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Ethiopia Travel Blogs

Background: Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender sensitive territory.

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By Merav
November 12th 2009

so, did you have fun in Etiopia? Africa » Ethiopia

I got back to Israel few weeks ago. I spent the first 10 days almost isolated and asleep, taking antibiotics to treat a blood infection caused by beg bugs, now I've started waking up and still can't answer this question. Ethiopia was the most complex country I have visited. It's amazingly beautiful, It has interesting and important culture and history, It drained my energies. I can't place the finger on what exactly was so difficult. I think that it was a mix of not feeling well most of the time, being hassled by people whenever I walked the streets, having unexpected [View Full Entry]

By Basselope
November 8th 2009

Quickly changing world Africa » Ethiopia » Addis Ababa Region » Addis Ababa

My mom has informed me that my blog entries are overly negative (or always end on a bad note) so I've resolved that this one will be only good...which is easy because I can't think of anything bad that has happened in the last week. In Kampala I stayed with a young Rwandan man who grew up in Uganda and had strangely worked on the film crew of Last King of Scotland and so had pictures with all the stars. He seemed to hang out mostly with ex-pats though so I got a very ex-paty view of Kampala, going to a [View Full Entry]

By Al and Sara
November 7th 2009

More of a Miracle than an Accident! (Exabier Yemusgan & Ahumdililah) Africa » Ethiopia » Benishangul-Gumuz Region » Asosa

OMG!
I'm going to be a father...

So here is the news - though I guess most of you know this by now - Sara is pregnant and going to have a baby!!!! We are both delighted as we were led to believe it was not medically possible. For many years we had hauled ourselves through the NHS infertility system (not much fun - lovely nurses, less lovely consultants) without success. After years of poking, prodding, samples, scans, diary-keeping, mucus feeling, pipe-cleaning, keyhole camera examinations and even reflexology and acupuncture (not on t [View Full Entry]

...of a cybernetic organism from the future??

By WhereIsSteve
November 3rd 2009

Ethiopia - It's All Going Tits Up Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Lalibela

Ethiopian Airlines internal flight

Lalibela - Underwear, Churches and Cool Priests Security Alert Today is a bad day for the women. We have to leave the hotel by 5a.m. to get the early flight to Lalibela. Everyone - even me(!) - makes it on time. Our bus is on time and we get to the airport on time! It's all good. At the airport, though, we have to go through bag scans and body scans twice. The second scanner seems to be set a bit too sensitively, though, as all the women set the scanners off because of the metal in their bras. Eventually, [View Full Entry]

By WhereIsSteve
November 2nd 2009

Ethiopia - Still in Addis Ababa Africa » Ethiopia » Addis Ababa Region » Addis Ababa

One step for every year of fascist rule. Oh dear!

Museums, Monuments, Cathedrals and the Pink School Museums All the group is here now - the last 3 people arrived during the night. We are supposed to meet at 9a.m. for a tour of Addis Ababa but there is no bus yet. We wait in the hotel reception while Baty organises a bus. The film "Zulu" is showing on the TV in reception - seems an odd choice for Ethiopian TV to show! Eventually a bus arrives and we get taken on our tour of Addis Ababa. As a "Baty Bonus" we taken to the National Museum. Quite a few [View Full Entry]

By WhereIsSteve
November 1st 2009

Ethiopia - Cannon We Get There? Africa » Ethiopia » Addis Ababa Region » Addis Ababa

It's only a replica on a traffic island in Addis Ababa but we were very excited

Sevastapol At breakfast on Sunday we are joined by 2 more members of the tour group who have just arrived from the airport. Matt has not slept in over 24 hours but still decides to join us for a stroll around Addis Ababa. Jane votes for sleep. Nick and I have both read Philip Marsden's book, "The Barefoot Emperor" about Emperor Tewderos. We are both very keen to find the replica of Sevastapol - this is the cannon he built and then had transported (by building all the necessary roads) to his mountain fortress at Maqdala. We think that the [View Full Entry]

By WhereIsSteve
October 31st 2009

Ethiopia - In Addis Ababa Africa » Ethiopia » Addis Ababa Region » Addis Ababa

The porter/guard at [b]The Awraris Hotel[/b]. I managed to get him to stop saluting just long enough to take a photo!

Hotel Awraris On first appearance the hotel seems a bit shabby but it's just about what I expected. The hotels I'll be staying in are described as "mid-range" but that is mid-range by Ethiopian standards. The room seems to be clean and the staff here are really friendly. I have one of those showers where you can never be sure if you're going to get wet or get electrocuted when you stand under it. But I have hot water and I have electricity at the moment - it's all good!! The hotel staff assure me that the the couple of [View Full Entry]

By WhereIsSteve
October 30th 2009

From Mansfield Woodhouse to Addis Ababa Africa » Ethiopia » Addis Ababa Region » Addis Ababa

I've not even left London yet.

Flying to Addis Ababa The first day,getting from home to Addis Ababa, was always going to be a long one. But it's even longer than it needs to be because of the choices I have taken. The cheapest flight my travel agent could find was with Emirates so I have flown further East than I needed to in order to spend some time waiting in Dubai before coming back West to Addis Ababa. Secondly I've broken my journey a couple of times within the UK. I've stopped off in London for a couple of hours to have lunch with Martyn [View Full Entry]

By Rodyssey
October 24th 2009

Ethiopia Book - Vote Now!!! Africa » Ethiopia

Vote in Blurb competition

I've made a book on Blurb.com with photos and commentary of my trip to Ethiopia in April. Blurb are currently having a photobook competition so I've decided to enter the book in the Travel section. The short list is determined by public vote so I need people to log on and vote for this book before November 9th. Click here to vote for Undiscovered Ethiopia. If you're not already registered with blurb.com, you'll need to do so but this will only take a [View Full Entry]

By WhereIsSteve
October 23rd 2009

Ethiopia Africa » Ethiopia

Ethiopia I booked my trip to Ethiopia on the same day as I decided to quit work. It’s one of those places I’ve always wanted to visit. So as soon as my holidays aren’t constrained to school holidays I can go to Ethiopia at what I think will be the best time of year. It should be the end of their rainy season now so I was expecting it be hot and sunny but still very green. Most people of my age will remember the horrific TV pictures of the famine of 1984/85 which lead to Live Aid and that may [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Africa » Ethiopia