to work with the comms so bad in Ethiopia, but we will try to keep it coming.
Sunday 5th August 2007 AB at Ethio-Germany Park Hotel
We made our way back towards Addis, returning through the "Grand Canyon" and spent the night camping at the above hotel. It belonged to a descendant of Haille Sellasse who fled to Germany 37 years ago when Sellasse's relatives were being hunted down and killed. He returned 5 months ago to start and run this hotel in a spectacular position overlooking the Jimma river gorge. Also a 700 year-old three-spanned, moss-covered foot-bridge built by the Portugese (of ostrich shells and limestone instead of cement) spans a crevasse through which a fast-flowing stream is cutting its way and falling majestically into the gorge below.
We met two Swiss who are cycling their way to Switzerland from Dar in Tanzania, and they and we had supper with AB and chatted about the curiosities of this amazing country. We sat and watched as the others had supper, (as we had already eaten), which Nev was pleased about because they had injera with raw meat steaks and raw spiced mince. Nev was really glad he had already eaten and had a valid excuse not to partake in this typical Ethiopian dinner eaten by every one except the very poor. (Injera is the teff, sour dough 'sponge-rubber' pancake they eat with everything.) Nev's impressions of Ethiopia so far: He cannot generalise, but some of the 71 tribes work very hard, are poor and are not allowed to enter other areas – very tribal. Others are lazy. They appear good at animal husbandry but have no empathy for working animals. Begging is part of their culture. (confirmed by AB) Kids of 1 years old get taught to beg and it goes on throughout their lives, regardless of their wealth in life, even AB’s step-mother who is wealthier than AB himself, begs from him. There are vast areas of fertile land: some well-utilized, others poorly utilized. They are proud of having 4000 years of history behind them and proud of never having been colonised, and for having repulsed the Italians. The only good roads have been donated by wealthy countries. Telephone and other comms are shocking due to government interference. Their facial features are more Indian/Arab than negroid, although the Ethiopians claim that the Arabs and Indians came from Ethiopia originally. He would not like to live here. Diesel costs Birr 5.44 – at R1=Birr0.80 [ieR6.80]. Fruit and veges are much cheaper than in SA (but not as nice) and everything has doubled in price in the last 2 years since the Bradt book was published.
Saturday 4th August 2007 Debre Marcos – Shebel Hotel
We decided to go through the Blue Nile Gorge, as the others were stalling with their Landys and we didn't want to miss this section which they were going to see on their way back, so we picked up our Landy and made our way through the misty Eucalyptus Forests of Addis, north towards Gonder. We went to the church at Debre Libranos, once the centre of Orthodox Christianity in Ethiopia, but due to massacres and sacking in the past, had to be rebuilt in the 1950s and lost its status. However the stained glass windows, the murals, and the general feeling of religion makes for an awesome atmosphere. There is a sign which requests menstruating women and people who have had sex in the last 48 hours to refrain from entering. Nev wondered if anyone actually entered honestly, because we didn't. Honestly, that is.
Anyway, it was worth the entrance fee. There were tombs and graves around, but we felt crowded with all the people there as it was nearly the start of the 14day's fast of Saint Mary, so headed towards the Blue Nile. We passed through valley after valley and plateau after plateau of wheat and teff at altitudes of 2500m to 3113m. The road was tarred all the way until it started to descend into the Blue Nile gorge.
Then we started, in the mist and drizzle to descend though millions of geological years of deposition and erosion from 3100m down down down to 1010m. over 15 Km. Luckily we descended below the mist and could see the spectacular scenery. The temperature rose from 16 deg C to 28 at the bottom. There the brown Blue Nile, full of silt from the heavy rains snaked rapidly towards its confluence with the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan. The concrete bridge 80m above the river was wonky, and only one vehicle was allowed to cross at a time. The Japs are building a new bridge next to it. We waited on the side with a video ready to catch a truck causing the bridge to collapse, but it didn't happen while we were there. Then up the other side we went past a rock with 5m long stalactite-type formations, terraced stoney and tiered lands of poor maize up, up up along a spectacular road to 3100m to Dejen which was cold and rainy again, and the tar started again. All the way down and up the cuttings were unstable with evidence of many rock slides and rocks and sand on the road.
From Sahamene to Addis Ababa to Debre Marcos it was wall-to-wall people. Small village after small village interspersed with youngsters herding their livestock every 200m along the side of the road. To stop induced a mad sprint towards the vehicle from all sides, so the wee breaks were few and fast!! The white-swathed villagers walk along the road with their stick and umbrella. As soon as the rain appears, the umbrellas go up. It looks like Biblical times, 2000 years ago with donkeys and white cloaked population walking along the side of the road. The wheel isn't being used much here. It rains every day, several times a day during July and August and September here in Ethiopia, so guess what mood the happy campers are in in the mornings!! It is also cold and we have worn jackets and longs for the last 4 days! At Debre Marcos we booked into the only hotel and met up with the father and son team going to Belfast again.
