Shihedi - Bahir Dar

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The journey from Shihedi to Bahir Dar was a really pleasant journey.. I drove most of the way so that Dave could rest further..

From the border to Shihedi, the gravel road is still relatively flat.. shortly after Shihedi, the gravel road starts climbing as we begun to be greeted by Ethiopia's mountains.. As we came round the mountains/hills.. we passed by so many villages.. many without electricity.. and all of the round huts were made entirely of wood and grass and some covered with mud as wall..

And Saturday is market day.. and we saw lots of villagers walking along the road to the bigger regional villages/towns.. some with their sheeps.. some with their shopping basked balanced on their head.. etc..

You feel like you've taken a step back in time.. and the feeling's wonderful.. things are so simple..

You keep coming to sceneries with round thatched huts sitting on a mountain slope.. sparse temperate forests surrounding it.. and the looming mountain and the deep blue sky as its backdrops.. these scenes seem to come right out of my imagination of how medieval countryside is like when i read those fantasy story books.. If Sudan is starship troopers.. then Ethiopia must be Dungeon & Dragons..

Just within 1 day's journey.. the landscape has changed so suddenly.. If Sudan's landscape can be represented by the harsh yet beautiful coldness on the brows of Cleopatra, then Ethiopia is like the warmth that exuberates from the smile of a Southern Belle.. less dust.. more trees.. more green.. what a welcomed change..

Ethiopia is actually a highland country... with many of its towns sitting on an attitude of 2,000m above sea level.. Bahir Dar was around that altitude.. so we must have climbed quite a distance through all the ups and downs..

After about 1.5hrs from Shihedi, you arrive at a T-junction splitting off to Gonder (left) and Bahir Dar (right).. it's all nice tarred highway from then on.. highway that is used by villagers and their sheep and cattle alike.. and they do walk in the middle of your lane.. haha.. from the T-junction, Bahir Dar is just 3-4hrs away with the first portion climbing and desecending hilly regions..

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Photos

My hammock outside the room
I also have the mosquito net set up.. but was told later that it's not mosquito season now..

The Courtyard Cafe at the hotel
There's TV too! had a beer there the night before.. talked to some locals.. learnt some Amharic.. oh, they treated me to dinner and breakfast too! so nice..

The ladies of the hotel
Ethiopian babes

Landscape along the way to Bahir Dar 2
This rock is truly 'dok-kong'

'Dok-kong' and Landie
The guy you see on the right is asking us for money.. Whenever you stop, village kids will run up and shoud 'money money money!'.. they usually get a scolding from me.. very sad..

Ethiopian men with sticks
All ethiopians in the countryside carry a stick.. for walking... and self-defence.. or to whack faranji's car when they don't give you money

More ethiopian landscape
Dave took over the driving at the last 30mins. .so i happily snapped away..

Disposed Armour
The last stretch leading to Bahir Dar is littered with abandoned armor such as APCs and tanks.. supposedly from the Ethiopia-Eriteria war..

Comments

[Psycho]

While you were half a world away...
While you were half a world away, I thought I'd be nice enough to share some recent happenings at what I presume would be your newly adopted "home" country: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/09/asia/AS-GEN-Singapore-Ministers-Salaries.php Looks like we've better to start planning diversifications soon. Maybe I should start a business to collect those abandoned APCs and tanks in Ethiopia for the scrap metal or recycling business. Recycling should be big business now that our resources are sucked dry faster than we can say "60%" Or if you prefer a comic break, http://www.insanepoly.com Maybe you could put all that travelling to good use and locate one of those nice round hut in Ethiopia for me? Hah hah hah hah..