Apparently, a British TV programme, 'Off the Beaten Track' is one driver behind tourists visiting Northern Ethiopia. Does anyone else see the irony - watch a show about off the beaten track and get your pointers for heading off on mass? Another driver for visitors, it seems, are the readers of 'The Da Vinci Code' of on their search for the Ark. For us: it was was the next place on the map north. Pleased we've 'found' it. Our reading along the way has made us want to visit.
Traveling the 'northern loop' has been a bit of a thrash, but not too bad. Roads have improved heaps under the new government (and foreign aid - a lot from China, and now some from Japan). This district was previously known for its 'The Devil's Roads'. The 'Off the beaten track' should be renamed 'off the beaten Flight Path'. Nearly all the Europeans/Brit visitors seem to fly the route, centre to centre, on the Ethiopian Airines hopper. We haven't seen other ferang on the buses.
Roads are very windy, many switch backs. Unnervingly, there are many trucks and buses wrecks a-plenty on the corners. They overtake like crazy. Many tank and armoured personnel carriers litter the highway-side as well. The top end of the 'loop' is Tigray, and it was the TPLF - Tigray People's Liberation Front that spear headed the rebel ousting of Mengistu and The Derg, so remnants of the war are not so surprising. Did you know that when the rebels stormed Addis they did so with an enlarged photocopy of the map of Addis Ababa, from the Lonely Plant Africa: On a shoestring travel guide? I know this having read Aidan Hartley's The Zanzibar Chest (Harper Perennial). Hartley was a journalist and rode in with the rebels on one of the first tanks to storm the Palace. He supplied the Lonely Planet. From my experience with the Lonely Braincell, it was lucky they arrived at the right place.
First leg of our travel (Addis to Bahia Dar) and the public transport was 4WD Landcruiser. A good thing: flooding, washouts, bogs. This was a private enterprise, yet there were USAID stickers on the side doors, and across the dashboard. Don't ask me!
A converstaion with one 'off the beaten track-er' was interesting. She was saying that after the 'northern loop' she had another week and a half in Ethiopia, but unsure of what to do. "Harar," I suggested. "But that's an Islamic city, isn't it?" "Yes, but ... " "God (which one?), I wouldn't go there! So, a 'little bit off the beaten track' is it?
In Bahir Dar, we hired a boat to take us around Lake Tana, visiting Christian Orthodox monastries. The full-wall murals of colourfully painted biblical stories are just fantastic. We shared the boat with a couple, she Irish, he German - rather unusual (almost as odd as Australian and New Zealander perhaps?), who are both PhDs, both atomic physicists. How is it that all trip, intelligent and educated people have sought our company?
Walking to the bus station (at 8:00am for once!), a wild-eyed, crazed, wreck of a human being dressed solely in rags of a pair of shorts leapt in front of me and grabbed at my pack. I wanted to yell something like "Please go away", but it came out as just two words! I took a wild swing at him, missed, and he shot of like a robber's dog. Kind of unnerving. Locals looked equally surprised - probably at my performance.
In Gondor (Amarhic to English translation means you get Gonder, Gondor, Gondar all in equal representation), a really nice town - by Ethiopian standards (!), I got a haircut for one dollar fifty kiwi. That's capitalist greed. Shocking.
But checking into our budget hotel in Gonder, we were surprised to discover a TV in the room. Switch on to see what was available. Stone the crows! Highlights of Tour de France, on Super Sports from South Africa. Just finishes of all the stages, and updates on all the doping scandals. But, hey, if that's all I've seen ... I could have stayed a long time in Gondar (There! see I've used all three versions myself now).
Picked up a Tourist Map of Gondor. You know the type, we have them in Oz and NZ as well - map with a couple of pictures of highlight sites and around the border advertisements for restaurants, bars, the like. But I just have to share with you some of the 'better' ads. This is all verbatim, fair dinkum:
Habesha Kitho Cafe.
Habesha Kitho Cafe has atypical Ethiopian traditional style in the interior
decoration. It also serves Ethiopian traditional cuisine. However, prices are
double for foreigners. (appealing)
Childa Bar.
This bar has good atmosphere with its interior. A variety of alcohol is available here. Staff are usually friendly and speak English very good.
Terara Hotel.
Terara Hotel is difficult to find because it is in a forrest. The hotel has a good open air cafeteria with a beautiful garden. Draft beer is available. Meat and fish dishes are available during fasting. You can also play table tennis. (nice)
Seleam Restaurant
Seleam Restaurant is located near to Castle and Ethiopian Airlines Office. If you are tired, enjoy Draft Beer here. (Reads well, don't you think?)
and this beauty...
Tajjo Bet Restaurant.
Tajjo is a local honey wine. It is sweet and a good taste. However, it is hard to find the Tajjo Bet. If you have Gondar mania (don't ask me!), try to find it. Foods are not available here. (At a restaurant! Just like a pub with no beer, I guess.)
A hotel with satellite sports TV, restaurants like these, you might never see me again.
Gondor, though, was Ethiopia's capital for 250 years, founded 1635 (Ethiopian). Hence the Fasil Ghebr Royal enclosure containing six castles (fascinating) and the lovely Debre Birham Selassie church.
As we came to Ethiopia, we read and were told that it is the worst for being harassed. But like all countries, the people that latch onto you can be fun, charming, at the same time as crafty, beguiling. Some are horrible, some nasty, some obnoxious. An interesting question we are often asked is "Are you government or charity?" Our response, tourist on the bus, sets many aback. But it told us something, an insight. But there are constant calls of "ferang! ferang! ferang" "you! you! you!" "give me birr! give me pen!" (they are leaning through the internet cafe door trying it now!). It's got a little worse here in the north. But it's a little like water off a duck's back, that or we have become hard bastards.
It's the rain season in Ethiopia. You probably can't do a six month trip bottom to top of the continent and hope to avoid it. We had maybe 4-5 days of the end of the Tanzanian season, which didn't amount to much. But here, it's mostly been thunderstorms at late afternoon or night. And heavy. But with some beaut days. The dust of the south has now turned to mud, and makes for some interesting roads.
Axum calls.
Mad
a.k.a Max.
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