Ethiopia 2006

E-06 - Ethiopia trip Date of the travel: Nov 24 - Dec 16, 2006 ITINERARY: After three weeks of traveling in Yemen I am leaving Sana on Nov 24 at 2 AM on a plane for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where at 3:40 AM. After getting in my hotel I slept until early afternoon. Then I joined the group for dinner. On Nov 25 we leave Addis Ababa in three 4WD’s for the northern part of Ethiopia. There are 9 of us travelers and our guide from Adventures Abroad, Claude. We enter the Rift Valley in the mid day. Our first night is in a town Kembotcha in a terrible hotel (the worse I have ever been). The following day we climb mountains to a plateau at 3000 m above the sea level. Late in the afternoon we enter Lalibela one of the most interesting places in Ethiopia. Next day is sightseeing of its rock-hewn churches and later a coffee preparation ceremony. The following day to Mekele, where we see a Memorial of Tigray War. On Nov 29 we drive from Mekele to Aksum, which we explore next 2.5 days during its “Mariam Zion Festival.” We meet the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church there. Aksum’s pre-Christian stelae are most impressive and point to the long history of this place. On Dec 1 while on our way from Aksum to Gondar we see the famous “gelada baboons” of Ethiopia in nature. Among the many historical places of Gondar the Royal Enclosure is most prominent. Then our 4WD’s take us to Bahir Dar, from where we reach the Blue Nile Waterfalls one morning and take a boat ride on Lake Tana in the afternoon. On some of its 22 islands and a large peninsula there are total of 32 monasteries. I collect quite a number of new birds in this part of Ethiopia. Since yesterday we switched from 4WD’s to a bus which takes us over the mountains back to Addis Ababa on Dec 5. On Dec 6 we explore Addis Ababa. We start with the 4 level National Museum that exhibits among others “Lucy.” What we see is a copy of her skeleton. For security the original is in a bank vault. We spend the whole day sightseeing the city. On Dec 7 we leave Addis Ababa for the southern part of Ethiopia in only two 4WD’s, because 2 people left the group and there are with Claude only 8 of us. We drive 550 km to Arba Minch. There we are in a different world than in the north of Ethiopia. Southern part of the country is populated by black African tribes. The following day we visit Nech Sar National Park and the compound of Dorze People. In the afternoon is a boat ride on Chamo Lake full of crocodiles. On Dec 9 we drive deep in Omo Valley seeing people of various tribes. The most interesting are the Mursi People with their wooden disks inside their lips. For two nights we are in a town of Jinka visiting villages of local people, who are showing us their home products and how they do them. Next day we move to a village Turmi, where each of us has a large tent. Later that day we visit a village of Hamar People and see a ritual when locals drink blood from the necks of living cows. Then follows another day of exploring Omo Valley. We are leaving Turmi on Dec 13. After visiting a village of Arbore tribe in the morning we reach Voito River at noon. Here is the only bridge connecting Omo Valley with the rest of Ethiopia. We crossed it on our way from Abra Minch to Jinka. Since that time the bridge collapsed under a truck with a bulldozer. So we have to cross the river on foot. The water reaches above my knees. Local people help us and carry our luggage. Claude arranged transportation on the other side which takes us to Abra Minch and the following day to Addis Ababa. Late on Dec 15 we leave Addis Ababa on a Lufthansa plane for Frankfurt, Germany, where on Dec 16 at 6 AM. From there I take a plane to Prague, Czech Republic to celebrate Christmas and New Year there. Travel office: Adventures Abroad – Canadian travel company. Who took part: In the northern Ethiopia there were 9 travelers and Claude from Adventures Abroad. In southern Ethiopia 7 travelers and Claude.