Touring Ethiopia

by Jenny Makepeace

Flight 701 Ethiopian Airlines left on time, not with us on it sadly, the strikes at Heathrow left a backlog which had priority.  Ours left two hours later.

We were met at Addis Ababa by Eskinder after a longish deal getting visas – the tiny office only accepted Euros or dollars and we had neither.  Had to change money to birrs anyway so that was ok.

Addis Ababa is spread over many square miles having grown up over the 20th century.

The original consulate was a collection of tin roofed huts near the Entotto Hills and one used to go across a vast tract of land by mule.

The Chinese have contracts to build roads and whilst some are complete, the one outside the Global Hotel is ‘up’ and chaotic with contra flow and some very deep holes.

Blue and white taxis are everywhere, not much private traffic, over laden buses with no glass packed with locals hanging out over the metal safety rails.

Piles of fruit and vegetables on stalls, bags of charcoal, flocks of goats gathered on a crossroad, people sleeping rough, scavenging on heaps of soil.  The odd cow.  Pleased to see the fruit as we were led to expect the worst with no fruit or veg.

Its quieter than Calcutta, no horn blowing unless there is a complete blockage. Huge slums behind the tin hoardings.

We lunched Western style by the Museum which is in the university compound. The collections in the museum are minimal but interesting – artifacts from several hundred years BC showing fine stone carving and good pots; a few bronze pieces.

One of the loveliest was a lamp with a dog catching an ibex from 200BC. Some interesting photographs, tools and clothes; those worn by royalty or ecclesiastes were velvet with gold or silver embroidery.

The enormous throne of Haile Selassie of wood inlaid with ivory is there alongside that of his queen. There is a fabulous sword and other weapons belonging to King Tewodros and a good painting of him riding a white horse emerging from a gorge with his troops.

There are examples of cotton spinning and photos of the many different forms of huts and various tribes. Greek influence in the early pottery, both in wine jars and painted pots. Examples of their many different forms of crosses.

Our guide was difficult to understand and fell into the trap of telling us what we could read. This evening Eskinder took us to a local traditional restaurant with Jan Burgess and Auriole Mayo travelling together and just completed the northern route.  www.yod.com.

This was our introduction to injera the national dish, made from teff, a cereal widely grown and very nutritious, however, it is made into a pancake after a fermentation process which gives it a slightly sour taste.

It is served very cold in a huge flat disc upon which various hot foods are placed, cabbage, rice, chickpeas, lentils, wat (a spicey concoction) spinach etc – all were very delicious.

One is expected to eat with the right hand, tearing off pieces of injera and using them to carry the other things to one’s mouth.

Alongside the main dish was a plate of rolled up injera, like a pile of flannels badly in need of a wash..

We drank honey mead from little carafes held between two fingers, it tastes fairly innocuous and is very acceptable diluted with a little water. Our hands were washed by a waiter bringing a large metal jug of warm water and soap dispenser, both before and after the meal.

Musicians and dancing girls entertained us and encouraged some guests to join in – including John.  They do extraordinary movements with their shoulders.

Bahirdar city and Lake Tana
The driver was at the hotel at 5am and drove through empty streets for the Bahir Dar flight.

Good breakfast at the airport – a triple omelets sandwich with chips which we passed to a nearby western group.

Wossan was our guide for Lake Tana and The Blue Nile falls.  Before setting out on the boat we enjoyed coffee by the lake in a bamboo café built around the most enormous parasitic fig.

A pleasant trip across the lake in a small boat with 15 hp engine, several papyrus fishing boats were passed – these only last a few months before disintegrating – waterlogged I suppose.

Ura Kidane Meret monastery – the peninsula’s most famous, is a short walk from the jetty along a tree lined path. There are many locals selling souvenirs, passed a little inlet where there were several papyrus boats beached and clouds of butterflies.  Monkeys leaped about eating quamquats.

The monastery is of circular construction, three spaces within represent the Trinity.  Naïve holy paintings applied to cotton fabric adorn the wattle and daub walls.  Various crowns and robes have been donated to the monastery and are guarded by two men with guns.

An elderly  revered nun had died leading to much chanting and ceremonial activity, sadly they didn’t want us to watch.

