Read about Ron & Viv's journey so far through Africa - Northern ETHIOPIA to Gondar & Sudan Border - mid August 2007.
Ethiopia
The waters of Lake Tana, at Bahar Dar, which is famous for all the monasteries surrounding its shores and on some of the islands on the lake .
Travelling to Gondar we passed through an extensive flooded area, which was well into production for rice – all ploughed with oxen!!
Transportation in the streets of Gondar – we don't wan't to ever come back as a donkey or horse in Africa!!!
Typical – the goats or sheep just laze on the road wherever they want on the streets of Gondar.
The drive west from Gondar to the border descends the plateau and the scenery is very spectacular as the road winds down into a vast cliff-lined valley.
AFRICA TRIPMid August – Northern Ethiopia
Still in Addis
To get a Sudan visa it is better to have an Egypt visa first so at the Egyptian embassy, which is quite palatial and big, the gardens planted with lots of Aussie native shrubs and tree - but like so many places in Africa was not set in a luxury suburb but in an industrial area with tin shacks all around. Went thru the security and then down to the Visa section to find that we needed to go to a bank, change our US$25 into EBirr (225Birr), and get a receipt from the bank for each transaction – for each passport – and then come back to apply for the visa. Just a sample, from what we hear, of what to expect when we try and get into … and out of ... Egypt itself! We collected our passports and visas the following afternoon.
Went to the National Museum, mainly to see ‘Lucy', the 3.6 million year old hominid skeleton found back in the late 1970s by a group of American researchers and which really set the world on fire with her discovery. As they describe her, she isn't a direct relative of you and me, but more like an ‘aunt'. Still, there is no doubt that this country and the adjoining ones of Kenya and Chad are the birthplace of mankind and it was only a couple of hundred thousand years ago that a small group of humans walked across the narrow sea separating Africa from the rest of the world … and populated it! The rest of the museum is worth a quick look at – it is only small, but Lucy is the show stopper and in Oz, or in the US, it would have a vast room and display on its own. Here she is in a small near bare room – well there's a few display panels and models but that's all - down in the basement.
Next day went over to the Sudan Embassy and lined up with a few locals to see if we could get a visa. After about 1.5 hours we left having walked our passport, money and visa application along with a Certified true copy of our passport (from the Aust embassy in Nairobi); A letter of verification we were who we were (!) (from the Aust embassy in Nairobi); and a Photocopy of recently obtained Egyptian Visa. With a smile they said to us ‘Come back tomorrow at 3pm!' , which sounds hopeful.
To the Blue Nile
Got away and drove thru the early morning traffic with its minibus taxis clogging the roads and small town squares. About 8km from the hotel we were on the outskirts of the city climbing thru plantation forests of Australian gum trees.
We spent the whole day above 7,000' except for the drop into the Blue Nile Gorge, more of which later and we topped out at 10,300'. For the whole time we were amongst farm land – small plots abutting one another stretching over hill and dale to the horizon. Occasionally there were large plantation of gums, pines, or on a couple of occasions, wattle to relieve the scenery but that was about all.
All the streams we passed from the smallest rivulet to the Blue Nile were flowing strongly – carrying more of that good Ethiopian soil north. As Viv said at one stage, “It's a wonder there's any bloody top soil left on these high plains!” But there is, and in places where you could see how deep the soil was, it was between 15' and 30' thick – and not a bit of clay or rock amongst it! How much would an Aussie farmer pay for this stuff – and the rain?
The road remained very good blacktop for the whole way with just a few small sections of washed out tar or pot-holey dirt.
One thing that is a big difference with Kenya is the amount of schools you see in Ethiopia. They are just not as common or as big. Most villages have a primary school (not the ones in the Omo valley though) but they are hardly big ones. By all accounts around 50% of children get to Grade 7 (end of primary school) but less than 12% finish high school – which costs the parents a lot more money. The kids are also required in the field and to help with the daily chores so schooling takes a big back step.
From what we see by the time the kids are two or three they are looking after a younger sibling. At three or four they start to look after the goats and to carry water from the well back home as well as collect wood. By the time they are five the boys seem to be looking after the cows more, the girls helping their mum with looking after the younger siblings, collecting water and wood. By the time they are seven the boys are working in the field – so are the girls but to a lesser extent - and by the time they are nine they are controlling the oxen to plough the fields. So life goes on till they die!
About 190km north of Addis you come to the Blue Nile Gorge, which is impressive with the road dropping 1400 metres (4600') in the course of 15 switch-backed laden kilometres. Of course, the road turns to rocky potholed dirt for the whole of the descent to the river and the ascent on the other side and needless to say it is a pretty slow trip with trucks and buses to contend with. The steepness of the grade also plays havoc with these guys and we passed many trucks broken down and a couple tipped over.