Friday 3rd August 2007 Dere Dama Hotel Addis
We went to the Sudanese Embassy which was closed on Friday, although the sign said open on Fridays!!!, went to Egyptian embassy – come back Monday. Went to Ethiopian Embassy – come back Monday. Highly frustrating. Found our friends at Dere Dama Hotel Birr115, smelly toilets and no water for even cold shower!! Bad hotel!!!
Meantime met a father and son who were emigrating from SA to N Ireland and going from Belfast SA to Belfast N Ireland but going straight through, so no good to us. The first foreign vehicle we have seen since we arrived in Ethiopia 3 weeks ago. We hired a taxi driven by Dereje who took us all around from embassy to embassy, to get parts, to get gas and explained the various monuments at each roundabout (called strangely a 'square') of which there were many, eg King Menelik on his horse, the fall of fascism and Italian occupation, socialism, (but now a free economy for 15years). The Chinese are constructing roads everywhere and they regard them as potentially being the 'new colonists', but are happy they are here because "We Ethiopians don't like hard work.” Beggars, cripples, homeless, jobless and orphans abound everywhere in Addis Ababa. Prostitutes, due to AIDS, now rent out their homes for small businesses and beg on the streets. There are few big businesses, there are just millions of small one-roomed shops/factories/businesses everywhere. Donkeys carrying their loads go round the circles the wrong way in the middle of Addis!! However multi-storied buildings are going up all over the place. Tried to turn on the computer – nothing!! Trying to get someone to fix it.
Thursday 2 August 2007, Watma Hotel Addis Ababa
Next morning we packed up just before the skies opened and made our way to see the stelae at Tiya. These are tombstones sunk into the ground which have been carved with various symbols in relief. The overall impression was not dissimilar to a miniture stonehenge. The stelae were up to 2.5m above the ground. The largest, 5m tall, had been broken, and the top bit resides in Addis. They have excavated there and the graves contain bones of people, men and women between 18 and 30 years of age buried in the foetal position, some of the mass graves were 700 years old . It was bitterly cold, but worth the visit and the guide was very informative.
We proceded north to the Adida Maryam Church. This little church was carved out of rock in a hole in the ground. The top is level with the ground outside and we had to go down the steps into the little church which is still being used. This is the most southern of this type of subterranean churches. It has fabric draped over the windows and carpets on the ground. There is a corridor all around with pictures of the saints where the people pray. There was a woman prostrating herself inch-worm fashion while we were there. The guide took us all around this fascinating little place of worship.
Then we went to Addis Ababa.
All the horror stories about the traffic were unfounded for us as we were now seasoned travellers, having experienced the worst in all the other African capitals, so piece of cake. In fact with the help of the Bradt guide we found navigating very easy.
We asked a traffic cop in the middle of the traffic circle for directions to the Sudanese Embassy, and he jumped in our Landy and took us 5Km there, jumped out and went back to directing the traffic!!! 40% of the traffic in Addis are the blue and white taxis and mini-busses. The mini-busses are cheap, but the taxis are expensive.
We asked one to show us the way to the Landy agency and he charged us Eq of R8 to take us round the corner from where we were.
We left the Landy there to get the power steering hoses replaced (worn from the vibrations on the roads), new left shock, new suspension bushes replaced, and the handle on Nev's door replaced.
We went to SA embassy to get letter of introduction to Sudan and had dinner at Castelli's. Addis' oldest restaurant (run by the same family for over 50 years) 5 star!!! And stayed at the value-for-money Watma Hotel for Birr80 hot shower en suite.
Wednesday 1st August 2007 Alex's garden Butijera-Tiya
It rained all night and we slept in a nice clean room at the Awasha Shebelle Hotel. We left Awassa to go to Lake Ziway where our friends were. Past Lake Abaya we nipped in to a rough road into the reserve and saw 1000s and 1000s of flamingos on the lake in the distance. It was still raining so we didn't get out. We also passed a maize seed farm, probably government, farm was beautiful but the crop wasn't great. Also 100s of Ha of flower tunnels of Sher Farm Flowers. Sher Farms were also in Naivasha in Kenya. We passed the horse-drawn chariots again, the taxis around there with the horses shod with rubber and in terrible condition, thin, overworked, whipped into submission with sores on their backs. Horses for transport, donkeys for transportation of goods, and the very poor women transport heavy loads on their backs. The language barrier is so frustrating as we have to do so much guessing and speculating as we have no-one to answer our questions. Eg for breakfast we ordered our eggs 'poached'and they said they understood we wanted, and we got 'porridge' instead.
We found the rest of the crew at Ziway, and they wanted to stay and fix their Landys, so we went for a drive to find the Lake Ziway. We found a very wet and overcrouded and miserable fishing boat launch place which stank, and we couldn't get anywhere nearer the Lake and gave up.