A praying pilgrim was squatting against the wall of the shady building housing the museum pieces, his lips silently moving, a rather grand priest turned up and gave him a perfunctory blessing.

Pelicans abound, many in huge flocks.  Children ply the waters in the papyrus boats laden with hay or firewood.  The second monastery was near to the lakes outlet on a small island, its floor was strewn with newly cut hay.

This monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary who legend has it visited lake Tana – and indeed created it – she was thirsty and pointed to the ground and God made water – rather a lot of it, it runs from here almost to Gondar and takes 6 hours to cross.

We walked along a wide quiet street – Bahir Dar has won awards for being an excellent African town, it is clean and there are many bicycles, but not particularly remarkable.

Women were weaving papyrus baskets on the pavement, there were metal workers and a small flour mill in a mud and timber building.

The market was less colourful than its Indian counterpart but in many ways similar, piles of veg, spices and herbs, a choking smell of chillis, a small group of donkeys in a central space; awful piles of Chinese plastic tat.

Jenny continues to share her exciting Ethiopian experience on the second part of the story.

Eskinder Hailu
Turning Your Dream Vacation Into a Reality

Visit Choosing a Tour for a short Video or Brochure
Visit Ethiopia Tour Enquiry for a Customized Tour

by John and Gail Murphy

The baby was an amazing addition. Local folks have seen the odd white trekker but never a white baby.

Thankfully there were donkeys to carry our luggage. The trekking was rough… quite flat but very stony. I was very glad to have packed my serious hiking boots.

The land is arable but the primary crop is rocks. They are used to terrace the fields, but still there are so many that plowing looks impossible.

We walked 5-6 hours each day and stayed in huts built and maintained by local villagers who also prepared our meals…injera with wat (stew) or lentils, chick peas.

When we weren’t ogling the view over the edge of the escarpment at +2600 m, we were watching the local people farm this rugged landscape by hand. It was harvest season. Grain is cut handful by handful with a small scythe, stacked carefully so that the grains are in the middle and the cattle and donkeys won’t get to them too quickly.

Threshing is done by using cattle, and horses driven in a pivoting circle to trample the grain off the stalks. John noticed that to reduce contamination the guy driving the animals must do a quick turd catch so that it doesn’t land among the stalks.

Winnowing is done by two guys who lift the stalks up into the wind to blow the chaff away. Grinding is done in a large wooden mortar with a log as a pestle. It is very labour intensive work.

The local people live in smoke filled huts that accommodate them and their livestock so they are toasty warm…I wonder if the meat tastes smoky?

We flew back to Addis and I promptly got VERY sick. The local doctor diagnosed amoebic dysentery and prescribed powerful bug killing drugs. We ordered up a double set as we figured John was probably right behind me. We both slept the next 24 hours away.

Thank God we were on an individual tour which could be adjusted by our wonderful organizer, Eskinder, at Highway Tours.

Then off to the Omo Valley, always wondering where the next toilet stop might be! Omo Valley is home to a large number of tribal groups who live very traditionally.

The Hamer women, many dressed in skimpy goatskins who rub their short little dreadlocks with ochre to give a reddish tinge.

The Konso ladies with their multicolored skirts. The Banna boys who decorate their bodies, even their penises, with white paint and jump about in athletic dance moves.

The Dorze weavers who depend so completely on the false banana trees for their food and building materials. They make their tall houses to last 80 years, just getting shorter and shorter as the termites eat the bottoms of them.

The Mursi women who cut and then stretch their lower lips to fit larger and larger lip plates…only wish they would wear the lip plates all the time because the default setting is without and is decidedly unattractive. Here it was a fashion show beyond belief as women begged and argued and flaunted themselves to earn the photo fee.

Tourism is having a negative affect on these people. Children beg for empty water bottle by yelling out the brand name “Highland”. If you didn’t know, you would think it was the Amharic greeting.

We had a rest day at Lake Awasa which was actually Christmas Day, at least on our calendar. We did some strolling along the water’s edge and bird watching a bit. The best part was the unspoilt atmosphere where we could walk without being targeted for sales or scams.