Sadly the top section of the descent into the Gorge was clothed in thick mist and we were flat out seeing more than 20 metres, but after we had descended about 200 metres we broke out into clear skies and the vast steep sided valley opened up before us. Basically, near the whole valley was cultivated, barring the solid cliffs that reared up in great long walls. The original road and bridge were built by the Italians back in the 30' or 40's (the road was tar then) and it must have been a monumental feat. It's going to take some time to do what they are doing now and the new bridge, just 100 metres downstream from the original is a little taller and grander.
As we again climbed thru the 2500 metre mark the country leveled out into a flat plain tilled into small blocks of cultivated land that stretched for as far as the eye could see in both directions. There were people and oxen hauling their single furrow plough dotted all over the landscape – hundreds of people and oxen - and we couldn't believe that in this vast area there was not one single tractor!
Stopped at the Shebel Hotel in Debre Markos, which is right beside the main road as you enter the town from the south. Rooms are basic but a few steps higher than the Baro, with clean carpets, cleaner beds, hot showers, whiter walls and an altogether better atmosphere. Parking is right outside your door. Cost is 150Birr (A$20) a double/night. There is a well stocked bar and well run, fairly large restaurant, where a pleasant tasting western style meal sets you back about 20-25Birr (A$3). The staff are very friendly and helpful.
Lake Tana and its Monasteries
Next day was an uneventful trip through a continuation of cultivated lands all the way to Bahar Dar. The road remained very good all the way. We got to Bahar Dar at lunchtime and after we had orientated ourselves correctly (the map in the guidebook had us coming in on the wrong road) we found our way to the Ghion Hotel on the shores of Lake Tana. This hotel is set in large rich gardens that border the lake. The rooms are large, a bit worn, but the roof hadn't leaked for a while and the rooms weren't dirty or too musty.
Headed out to the two small islands just offshore and landed on the island with the Kebran Gabriel monastery on it. We (Neil and I anyway as women can't visit this site) were met by one of the senior monks who led us passed the church to the small museum, these buildings built of cement and bricks. Inside the small ‘museum' there was a number of treasures including a large number of books that dated back to the 13th Century. These were housed in a small glass-fronted cupboard. We got a good look and feel of a 16th century manuscript that was written on goat skin, the pages looking in remarkable condition considering their age and the way they are stored. These old books are written in the ancient language of Ge'ez. The monk wouldn't bring out the older books as they were too valuable but researchers are allowed to see them.
From there the monk took us to the church. The first church had been built here in the 13th Century while the current church was built in the 16th Century. Like all the Christian Orthodox churches we saw they were circular in design, the outer area inside the outside doors – the ‘portico' open to everyone and in this church (and others?) featuring 12 columns – for each of the 12 disciple. The inner sanctum – the ‘maqdas' - had its doors closed and was reserved for the priests and monks, but the outside walls of this maqdas was richly decorated in scenes from the bible. It was no Vatican but it was pretty good none-the-less. Entry fee was 50Birr for the video camerman and 20 Birr for the still photographer.
From there we headed across to the mainland at the Zege Peninsula and to the Ura Kidane Meret Monastery. Entry fee here was 100Birr for the person with the video camera and 20Birr for everyone else. The inside of the church was similar to the previous one in design and layout with a whole pile of paintings on the walls of the maqdas. Some, depicting the death of the disciples and St George were particularly gruesome! All in all there are over 17 monasteries in and around Lake Tana, but you'd have to be pretty keen to visit more than just a few.
The Blue Nile Falls
The road to the Blue Nile Falls leads from the town to the village of Tissisat about 30km away and stops at front gate of the hydro power plant. Heaps of touts and guides wanting to ‘help' you – “Good for you, good for us” deal, while a few people wanted to sell you stuff. There's a small tourist office on side of road, where you pay your entrance fee – 30Birr a person – then we backtracked 50 metres to turn up a narrow rocky, partly cobblestone road thru the village and around the edge of the hydro plant to get to a carpark – with a few stands and rough stalls.
The walk to falls drops steeply from the road down a few rough rock steps before coming to the narrow gorge that is the Blue Nile. Most of the water (average of 75%) is taken and diverted upstream of the falls to pass thru the two hydro power plants that are located here so the gorge is not as impressive as it could be with water flowing through just one archway instead of the four the Portuguese Bridge is made of. Still we were here at the best time – the wet season – and the flow going down the gorge was strong and turbulent – sometimes it dries to not much more than a trickle.
From the bridge the walking track climbs steeply passing through the heart of a small hillside village . Here you get a few people with their stalls and stands trying to sell you a scarf or shawl or some other trinket. Little did I know I had a young girl follow me. Further up the hill a young boy of about 13 joined me – he had been tending his goats - and talked as we wandered along, with the little girl now joining in. The kids were both pretty good – the boy who was in grade 7 could speak a bit of English and the girl who was in grade 3, could speak a surprising amount. She walked along beside me, singing a local song; the young guy pointing out different things along the way. They were really pleasant company.
