http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Ethiopia en-us Tue, 01 Dec 09 16:10:11 +0000 Tue, 01 Dec 09 16:10:11 +0000 I Was Only 5 Hours From Simien I Love You You Are Beautiful Give Me Your BananaIt's another early start today 530a.m. as we have a long drive ahead to The Simien Mountains. The tour company literature says it will take about 5 hours Good We should be there for lunchWe get underway at about 630. There's already a lot of Ethiopians moving on the roads making the most of the coolest p http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Simien-Mountains/blog-454807.html The Raiders of The Lost Ark are all Poorly SickDon't Tell Anyone But........Today is Imodium day. A lot of the group are looking the worse for wear at breakfast time as stomach upsets seem to have taken hold.In the morning we see the remaining sights of Axum. Firstly The Palace of The Queen of Sheba. Only a small part of the palace has been uncovered as it is below the ruins of another palace http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Axum/blog-454769.html AxumToday we move on to Axum the old center of Ethiopia and the Axumite civilisation home of the Queen of Sheba and The Arc of the Covenant. We have to leave the hotel at the far more reasonable time of 8a.m. to get our flight. I seem to be part of a comedy routine without realising it when I go looking for Bryan and other people are sent in turn to look for each other.Our short drive to the a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Axum/blog-454693.html More Amazing Churches More Amazing Dad DancingNatata La'ab MonasteryWednesday Morning. Some of us go for a short drive to the Natala La'ab Monastery built into a cave near Lalibela.Our first stop is a religious school near the monastery. The teacher who we are told is 83 years old has a class of about 10 boys no girls who are training to be priests. The boys are all chanting different pas http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Lalibela/blog-454646.html Lalibela Underwear Churches and Cool Priests Security AlertToday 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 t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Lalibela/blog-453890.html Museums Monuments Cathedrals and the Pink School MuseumsAll 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 showEventually a bus arrives and http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-453877.html 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 fin http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/blog-452604.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-451684.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-451360.html 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 th http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-450241.html Hotel AwrarisOn 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 midrange but that is midrange 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. B http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-450232.html Flying to Addis Ababa The first daygetting 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-449944.html 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 blur http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/blog-447769.html Jijiga http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Somali-Region/blog-445838.html Few nations if any can boast the historic splendour of Ethiopia evidence of whose extraordinary past is everywhere from its rockhewn churches still places of living worship to its ancient historical traditions and magnificent cultures. Ethiopia is a nation of surprises full of diversity and contrast from the ancient to the modern.Legend has it that Emperor Menelik I the son of the Queen http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/blog-445518.html Duration NOV 15 2009 to NOV 26 2009 www.pharezethiopiatour.comDay 1 SUN 15 NOV Arrive in Addis Ababa to warm welcome at the airport and then transfer to your hotel. Morning will be free. Afternoon start your sightseeing tour of Addis Ababa starting your tour from the Trinity Cathedral visit to the National Museum archaeological and historical which has the best collection of Ethiopia http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Southern-Nations-Region/Turmi/blog-444987.html EthiopiaI booked my trip to Ethiopia on the same day as I decided to quit work. Itrsquos one of those places Irsquove always wanted to visit. So as soon as my holidays arenrsquot 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 peo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/blog-444191.html So onto ICT or InCountry Training.Where three current volunteers and two PO staff offer to welcomeherdbriefassistlecture and generally introduce 36 new Ferengi volunteers to the people's customs traditions language and culture of Ethiopia.Surely an easy task Er not really So why exactly did I agree to do itWell firstly I am a volunteer. I guess volunteering is my thing....and also t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-441051.html The past weekend was a religious holiday in Ethiopia. Meskel is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration commemorating the discovery of the True Cross by Queen Eleni Saint Helena in the fourth century. The day is spent preparing for the evening service where people gather firewood for their bonfires buy daisies for decorative purposes and typically dress in white clothing. It is generally a peaceful http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Addis-Ababa-Region/Addis-Ababa/blog-440825.html What a great name to a great community... we found some info in the guide It's a small community isolated secular believes that education is the key to development so one can find adults attending primary school they are socialists they believe in Gender equality and childrenrsquos rights the kids are not allowed to beg money from foreigners and visitors the community charges the same pr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Bahir-Dar/blog-440465.html