A nice hotel in this spot with a view of the lake and vervet monkeys playing in the treetops and rooftops. Throughout our tour the various rooms were billed as “best available” but some communities are not into tourist options so services ranged from bleak to fantastic.

Onward to the east of Addis to visit Harar, an old walled city with an Arabic flavour, a Muslim enclave dotted with tiny mosques.  It is cleaned nightly by packs of hyenas!!

The hyenas are fed nightly in a public place where tourists show up and watch the daring Hyena man with their car headlights as he feeds them by hand. We saw 10 adults at one of two feeding sites. Then the hyenas cruise the streets looking for garbage.

Then we headed back to Addis for a city tour and the two museums we wanted to see. The ethnographic collection at the University is fantastic and gave us an excellent review of the tribal groups.

The National Museum holds the remains of some of the oldest of our ancestors including Lucy, a tiny proto-human some 3 million years old. They are presently working on a couple of finds that predate her by quite a bit…the cradle of human life.

We really appreciated the service we got from Highway Tours. We were met at every stop; the local guides and drivers were excellent; the program at every site was well-planned. The flexibility when we were sick and needed a doctor and a pharmacy and a day chopped out of the plan were admirable.

Ethiopian Airlines got us safely back to Kenya and we moved through the airport in record time! We shopped a little knowing that our cupboard was bare at home and then headed to Soysambu Conservancy and the Mweha Lodge on the property of Lord Delamere not far from Greensteds.

Here with several of our colleagues we occupied 7 of their 10 rooms and welcomed in 2010. Champagne flowed. It was a lovely end to the holiday.

We’ve been back to work for a week now.

Wishing you the best for 2010!
Gail and John

Eskinder Hailu
Turning Your Dream Vacation Into a Reality

Visit Choosing a Tour for a short Video or Brochure
Visit Ethiopia Tour Enquiry for a Customized Tour

by John and Gail Murphy

We have set about meeting our neighbours…Tanzania, Uganda, and most recently Ethiopia. Ethiopia is far different from anything we have experienced so far in Africa.

It certainly stands outside the core of East Africa in many ways.

First of all even arriving in the dead of night about 3 hours late due to an aborted takeoff at on the end of the Nairobi runway, we were aware that Ethiopians keep to the right like Canadians…which now feels weird to us.

Then, wanting to charge the phone up during our 3 hour stay in Addis Ababa before going back to the airport to begin our tour, we noticed that Ethiopia uses European style round plugs rather than the big ones used everywhere else we have been in Africa.

The people look different…dark yet more finely featured and slender. Most of them speak Amharic. Many tribal groups live in the non-electric world, no phones, no running water, traditional clothing that hasn’t changed in centuries….maybe even millennia as some women still wear goatskins.

Their food is different, all based on injera, their spongy thin pancakes about 60 cm in diameter. Ugali, the staple of East Africa, is an unknown.

Gelada baboons are truly beautiful. I’ve never said that about baboons, but these ones are magnificent.

They are also known as the “bleeding heart baboons” because instead of enflamed rumps, their sexual display patches are on their chests.

The males have luxurious manes that flow behind them as they move and make them decidedly leonine in appearance.

They are endemic to the highlands of Ethiopia.

Time is different in Ethiopia. They work from a different calendar, the Ethiopian orthodox, which is running about 10 days later than ours. But time on the clocks is different too. Not only do they call 7:00 am the first hour after dawn (which is similar to the Swahili translation) but they actually set the hands to 1:00.

Ethiopia has a history as we know it marked by the carbon dated bones of Lucy, palace ruins of the Queen of Sheba, huge Aksumite stele marking graves in a pharonic style, the painted parchment bibles, Christian churches in continuous use since the 2nd century, books, paintings.

Indeed Ethiopia boasts that it is not only the cradle of African Christianity and but the veritable cradle of human life.

We felt that we were frequent flyers on Ethiopian Airlines by the end of the first week. After our slightly hair-raising flight into Addis Ababa (means “new flower”), we left early the next morning on a flight to Barhir Dar to visit Lake Tana and the headwaters of the Blue Nile.

We took a boat cruise out to an island monastery where a funeral was in progress. Christian churches are usually round structures, illustrated inside and out with stories from the bible. They have a veranda-like first area, then an inner area, and then the holy area where the copy of the Ark of the Covenant is kept.