We decided to go to Butijera, since the others were going to go straight to Addis after Lake Ziway. 20Km along the muddy wet road we heard an ominous knocking. We stopped and found the front right shock rubbers had come off. We had lent our spare ones to Dave for his Landcruiser and didn't have spares, so we unbolted the shock in the middle of no-where, surrounded by inquisitive men wanting to help. I had to be firm, insisting we could do it ourselves, and kept a beady eye on all the tools as we had already lost some along the way.
We arrived at Butijeras and saw thousands of women coming out of a 'school for vocational education for women', which means women, who are mostly still being circumcised and thought of as second class citizens, are slowly being emancipated.
Nothing more to do in Butijera, we chanced finding a hotel further north. About 40Km towards Tiya a hotel we found was closed due to a death, but Alex offered for us to stay in his back yard for the night.
He was so hospitable and set up his sound system outside for us. I wanted to show him some pictures of home and disaster … I knocked my tea over the laptop. We dried the outside as best we could, but tea with milk doesn't do much for a laptop. I was too scared to turn it on and try before consulting Brian O at home.
That night we slept amid sounds of hyenas, muslems and orthodox Christians.
We proceeded back to Addis to the Sudanese Embassy which opened half-an-hour late, and spent four hours applying for the visa (only transit, the full one takes 10 days) which we will hopefully collect tomorrow. We met up with our friends again, who are all confused as they cannot get a transit visa as they are not going to Egypt, and they don't want to wait here for 10 days for a proper visa.
We are typing this on Word in an internet café, as the computer is still not fixed. This bit has taken us an hour. We are not sure how this blog is going to work with the comms so bad in Ethiopia, but we will try to keep it coming.
Sunday 5th August 2007 AB at Ethio-Germany Park Hotel
We made our way back towards Addis, returning through the "Grand Canyon" and spent the night camping at the above hotel. It belonged to a descendant of Haille Sellasse who fled to Germany 37 years ago when Sellasse's relatives were being hunted down and killed. He returned 5 months ago to start and run this hotel in a spectacular position overlooking the Jimma river gorge. Also a 700 year-old three-spanned, moss-covered foot-bridge built by the Portugese (of ostrich shells and limestone instead of cement) spans a crevasse through which a fast-flowing stream is cutting its way and falling majestically into the gorge below.
We met two Swiss who are cycling their way to Switzerland from Dar in Tanzania, and they and we had supper with AB and chatted about the curiosities of this amazing country. We sat and watched as the others had supper, (as we had already eaten), which Nev was pleased about because they had injera with raw meat steaks and raw spiced mince. Nev was really glad he had already eaten and had a valid excuse not to partake in this typical Ethiopian dinner eaten by every one except the very poor. (Injera is the teff, sour dough 'sponge-rubber' pancake they eat with everything.) Nev's impressions of Ethiopia so far: He cannot generalise, but some of the 71 tribes work very hard, are poor and are not allowed to enter other areas – very tribal. Others are lazy. They appear good at animal husbandry but have no empathy for working animals. Begging is part of their culture. (confirmed by AB) Kids of 1 years old get taught to beg and it goes on throughout their lives, regardless of their wealth in life, even AB’s step-mother who is wealthier than AB himself, begs from him. There are vast areas of fertile land: some well-utilized, others poorly utilized. They are proud of having 4000 years of history behind them and proud of never having been colonised, and for having repulsed the Italians. The only good roads have been donated by wealthy countries. Telephone and other comms are shocking due to government interference. Their facial features are more Indian/Arab than negroid, although the Ethiopians claim that the Arabs and Indians came from Ethiopia originally. He would not like to live here. Diesel costs Birr 5.44 – at R1=Birr0.80 [ieR6.80]. Fruit and veges are much cheaper than in SA (but not as nice) and everything has doubled in price in the last 2 years since the Bradt book was published.
Saturday 4th August 2007 Debre Marcos – Shebel Hotel
We decided to go through the Blue Nile Gorge, as the others were stalling with their Landys and we didn't want to miss this section which they were going to see on their way back, so we picked up our Landy and made our way through the misty Eucalyptus Forests of Addis, north towards Gonder. We went to the church at Debre Libranos, once the centre of Orthodox Christianity in Ethiopia, but due to massacres and sacking in the past, had to be rebuilt in the 1950s and lost its status. However the stained glass windows, the murals, and the general feeling of religion makes for an awesome atmosphere. There is a sign which requests menstruating women and people who have had sex in the last 48 hours to refrain from entering. Nev wondered if anyone actually entered honestly, because we didn't. Honestly, that is.
Anyway, it was worth the entrance fee. There were tombs and graves around, but we felt crowded with all the people there as it was nearly the start of the 14day's fast of Saint Mary, so headed towards the Blue Nile. We passed through valley after valley and plateau after plateau of wheat and teff at altitudes of 2500m to 3113m. The road was tarred all the way until it started to descend into the Blue Nile gorge.