Got to the point on the edge of the hill overlooking the Falls and to the south of the river the hydro plant. The river being in wet season mode was in full spate and the falls were roaring - this river does provide the majority of the water for the Nile during the months of June to October.
The Royal City of Gondar
Got to the once royal city and capital of Gondar and wound our way around the streets to the centre ‘circle' and then around the walled palace and found our way north to the Belegez Pension , (GPS 12°38'41”N 37°28'11”E), which was full. By then we had a ‘helper' – Raven - who then guided us back to the centre circle and up the hill to the Fogera Hotel (GPS 12°37'01”N 37°28'31”E). This is near double the price but there is secure parking and the rooms in the bungalows are quite pleasant with hot showers, flush toilets and clean sheets for just 210birr a night per double.
While cooking tea on our small verandah we had a bloke come up who was working here trying to improve the land management to stop soil erosion. What was most interesting was his thoughts on the NGOs and other workers for the UN involved in helping solve these problems (and others) of Africa – he had just been to a big ‘workshop' in Addis about erosion and how to deal with it. As he said, the main interest of the delegates though was to keep the programmes going so that they and the other advisors, consultants, etc, would have a job in a year's time.
Quotable quotes:
“Geez. We don't want to hear of the problems – they are too big to deal with. Let us try and just keep the operation ticking over and see what we will see!” and:
“There is no job for us in Europe, or the US - it's the same in your country - we must keep these jobs here going – we have families to support back home!
Hell, it is no wonder that the people here on the ground in Africa, especially the White people (ex pats and the like) who have a handle on how things should work, really get pissed off with the UN and the NGO's!
At Gondar we checked out the delightful old Selassie Church with its dome full of smiling angels (painted in the 1600') then went out to the Kuskuam castle and church which was most recently built in 1730. This World Heritage Site is being renovated slowly and here amongst other things you'll find the skeleton of Empress Mintewab, lying in state under the main alter.
The afternoon was spent at the World Heritage Site of the Royal Palace situated in the heart of Gondar. Most of the castles contained within the high walls date from the 1600s when Gondar was the capital of the country. Much of the area is under restoration – paths are being worked on, and walls are being fixed. All in all it is quite an impressive site and worthy of its World Heritage listing.
West to the Border
The drive west was, from the road junction about 12km south of Gondar, along a well maintained dirt road. This road is being upgraded and there are a few large work camps along the way – when it will be finished is anyone's guess but it is happening.
The drive is really enjoyable and we were soon away from the continual covering of cultivated fields and near continuous villages and the like. About 70km west the road begins it descent of the plateau and the scenery is very spectacular as the road winds down into a vast cliff-lined valley. Along the sheer walls the occasional sliver of a waterfall could be seen, while the whole region was green from the recent rains.
For the first time since the Omo Valley we actually had native trees and scrub dotting the scene and we started to see a bit of birdlife and animal life – a few hornbills, a small group of vervet monkeys, a couple of guinea fowl, even a large monitor lizard, although he wasn't long for the world as a truckie had stopped to kill it for a feed. The rivers and streams we crossed were the clearest we had seen since we got into this country and were carrying a minimal amount of silt and mud – a couple were even clear! It was very pleasant scenery and not cultivated and shaped by man to any large degree – what a change that is!
Got to the the last major village about 30km from the border. Here we cleared customs – it's a run down sort of an affair as we're'm assuming Customs will follow immigration to the border town someday. Then it was onto the sprawling border town where we found our way to Immigration which is set back off the road a short distance and is nothing more than a fancy hut in a tin and wire fence compound. This town sprawls along the road with a wide range of shops and stalls selling everything from booze to bags, fruit to fanta and beer to bananas. A young bloke changed some money for us – offering 180SPounds for a 1000Birr but we managed to get that up to 190SPounds, when we told him the ‘official' rate was 220. As he pointed out though that was from a bank – the nearest bank being at Gondar and the border just down the road! In the end we could take it or leave it, we guess, so we took it. He was friendly enough and we got rid of all our Birr.
Sudan lay across the bridge!
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Ron & Viv outside the Royal Palace ruins situated in the heart of Gondar.
From Addis Ababa we spent the whole day driving above 7,000' except for the drop into the Blue Nile Gorge - for the whole time we were amongst farm land – small plots abutting one another stretching over hill and dale to the horizon
The old Christian Orthodox churches we saw were circular in design, the outer area inside the outside doors – the ‘portico' open to everyone and the inner sanctum – the ‘maqdas' - is reserved for the priests and monks – the outside walls of the maqdas are richly decorated in scenes from the bible and from the legends of the martyrs.
What is left of the once extensive falls was flowing really well.
Ron with one of his ‘guides' for his walk to the falls.
Old Selassie Church with its dome full of smiling angels (painted in the 1600s).
Kuskuam Castle of Empress Mintewab is a World Heritage Site.
A local lad with his chooks off to market on the streets of Gondar.
World Heritage Site of the Royal Palace situated in the heart of Gondar.