This copy is taken out of safe-keeping on the festival day for the saint of that particular church and displayed to the faithful. These special days attract pilgrims from afar.

Pilgrimages attract beggars and hawkers selling formal ceremonial velvet umbrellas trimmed with gold braid, elaborate crosses of metal or wood to wear around your neck.

The beggars flaunt their afflictions…sores, amputations, leprosy, birth defects, blindness, sickly children etc. in hopes of bigger tips.

We checked out the Nile Falls which are a mere trickle since the hydro diversion was put in place but they must have been spectacular from the length of the escarpment where they fell, and still do in the height of rainy season.

In Barhir Dar our guide took us to a private home for the first of many traditional coffee ceremonies. Coffee is like a religion in Ethiopia. Not only do they produce very high quality shade grown coffee, but they love coffee (unlike Kenyans who grow it but prefer to drink tea.)

The equipment is laid out on the floor on a bed of fresh leaves or green grasses for a proper coffee ceremony although in the airport the plant material was artificial.

Incense is burned while the woman of the house washes a couple of handfuls of green coffee beans.

Then the beans are put on a flat plate and roasted over hot coals until they are well-blacked. Then the plate is passed by each guest and the fumes are wafted towards the guest to be savoured. Then the beans are crushed into a fine powder in a mortar and spooned into the clay coffee pot which sits to boil on the coals.

Coffee is served a few minutes later in tiny cups with lots of sugar, but generally not with milk. After the first round, the grounds are boiled again to make a second round and then a third round, which is still a pretty dark and potent brew.

This procedure is followed 3 times a day in many homes and takes 45 minutes to an hour each time.

The next day we drove to Gondar to visit a family castle compound dating back to the 6th century and belonging to Fasiladas.  Ethiopians refer to as their “Camelot”. Haile Selassie’s lions lived here most recently until it became incorrect to keep animals confined in such iron prisons.

Fasiladas bath, an enormous swimming pool still filled once a year for a mass baptism , is not too far away.

Into the air for a quick flight to Aksum, dating 4 centuries  BC. Huge stele mark the graves of the rich and famous of the day. Grave robbers have had their way although it is reckoned that there are many tombs completely undiscovered making this place a tourist gold mine to rival Cairo one day in the next millennium.

The Queen of Sheba is thought to have lived here and people still bathe in her pool and draw water there. Her palace ruins are immense, although it is not clear today why anyone would find the particular site attractive.

Aksum was at the centre of several trade routes and may have been a buzzing metropolis long ago instead of the quiet little town it appears today. It is still the heart of Ethiopian Christianity as the actual Ark of the Covenant is said to be safely kept in the holiest spot in the old church.

Back on the plane to Lalibela where King Lalibela (the Honey eater) commissioned the carving of churches right into the rock of the mountainside in the 12th century. They are amazing!  Carved down, down, down, then hollowed out and windows, niches and all the decorations carved out of one massive monolith.

From Laibela we took a 3-night trek in the highlands just a little ways down the road to Addis some 20 hours rough driving away.

There were six people in our group, well seven…a couple from Quebec with their 14 month old, and two women from New York City.

John and Gail will continue sharing their amazing Ethiopian adventure 1n the second part of this article.

Eskinder Hailu
Turning Your Dream Vacation Into a Reality

Visit Choosing a Tour for a short Video or Brochure
Visit Ethiopia Tour Enquiry for a Customized Tour

I recently visited a mountain area, one of Ethiopia’s national parks named Bale. I traveled by public transport almost the whole day on the gravel road which is under construction by Chinese contractors.

Bale Mountains are lush green, rich in wildlife and birds, some of them found nowhere else in the world, not even in other parts of Ethiopia and only endemic to Bale.

The park is the largest Afro-alpine habitat park in Africa stretching over 2400 sq km and ranging from 1500m to 4377m. It was recently voted fourth for its rich fauna by the African bird club.

By the time I reached there, it was raining and the ground was muddy. We ate a cold dinner in the dark and had a freezing night without electricity.

I had been to this area a few years ago but just for a short time. I didn’t enjoy as much time there as I wanted. But I said to myself “do not repeat that mistake”. I couldn’t wait to see the day light, wishing for sunny weather and a clear sky to explore the area.