Then we started, in the mist and drizzle to descend though millions of geological years of deposition and erosion from 3100m down down down to 1010m. over 15 Km. Luckily we descended below the mist and could see the spectacular scenery. The temperature rose from 16 deg C to 28 at the bottom. There the brown Blue Nile, full of silt from the heavy rains snaked rapidly towards its confluence with the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan. The concrete bridge 80m above the river was wonky, and only one vehicle was allowed to cross at a time. The Japs are building a new bridge next to it. We waited on the side with a video ready to catch a truck causing the bridge to collapse, but it didn't happen while we were there. Then up the other side we went past a rock with 5m long stalactite-type formations, terraced stoney and tiered lands of poor maize up, up up along a spectacular road to 3100m to Dejen which was cold and rainy again, and the tar started again. All the way down and up the cuttings were unstable with evidence of many rock slides and rocks and sand on the road.
From Sahamene to Addis Ababa to Debre Marcos it was wall-to-wall people. Small village after small village interspersed with youngsters herding their livestock every 200m along the side of the road. To stop induced a mad sprint towards the vehicle from all sides, so the wee breaks were few and fast!! The white-swathed villagers walk along the road with their stick and umbrella. As soon as the rain appears, the umbrellas go up. It looks like Biblical times, 2000 years ago with donkeys and white cloaked population walking along the side of the road. The wheel isn't being used much here. It rains every day, several times a day during July and August and September here in Ethiopia, so guess what mood the happy campers are in in the mornings!! It is also cold and we have worn jackets and longs for the last 4 days! At Debre Marcos we booked into the only hotel and met up with the father and son team going to Belfast again.
Friday 3rd August 2007 Dere Dama Hotel Addis
We went to the Sudanese Embassy which was closed on Friday, although the sign said open on Fridays!!!, went to Egyptian embassy – come back Monday. Went to Ethiopian Embassy – come back Monday. Highly frustrating. Found our friends at Dere Dama Hotel Birr115, smelly toilets and no water for even cold shower!! Bad hotel!!!
Meantime met a father and son who were emigrating from SA to N Ireland and going from Belfast SA to Belfast N Ireland but going straight through, so no good to us. The first foreign vehicle we have seen since we arrived in Ethiopia 3 weeks ago. We hired a taxi driven by Dereje who took us all around from embassy to embassy, to get parts, to get gas and explained the various monuments at each roundabout (called strangely a 'square') of which there were many, eg King Menelik on his horse, the fall of fascism and Italian occupation, socialism, (but now a free economy for 15years). The Chinese are constructing roads everywhere and they regard them as potentially being the 'new colonists', but are happy they are here because "We Ethiopians don't like hard work.” Beggars, cripples, homeless, jobless and orphans abound everywhere in Addis Ababa. Prostitutes, due to AIDS, now rent out their homes for small businesses and beg on the streets. There are few big businesses, there are just millions of small one-roomed shops/factories/businesses everywhere. Donkeys carrying their loads go round the circles the wrong way in the middle of Addis!! However multi-storied buildings are going up all over the place. Tried to turn on the computer – nothing!! Trying to get someone to fix it.
Thursday 2 August 2007, Watma Hotel Addis Ababa
Next morning we packed up just before the skies opened and made our way to see the stelae at Tiya. These are tombstones sunk into the ground which have been carved with various symbols in relief. The overall impression was not dissimilar to a miniture stonehenge. The stelae were up to 2.5m above the ground. The largest, 5m tall, had been broken, and the top bit resides in Addis. They have excavated there and the graves contain bones of people, men and women between 18 and 30 years of age buried in the foetal position, some of the mass graves were 700 years old . It was bitterly cold, but worth the visit and the guide was very informative.
We proceded north to the Adida Maryam Church. This little church was carved out of rock in a hole in the ground. The top is level with the ground outside and we had to go down the steps into the little church which is still being used. This is the most southern of this type of subterranean churches. It has fabric draped over the windows and carpets on the ground. There is a corridor all around with pictures of the saints where the people pray. There was a woman prostrating herself inch-worm fashion while we were there. The guide took us all around this fascinating little place of worship.
Then we went to Addis Ababa.
All the horror stories about the traffic were unfounded for us as we were now seasoned travellers, having experienced the worst in all the other African capitals, so piece of cake. In fact with the help of the Bradt guide we found navigating very easy.
We asked a traffic cop in the middle of the traffic circle for directions to the Sudanese Embassy, and he jumped in our Landy and took us 5Km there, jumped out and went back to directing the traffic!!! 40% of the traffic in Addis are the blue and white taxis and mini-busses. The mini-busses are cheap, but the taxis are expensive.
We asked one to show us the way to the Landy agency and he charged us Eq of R8 to take us round the corner from where we were.
We left the Landy there to get the power steering hoses replaced (worn from the vibrations on the roads), new left shock, new suspension bushes replaced, and the handle on Nev's door replaced.
