Blogs from Ethiopia, Africa - page 6

Today, I traveled further to Bahir Dar and therefore directly visit the Blue Nile Waterfalls in Bahir Dar. Simply named it, there are three top things to do in Bahir dar: The Blue Nile Waterfalls inclusive walking the trails, Lake Tana and the city of Bahir Dar itself (especially the markets). Therefore, Bahir Dar should be on every traveler list traveling north to Ethiopia. It is possible to drive in one day to Addis Ababa, but you can take your time and travel in a minimum of two days up to Bahir Dar. The distance is 320 km to Addis Ababa. At the start of the third day, it was time to leave our hotel from Debre Markus quite early at 7.30 am. Before leaving, a traditional Breakfast was served with injera, hot sauces and vegetables. ... read more

Starving children, distended bellies, flies, Bob Geldof swearing at people for money and some skeleton called Lucy; that was pretty much my knowledge of Ethiopia growing up. What I found was a country as idiosyncratic as any I have ever travelled: 100 million people crammed into the second most populous country in Africa-the only one that has never colonised, 70 different languages spoken, it's own calendar(take away 8 years) and time (take away 6 hours), one of the strangest staple foods I've eaten (think foam rubber), a GDP up 85% since 2010 but no sign of this anywhere, some of the friendliest people to chat to but even more with their hands out and exaggerations of sites that need nothing of the sort. I loved it. Gonder I flew to the north of the country to ... read more

Again I am at a loss for words upon arriving at a new African destination. WTF?!?! Where am I?!?!?! first leaving Kigali airport was a treat in and of itself which I appreciated the superior nervousness I obtained while taking my first inter-African flight. I succeeded in arriving in Addis Ababa, but somehow failed to connect with the guesthouse I booked and more importantly with the driver who was supposed to pick me up at 1:30am…..blurg….buuuuuuut I yet again managed and arrived to not speak English to the security guard but did get a room with my own toilet paper, towel, soap, sandals, and bottle of water. #WINNING!!! So my first day entailed arriving (success) and then trying to find contact solution as I was running low. Contact lens solution is a rare commodity in the ... read more

02/01/16 after a Mekele mango juice head to Hawzen, 2 hrs from Mekele on the local bus route 36brr £1. check in at place of stay 110 brr and catch motorbike through Megab onto the nearby rock churches 150 brr entry each so only see one, 40 min climb including some vertical & scrambling up rock to reach the cave church. Incredible creation and wall paintings inside are amazing. Return and get dropped off in small town of Megab, spend the last hours of light walking under the rock landscape in the rural countryside, back to Hawzen for 10brr. Catch most of the man Utd Swansea game in a large bar/restaurant with lovely tibs, salad & injurer. 03/01/16 catch my daily juice and head off for another excursion the other side of Hawzen in view of ... read more

I leave Gondar the next day 25/12/15 on the 5am local service for 150 brr to Lalibela, meet four Belgium lads on the bus which ends up cram full, not a great deal of leg room for non Ethiopians hah but none the less we eventually reach Lalibela around 4pm, I track down the recommended Salem guest house stay for 300 brr which is very pleasant and near the main cluster of churches. I spend the next two mornings at the churches for mass, this can be from midnight onwards but I'm not that keen. I meet Baruch on my first afternoon after viewing the bustling Saturday "farmers" market and tag along with his guide for the second morning (a busier Sunday), I even manage to find the football on the Saturday via a football den ... read more