My trip was very much joyous and enjoyable. But for now, I have something better to share to my dear readers of this article.

Fifty lemons, a jewel for fifty but a burden for one

There is a popular proverb in Ethiopia that goes “Hamsa lomi, le’and sew shekmu lehamsa sew getu”. In English it goes “fifty lemons, a jewel for fifty but a burden for one”.  It makes a point by saying ‘things would have been easier if everyone contributes his/her single share’.

On the third day of my trip, I was chatting with a few local guys living close to this beautiful park area. They are concerned about the future of the park’s entire eco system; the wildlife, the birds, the flora, the weather etc. It was really inspiring to hear their ideas and it was rolling in my mind to be part of their cause and act.

I am a tour operator, someone engaged and interested in the environment, natural scenery and wildlife. I asked my self what can I do to help preserve this area?

I know I can do something, contribute that lemon, ‘my single share’. I wanted to act quickly and asked them where I could find some tree seedlings and where could the trees be planted.

I bought 50 indigenous trees and donated them to be planted. From that day on I always try to find ways to contribute and care for the environment, no matter how small it may seem.

Has the “50 lemons” proverb any bearing on what I did or what I’m talking about?

Yes, if each and everyone contributes his/her share, we can change the world and rescue it from disastrous droughts, floods and the consequences of climate change we now see.

We can all make changes, we don’t need to leave to the environmentalists or for the United Nations or for just the campaigners. We all can do something important!

For example now I am collecting books on environmental, soil, and water conservation just to further extend my contributions. I am excited to be collecting more lemons!

More than headline news

I think the issues of climate change, energy and the environment should be more than headline news or speeches.

In Ethiopia, in the recent past we have seen droughts, famine, and migration. We are seeing environmental degradation and water shortages causing a massive crisis in Darfur and in many other parts of the world.

This is doing more than melting icebergs in the Arctic or endangering more than polar bears. It is endangering lives. Warming could be leading to widespread extinctions of species, birds, wildlife, flora, and the entire biodiversity.

Current sharp rises in temperatures would be grave and disastrous unless we do something about it. It is a serious matter that everyone should be responsible for and be concerned about.

I am not trying to preach solutions

Many things, many minds and many actions are needed. One thing we also need are responsible travelers and visitors. People who not only visit places, but who could do something to protect the environment and conserve the eco-system at the same time.

I think there is a big difference between a tourist and a responsible tourist.

How to often do we travel to places to experience something special, only to eventually destroy or change by the sheer number of visitors, what it was we went there to see.

Responsible tourists can do a lot more than spend their money and visit places, they can help create environmental awareness and be environmentally aware.

Creating the awareness is the first step to preventing the problems. I also collect books on environmental issues to help my fellows be aware of our situation. My small tour operating company has environmental, economic and social policies through which we encourage and promote responsible tourism ideas.

There are many in interventions that have to take place, from reforestation, to many other viable alternatives.

The impacts of climate change can be limited by suitable adaptation measures and stringent mitigation of green house gas emissions.

We can contribute ideas on using solar and alternative energy sources. One of the major problems for environmental degradation is over use of energy. This can not continue very long unless we find alternative energy resources such as bio-diesel, methanol ethanol which are indigenous and home grown.

They can contribute ideas in recycling. Ideas on how the local communities, restaurants, and hotels can use recycled materials, techniques of composting, techniques of waste disposal etc.

The eco tourists can be more conscious of Mother Nature by being respectful of the local culture. By living and eating with the local community, by contributing creative ideas, efforts, time and other resources. They can help conserve and manage natural sceneries the fauna and flora, conserve the genetic resource of the eco system … and much more.

Well, I say this not only for those who come to Ethiopia but for all destinations as the problems are seen everywhere and so should the solutions.

Eskinder Hailu
Turning Your Dream Vacation Into a Reality

Visit Choosing a Tour for a short Video or Brochure
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A few weeks ago a guide friend of mine told me about an American tourist who brought with him his food, enough for a couple of weeks. The guide had been busy showing him restaurants, besides the tourism attractions.