We went to SA embassy to get letter of introduction to Sudan and had dinner at Castelli's. Addis' oldest restaurant (run by the same family for over 50 years) 5 star!!! And stayed at the value-for-money Watma Hotel for Birr80 hot shower en suite.
Wednesday 1st August 2007 Alex's garden Butijera-Tiya
It rained all night and we slept in a nice clean room at the Awasha Shebelle Hotel. We left Awassa to go to Lake Ziway where our friends were. Past Lake Abaya we nipped in to a rough road into the reserve and saw 1000s and 1000s of flamingos on the lake in the distance. It was still raining so we didn't get out. We also passed a maize seed farm, probably government, farm was beautiful but the crop wasn't great. Also 100s of Ha of flower tunnels of Sher Farm Flowers. Sher Farms were also in Naivasha in Kenya. We passed the horse-drawn chariots again, the taxis around there with the horses shod with rubber and in terrible condition, thin, overworked, whipped into submission with sores on their backs. Horses for transport, donkeys for transportation of goods, and the very poor women transport heavy loads on their backs. The language barrier is so frustrating as we have to do so much guessing and speculating as we have no-one to answer our questions. Eg for breakfast we ordered our eggs 'poached'and they said they understood we wanted, and we got 'porridge' instead.
We found the rest of the crew at Ziway, and they wanted to stay and fix their Landys, so we went for a drive to find the Lake Ziway. We found a very wet and overcrouded and miserable fishing boat launch place which stank, and we couldn't get anywhere nearer the Lake and gave up.
We decided to go to Butijera, since the others were going to go straight to Addis after Lake Ziway. 20Km along the muddy wet road we heard an ominous knocking. We stopped and found the front right shock rubbers had come off. We had lent our spare ones to Dave for his Landcruiser and didn't have spares, so we unbolted the shock in the middle of no-where, surrounded by inquisitive men wanting to help. I had to be firm, insisting we could do it ourselves, and kept a beady eye on all the tools as we had already lost some along the way.
We arrived at Butijeras and saw thousands of women coming out of a 'school for vocational education for women', which means women, who are mostly still being circumcised and thought of as second class citizens, are slowly being emancipated.
Nothing more to do in Butijera, we chanced finding a hotel further north. About 40Km towards Tiya a hotel we found was closed due to a death, but Alex offered for us to stay in his back yard for the night.
He was so hospitable and set up his sound system outside for us. I wanted to show him some pictures of home and disaster … I knocked my tea over the laptop. We dried the outside as best we could, but tea with milk doesn't do much for a laptop. I was too scared to turn it on and try before consulting Brian O at home.
That night we slept amid sounds of hyenas, muslems and orthodox Christians.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Awassa, Ethiopia
Tuesday 31st July 2007 Awassa
We had a lovely night and left early in the morning before the main group was up. We made our way to Awassa which is a lovely town next to a big explosive crater lake. We set up camp to dry out after the cold and wet, at the Wabe Shebelle Hotel #2 in park-like surroundings next to the lake. It is like being in a veritable game-reserve. All kinds of birds, the grivet and the Abassynian Black and White Colobus monkeys everywhere. Litterally everywhere. They are in our tent, all over our washing, in our Landy and making huge pests of themselves. Nev started to throw things at them to scare them off and a man came and said, don't hurt them, look, they are just hungry. So we capitulated against better judgment and gave him stale bread to feed them. They took it gently out of his hand, but that didn't stop them bothering us. Another man came and threw stones and eventually they left afterdamaging our washing. But we packed our nicely dry tent, and have decided to sleep in the room tonight.
We are going to the village to blog and spend the afternoon relaxing around the lake.
Monday 30th July 2007 Herero Farm, Adaba
We left the Herena forest, somewhat disappointed and returned to Dinsho HQ where is was freezing and wet, so we left Brian fixing his brakes which broke on the way, and Willy fixing his battery which was bubbling ominously and made our way towards Dodola where we intended to sleep in an 'hotel'. We got back to the vaste plains, near Adaba, of commercial wheat and couldn't resist trying our luck at getting a place to camp in the farmyard. It is quite difficult to communicate, as most do not speak English, but we managed to find someone in charge and quizzed him about the farm. It is a government farm, one of four in the area of 40Km radius, but not joined, each of 3700Ha of gently sloping fertile land. They plant wheat, [reap 3-4tonnes/Ha and get R3000/tonne] or barley [reap 3-4 tonnes/Ha and get R2000/tonne]. They also do dairy and fatten cattle. They rotate the crops with rape. They do not plant maize as they are at 2500m and have rains April to Sept, high altitude and cool temps. They fertilize with liquid urea by plane and plant with DAP. The locals each have between ½ and 3Ha per person. That is all we managed to get out of him, apart from permission to camp anywhere, and the offer to stay in their guest house.
We had the workers and their families asking in very broken English what we were doing there and if we intended investing.
