Blogs from Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Africa - page 10

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Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Bahir Dar December 29th 2010

My tour leader says I need to arrive 2 hours before a domestic flight which seems crazy to me, but luckily he arranged my pick up for 5am as the airport is chaos. Before being allowed near the building, I need my ticket and passport checked. Before entrance to the check in area, all bags need scanning, shoes and belts off etc. That is a complete bundle and the usual routine is for Ethiopians to wheel their trolley up to the door, unload their bags inside and continue to scanning. When I get there, there are 4 trolleys blocking the door and no-one can get in, ridiculous!! After scanning, the queue system doesn't work any better for check in. I think I'm queuing as normal, but then I see many people ahead of me that were ... read more
P1000511
Blue Nile Falls
Blue Nile Falls

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Gondar December 24th 2010

It's Christmas Eve (although not for the Orthodox locals who won't celebrate for another two weeks). I spent this morning walking around seventeenth century castles, remnants of anther age, their round turrets and pointed battlements looking like they should belong in Morocco or Spain not sub-Saharan Africa. For lunch, I had a sour brown pancake topped with various spicy stews, washed down with some thick rich coffee, whilst sat in an Italian built Art Deco cafe, while pictures of Selassie stared down at me from the walls. The afternoon was spent in a sixteenth century church, decorated with a rich tapestry of paintings of saints, angels, devils, and the Virgin Mary. A turbaned priest, robed in white, with a large gold cross hanging from his neck, sat in the corner watching the world go by, and ... read more
Sunset. Christmas Eve.

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Gondar December 19th 2010

I decided to visit Gondar in the Amhara Region. It is truly a wonderful sight. I had gone back to Bahir Dar and taken a plane to Gondar. I am had had breakfast at the airport since I was so hungry. I wanted to see the Gondar castle first. The Gondar castle is not a castle, but it is the name given to the entire complex of castles. I went to see every single one of the them. My favorite was the Fasilides Castle. Before lunch I decided to go and register and the Taye Hotel. It was a new hotel in the center of the city. After I registered I ate lunch in the lounge. It was wonderful. After lunch I decided to go to the town of Gorgora. In this beautiful town there ... read more

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Bahir Dar December 16th 2010

I hitch-hiked to Bahir Dar today. The family I hitch-hiked with was going to Bahir Dar as well. My first stop was the Tana Restaurant for breakfast. At the Tana Restaurant I had a fabulous fish dish for a great price! Later I rented a bicycle to go to the Blue Nile Falls, which is called Tis Abay in Amharic (which is the local language). Much of the water today goes to a power dam, but it is still a beautiful sight. It is a very wonderful site to see. I biked back to Bahir Dar for lunch. I ate lunch from a street vendor. I bought some meat and a LARGE cup of coffee!! I got very hyper later. To wear off the caffeine I went to a music club and danced like there ... read more

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Bahir Dar December 15th 2010

Poor Susi didn't even talk to me for a day, well, - as I only woke up in the afternoon after a pretty drunk night out- for half a day, as I cancelled our trip to Debre Libanos at 6 in the morning in a text message. But, as always, not planning and going with the flow works out very well at the end :) We met Teddy and Teddy some weeks earlier at Bailamos. Typical Zsuzsi situation: I was bagging for one more last song from the DJ, and Teddy, his friend was just laughing at me...hope it was only because I asked for Beyoncé.... :D Anyways they drove us home, 13 people squeezed in a Land Cruiser... By coincidence we met again at the Goethe Institute at a very exciting photo exhibition. Young local ... read more
Debre Libanos
Easy
Idilli nihil

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region December 14th 2010

Ethiopia. And I thought Sudan defied words. I arrived yesterday, and since the border it's been a manic two days, and possibly, probably, the toughest day of travelling I've ever had. I'm in peices. I'm well and truly wrecked. The good bits, they are just great. The bad bits, well, they're like nothing else I've seen. And this place seems to bring out the worst in me. I guess things started at the border yesterday, the joint ramshackle towns of Gallabat (Sudan), and Metemma (Ethiopia). Although calling Metemma a brothel, rather than a town, would be closer to the truth. The Sudanese side - tea ladies. The Ethiopian side - bars and endless dingy 'hotels'. It almost makes me long for another 'dry' country, and makes me realise what a very special place Sudan is. Passport ... read more

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Gondar March 19th 2010

This blog entry will probably not be at a caliber I’m really comfortable with, but it has come down to an average blog or no blog at all! I returned from Gondar yesterday evening, grabbed a hot shower, headed out to see an Ethiopian/French fusion jazz band at Alizé just off Ring Road, and then dragged my sluggish self to work early this morning where I was informed that I would be going to the field this Sunday for a week “whether I liked it or not.” That’s one thing about language barriers… sometimes jokes made in a second language don’t really come off as being particularly funny. But I suppose I had it coming having taken 6 days off work to go camping. Actually, if it weren’t for the fact that I had planned to ... read more
Scout with his little buddies
Tea and Biscuits
Simien Sunrise

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Bahir Dar March 10th 2010

on the road to Bahir dar we stopped at the Blue Nile Gorge and then on a small crater lake. in Bahir dar we enjoyed the friendly budget hotel on the lake Tana. next day we had a boat trip to the Zenge peninsula with its old churches and beautiful murals. we went to the Blue Nile falls too, but we were quite disappointed since there was only little water in the river. our walk to the falls and then in the countryside back to the village, crossing a little stream was really nice and we had a wonderful sunset on the nile and the mountains.... read more
the Nile Gorge
the new bridge
the old Italian bridge

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Simien Mountains March 10th 2010

wow! to the Simiens. the road goes up and down always until you reach the small town of Dabark. there you buy your entrance fee to the national park and you can also book accommodation. we stayed at a state park camp, very cheap but delapidated rooms with beds and bugs. quite cold at night but splendid view. we trek in the afternoon and enjoyed fresh clear air and the unbelievable panorama over the mountain range. We saw hundreds of gelada baboons, birds, and the next early morning also some ibexes.... read more
countryside
etiopia 304
etiopia 309

Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Gondar March 10th 2010

we left to Gondar and on the road we stopped at Gondara Castle, an old fortress high on the hills from where you see both lake Tana and the plains. Gonder has a beautiful Royal enclosure and some old churches with paintings and murals... read more
hornbill
farmers
panorama from Guzara castle




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