Guest Blog - Nick Wastnage (aka "Dad")

My amazing eight days in Ethiopia started in Addis Adaba, a city of many extremes. It’s bustling, noisy, dusty and dirty, but exhilarating. The traffic obeys no rules. There isn’t a single sign on any road saying where you are, nor any signposts to help you find your way. Often a few cows stray across the road, a heard of sheep halt your car or a goat appears in the lane next to you. It’s certainly interesting.

After a couple of days in the city we flew to Mekele and onto the to the Gheralta Lodge, a stylish and simple hotel situated in Tigray, an area of ten thousand foot mountains with 4th century churches at the top and carved out of the rock face. In Tigray the countryside and scenery is just outstanding, making me gasp and simply stare in amazement many times. Early one morning, with the sun rising above the Gheralta mountains, the air crystal clear, clean and chilly, I took a stroll down the garden to the hotel’s potager. All was quiet and peaceful, the sky was blue and cloudless, a couple of sheep wandered by, an ox walked slowly in front of me and spectacular multi-coloured birds flew by and flitted around. This was truly an African morning and very different from anything I’ve ever experienced before.

I will have many lasting memories of this beautiful country. I’ll try to name a few. The spectacular scenery that left me at a loss for words, the constant accompaniment of children wanting to try out their English. ‘What is your name. ‘What do you do?’ they’d ask and a flood of questions about football would follow. Once, I told a gaggle of about six boys my name, that I was a writer and yes, I did like football. That was it - from then on, during a one a half hour walk up a steep mountain when I was trying to concentrate on placing my foot on a firm rock, rather than a loose one which would have sent me cascading down the mountain, I was bombarded with questions about Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.

I can’t finish without mentioning the Ethiopians. An immensely proud people who are friendly, helpful and happy despite having none of the things that we take for granted in the West. I wish them well and hope the many developments in the country will bring them what they want.

I enjoyed every moment of my time in this country and sadly have to catch the plan home tonight to return to a cold UK. I’ll certainly return, in fact I’m already planning the next visit. I recommend a trip here to anyone who wants a very different and exciting holiday, one full of breathtaking sites, stunning weather, a real African experience and an opportunity to see life from a different perspective.

Thank you Ben and Margot for making me so welcome and my stay so good.