Sunday 29th July 2007 Lower camp site, Herena Forest
The temp went down to 2.4 deg C with on-off sleet during the night, so our wake-up was somewhat chilly, especially with the slight breeze. But the sky looked like it was clearing and we packed up, dodging the mud, loaded up the guide and left to go south and down in altitude to 2300m, to the Herena Forest area of the national Park. We saw the Ethiopian wolf again, canis simiensis, a beautiful jackal-like dog with rufus fur, white markings and a bushy black tail. It was calling its mates with a sharp, high pitched, bird-like sound. As we dropped in altitude from the breathless 4119m the vegetation changed from short, tiny-leafed plants and mosses (similar to Losotho) to bushier vegetation to gnarled moss-covered trees to tall creeper-covered woodlands. Descending the twisting road in low ratio saved our brakes, but we are feeling for the Landy as it has to climb all the way back up again tomorrow, as this road, built by the Russians is the only way back, and the highest all-weather road in Africa.
On reaching the forests at the bottom the rainfall is heavy and mosses grow on the trees. Large areas of forests have been cleared by the locals. We went for a walk and it rained in the afternoon again. The soils are deep volcanic, and very fertile with streams everywhere.
Saturday 28th July 2007 High Camp site Bale Mountains
We left Dinsho headquarters for the Bale Mountain campsite high up in the mountains, well known for the endemic birds and the Ethiopian wolf. We traveled up from 2600m to 4119m along a spectacular pass with magnificent scenery. The poor Landy was gasping for breath in thin air. It is amazing how much less power in the high altitude and Ethiopian diesel doesn't seem to be of the same quality as south, and all vehicles smoke a lot more. The road wasn't great, but we did the 85Km in 3 hours and arrived at the bitterly cold campsite in sleet and rain, which carried on intermittently for the rest of the day. Nev nd I went on a short walk and saw an Ethiopian wolf which weighs up to 16 Kg, about 2X the size of our jackal. They live in packs of 3 to 13 but only one of the females breeds per year, and they take it in turns. They live off Giant Moor Rats and other rodents. We saw other footprints, which the guide said were cattle. There are 40,000 people which live in this reserve. What chance do the wild animals have?
Friday 27th July 2007 Dinsho, Bale Mountains
Fascinating agricultural land here, massive flat plains of grains mainly wheat. This is land like the Kaarkloof Valley but 100 X as extensive, and more fertile since the soils are of volcanic origin. This area is worked almost to its full potential and the locals are not lazy as in most other areas. We have seen the occasional tractor and combine, but most work is done by a one-man two-ox wooden plough (no metal at all). We have seen from the Landy that sowing is done by hand, (we have not seen how they cover the seed, but could be by driving the cattle through the field), weed control must be done mechanically, but we have seen them pulling weeds by hand, reaping by sickle, and winnowing by women in front of their huts (the straw is made into a stack for their livestock). They get two crops per year and plant wheat, barley, teff, peas or beans. The plains are marked off in about 3Ha lots and form a pretty pattern across the land. This is working well, but amazing to go back in time to the European middle ages before the industrial revolution. The main form of transport is horse and scotch cart. Germany and Italy seem to be involved, judging by the signs we could read. Most writing is in a type of Arabic.
We arrived late at the Dinsho headquarters of the Bale Mountain National Reserve, and set up camp in the really chilly drizzle. We made use of the communal lounge and sat around a lovely warm fireplace until retiring.
Thursday 26th July 2007 Wondo Genet
The celebrations at the church finished at around noon today and the silence was deafening. Anyway we had a lovely shower last night in the hot water eminating directly from the mountain, falling in a shoot onto concreted areas demarcated for men and women. The pool was not yet full enough to use so we all simply had a wonderfully hot shower, the first hot shower in Ethiopia. This morning we had another shower and laze in the hot pool. Brian, typically had hoards of young children around him which he was teaching to swim. He attracts kids like bees to nectar, and is always talking to the local kids (whether they actually understand him is in doubt, but that doesn't deter Brian). The weather was very damp, so we didn't do washing of clothes as we had wanted to do.
An sms text message via satphone from Beryl and Dave let us know that they had had their radiator fixed but waiting for us for 10 days in Addis Ababa was not an option. I am not sure what they are going to do, so for the time being the three couples will carry on.
The Ethiopian government has blocked all outgoing cell phone text messages. The internet service is slow and unreliable, so the only means of communication is by satphone. I have tried to reach Glynis and Kita, but have had no response from either. We will blog when we have the chance.
We went for a walk up the hill and saw Heille Sallasie's shower.
We met a man called Paul Snook who had been involved in building the Katze Dam in Lesotho, and is now involved in building a hydro-electric dam in the north east Ethiopia. He says the Chinese he works with are the same as we explained when we were in Uganda.