Ethiopia, unlike other African countries, for centuries isolated itself from the rest of the world. It had also kept itself against colonial powers through her long history of war. This has of course helped the country to retain its original culture and history.

However, following the 1975 famine, it is normal to hear the word Ethiopia synonymous with the word famine. One can even read this in the Oxford dictionary.

Famine has become Ethiopia’s dark image before her great history and positive realities.

Though 30 years have passed and many changes have taken place, even in the middle of development and economic growth, the media tends to associate the country with hunger and famine.

As a tour operator I see the expectations and impressions of visitors before and after their visit. Many minds have been shaped by the media’s presentation of Ethiopia.

This exposure and publicity makes it difficult to present the country as a holiday destination. But unlike such exaggerated exposures, the reality is we are experiencing positive change.

Though things aren’t happening at the pace of some emerging economies, the country is making good progress, which should soon make famine a thing of the past.

There are great investment and development projects that are underway in many parts of the country.

The country is tapping into its potential, with initiatives and entrepreneurial activities being turned into successes.

For example, Ethiopia has become the major exporter of flowers in Africa next only to Kenya.

One can see many huge greenhouses while traveling in different parts of the country.

Though it may seem unbelievable, there are manufacturing plants that have begun assembling beautiful cars.

One of these cars is named after our river ‘Abay’ (Nile).

There are also various improvements in the roads and infrastructure.

One can see numerous buildings and construction projects underway in almost all parts of the country.

Just recently, a bridge on the Abay (Blue Nile), the first of its kind in East Africa, was inaugurated.

It is said to be the first cable - stayed bridge in East Africa.

Ethiopian too, is our pride in the airline industry. It has been awarded “Best Airline of the Year” in different times by different organizations.

It is well up to 21st Century standards with terminal facilities and runways.

Yes there are still challenges, problems, and poverty issues.

There are development problems in education, health care, infrastructures, etc, but in most parts of Ethiopia, food is not a big issue now.

Recently among one of my groups of travelers was a volunteer, in Ethiopia for three months. She was working on a water drilling project at a remote rural area. I can say that she was not pleased by what she experienced on her holiday.

She had in her mind that Ethiopia was ‘a country only good enough for aid’ while my cause is that it is a country good enough for tourism not just for an aid.

I had another client who had enjoyed his trip to Ethiopia. It was the first time for him and his wife to come to Africa. He told me that his friends urged him not to go, concerned over what he might eat, or where he would sleep etc. And when they could no longer stop him, they offered him their best wishes for him to come back home safely.

On our first night I invited my client and his family to a traditional restaurant where some of the best cultural dances were being performed. There was a turn for the performers to show a very beautiful dance that belongs to northern part of Ethiopia.

My clients were curious and wanted to know to which part of the country that particular dance belongs to.

I told them it is called Wollo and to my surprise they immediately replied “the famine!”. Despite never having been to Africa, let alone Ethiopia, they knew of the place where the famine took place.

Yet Wollo is endowed with the magnificent historical treasures of Lalibela.

Ethiopia has many great things to offer the rest of the world. It has centuries and millennia old heritage, spectacular scenery, culture, landscapes, paintings, monuments, beautiful weather, cuisines, wildlife etc.

But unfortunately all these have been veiled by a famine that happened over thirty years ago.

A more recent story to hit the media was about the tourists who were kidnapped two years ago by some bandits near the Ethio - Eritrean border. The news was an unusual experience in Ethiopia and shocking for someone like me who works in tourism.

Thank God they were freed without any harm. Then a few weeks later I found someone who lives in England came to visit her family. As we were talking, I asked her what the response was of people in her country to that situation.

I was surprised when she told me that some people even wondered if tourists go to  Ethiopia at all.

I am not saying that famine should never be mentioned nor referred to, but it should be known that Famine is not Ethiopian or Ethiopia is not Famine.

I am not trying to say that image issue should be of more concern than other problems we face, but it would be unfair to ignore the brighter sides of the country.

If you have a different view point, please post a comment, I would like love to read it.

Eskinder Hailu
Turning Your Dream Vacation Into a Reality

Visit Choosing a Tour for a short Video or Brochure
Visit Ethiopia Tour Enquiry for a Customized Tour