Wednesday 25th July 2007 Wondo Genet
We left Arba Minch for Wondo Genet, 120Km of potholed tar, followed by 60Km of wonderful tar. I took a photo to prove the Landy was going 100Km/hr, a speed we haven't done for months. We went past three huge flat plains of arable, irrigable, fertile land, some farmed and some not. This part of the country has huge untapped agricultural potential. Water is plentiful. In other areas the erosion was so bad that the topsoil 2m deep was eroded to a 10m deep donga.
From Arba Minch to here was wall to wall people and most people along the road begged, except near Sodo where there was successful agriculture.
Here in Ethiopia the busses are unique. They all have loudspeakers on top of their roofs (up to three). They play Ethiopian music full blast. At first we thought it was one of our friend's Landys playing music. Now we realize the busses play the music full blast. Cattle get out of the way, potential passengers know the bus is arriving well in advance and other vehicles get out of their way and the bus driver cannot hear all the noises the busses are making.
Little did we know, having timed our arrival at the hot springs to coincide with the Wednesday cleaning of the pools, that the darling little hexagonal authodox Christian church next to the hotel was celebrating the day of Saint Gabrielle. This involved the regular delivery of busloads of people to the church. The buses blast forth music/sermons which herald their presence long before the arrival of the bus. On arrival at the church the fully white-cloaked women walk, heads bowed, to the church, cross themselves at the gate and join the singing/chanting/drum beating which accompanies the celebration ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!! Beggars sit, lining the path to the church and they receive donations from the devotees.
What a noisy night!!
We had a lovely night and left early in the morning before the main group was up. We made our way to Awassa which is a lovely town next to a big explosive crater lake. We set up camp to dry out after the cold and wet, at the Wabe Shebelle Hotel #2 in park-like surroundings next to the lake. It is like being in a veritable game-reserve. All kinds of birds, the grivet and the Abassynian Black and White Colobus monkeys everywhere. Litterally everywhere. They are in our tent, all over our washing, in our Landy and making huge pests of themselves. Nev started to throw things at them to scare them off and a man came and said, don't hurt them, look, they are just hungry. So we capitulated against better judgment and gave him stale bread to feed them. They took it gently out of his hand, but that didn't stop them bothering us. Another man came and threw stones and eventually they left afterdamaging our washing. But we packed our nicely dry tent, and have decided to sleep in the room tonight.
We are going to the village to blog and spend the afternoon relaxing around the lake.
Monday 30th July 2007 Herero Farm, Adaba
We left the Herena forest, somewhat disappointed and returned to Dinsho HQ where is was freezing and wet, so we left Brian fixing his brakes which broke on the way, and Willy fixing his battery which was bubbling ominously and made our way towards Dodola where we intended to sleep in an 'hotel'. We got back to the vaste plains, near Adaba, of commercial wheat and couldn't resist trying our luck at getting a place to camp in the farmyard. It is quite difficult to communicate, as most do not speak English, but we managed to find someone in charge and quizzed him about the farm. It is a government farm, one of four in the area of 40Km radius, but not joined, each of 3700Ha of gently sloping fertile land. They plant wheat, [reap 3-4tonnes/Ha and get R3000/tonne] or barley [reap 3-4 tonnes/Ha and get R2000/tonne]. They also do dairy and fatten cattle. They rotate the crops with rape. They do not plant maize as they are at 2500m and have rains April to Sept, high altitude and cool temps. They fertilize with liquid urea by plane and plant with DAP. The locals each have between ½ and 3Ha per person. That is all we managed to get out of him, apart from permission to camp anywhere, and the offer to stay in their guest house.
We had the workers and their families asking in very broken English what we were doing there and if we intended investing.
Sunday 29th July 2007 Lower camp site, Herena Forest
The temp went down to 2.4 deg C with on-off sleet during the night, so our wake-up was somewhat chilly, especially with the slight breeze. But the sky looked like it was clearing and we packed up, dodging the mud, loaded up the guide and left to go south and down in altitude to 2300m, to the Herena Forest area of the national Park. We saw the Ethiopian wolf again, canis simiensis, a beautiful jackal-like dog with rufus fur, white markings and a bushy black tail. It was calling its mates with a sharp, high pitched, bird-like sound. As we dropped in altitude from the breathless 4119m the vegetation changed from short, tiny-leafed plants and mosses (similar to Losotho) to bushier vegetation to gnarled moss-covered trees to tall creeper-covered woodlands. Descending the twisting road in low ratio saved our brakes, but we are feeling for the Landy as it has to climb all the way back up again tomorrow, as this road, built by the Russians is the only way back, and the highest all-weather road in Africa.
On reaching the forests at the bottom the rainfall is heavy and mosses grow on the trees. Large areas of forests have been cleared by the locals. We went for a walk and it rained in the afternoon again. The soils are deep volcanic, and very fertile with streams everywhere.
Saturday 28th July 2007 High Camp site Bale Mountains
We left Dinsho headquarters for the Bale Mountain campsite high up in the mountains, well known for the endemic birds and the Ethiopian wolf. We traveled up from 2600m to 4119m along a spectacular pass with magnificent scenery. The poor Landy was gasping for breath in thin air. It is amazing how much less power in the high altitude and Ethiopian diesel doesn't seem to be of the same quality as south, and all vehicles smoke a lot more. The road wasn't great, but we did the 85Km in 3 hours and arrived at the bitterly cold campsite in sleet and rain, which carried on intermittently for the rest of the day. Nev nd I went on a short walk and saw an Ethiopian wolf which weighs up to 16 Kg, about 2X the size of our jackal. They live in packs of 3 to 13 but only one of the females breeds per year, and they take it in turns. They live off Giant Moor Rats and other rodents. We saw other footprints, which the guide said were cattle. There are 40,000 people which live in this reserve. What chance do the wild animals have?
Friday 27th July 2007 Dinsho, Bale Mountains
Fascinating agricultural land here, massive flat plains of grains mainly wheat. This is land like the Kaarkloof Valley but 100 X as extensive, and more fertile since the soils are of volcanic origin. This area is worked almost to its full potential and the locals are not lazy as in most other areas. We have seen the occasional tractor and combine, but most work is done by a one-man two-ox wooden plough (no metal at all). We have seen from the Landy that sowing is done by hand, (we have not seen how they cover the seed, but could be by driving the cattle through the field), weed control must be done mechanically, but we have seen them pulling weeds by hand, reaping by sickle, and winnowing by women in front of their huts (the straw is made into a stack for their livestock). They get two crops per year and plant wheat, barley, teff, peas or beans. The plains are marked off in about 3Ha lots and form a pretty pattern across the land. This is working well, but amazing to go back in time to the European middle ages before the industrial revolution. The main form of transport is horse and scotch cart. Germany and Italy seem to be involved, judging by the signs we could read. Most writing is in a type of Arabic.
We arrived late at the Dinsho headquarters of the Bale Mountain National Reserve, and set up camp in the really chilly drizzle. We made use of the communal lounge and sat around a lovely warm fireplace until retiring.
Thursday 26th July 2007 Wondo Genet
The celebrations at the church finished at around noon today and the silence was deafening. Anyway we had a lovely shower last night in the hot water eminating directly from the mountain, falling in a shoot onto concreted areas demarcated for men and women. The pool was not yet full enough to use so we all simply had a wonderfully hot shower, the first hot shower in Ethiopia. This morning we had another shower and laze in the hot pool. Brian, typically had hoards of young children around him which he was teaching to swim. He attracts kids like bees to nectar, and is always talking to the local kids (whether they actually understand him is in doubt, but that doesn't deter Brian). The weather was very damp, so we didn't do washing of clothes as we had wanted to do.
An sms text message via satphone from Beryl and Dave let us know that they had had their radiator fixed but waiting for us for 10 days in Addis Ababa was not an option. I am not sure what they are going to do, so for the time being the three couples will carry on.
The Ethiopian government has blocked all outgoing cell phone text messages. The internet service is slow and unreliable, so the only means of communication is by satphone. I have tried to reach Glynis and Kita, but have had no response from either. We will blog when we have the chance.
We went for a walk up the hill and saw Heille Sallasie's shower.
We met a man called Paul Snook who had been involved in building the Katze Dam in Lesotho, and is now involved in building a hydro-electric dam in the north east Ethiopia. He says the Chinese he works with are the same as we explained when we were in Uganda.
Wednesday 25th July 2007 Wondo Genet
We left Arba Minch for Wondo Genet, 120Km of potholed tar, followed by 60Km of wonderful tar. I took a photo to prove the Landy was going 100Km/hr, a speed we haven't done for months. We went past three huge flat plains of arable, irrigable, fertile land, some farmed and some not. This part of the country has huge untapped agricultural potential. Water is plentiful. In other areas the erosion was so bad that the topsoil 2m deep was eroded to a 10m deep donga.
From Arba Minch to here was wall to wall people and most people along the road begged, except near Sodo where there was successful agriculture.
Here in Ethiopia the busses are unique. They all have loudspeakers on top of their roofs (up to three). They play Ethiopian music full blast. At first we thought it was one of our friend's Landys playing music. Now we realize the busses play the music full blast. Cattle get out of the way, potential passengers know the bus is arriving well in advance and other vehicles get out of their way and the bus driver cannot hear all the noises the busses are making.
Little did we know, having timed our arrival at the hot springs to coincide with the Wednesday cleaning of the pools, that the darling little hexagonal authodox Christian church next to the hotel was celebrating the day of Saint Gabrielle. This involved the regular delivery of busloads of people to the church. The buses blast forth music/sermons which herald their presence long before the arrival of the bus. On arrival at the church the fully white-cloaked women walk, heads bowed, to the church, cross themselves at the gate and join the singing/chanting/drum beating which accompanies the celebration ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!! Beggars sit, lining the path to the church and they receive donations from the devotees.
What a noisy night!!
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