I’m here in Ethiopia for a second time in six months. It’s an exhilarating country and one of much contrast. I’m pleased to be back and staying with Ben and Margot and their cat, Bole. My wife, Mary, my daughter, Laura and her friend Sophie are with me. After spending a weekend in the capital, Addis Ababa; a disorganised bustling earthy city where shacks and huts sit alongside new high-rise buildings and where none of the roads are named and signposts non existent, we headed off on our own to Lalibela and it’s marvellous collection of 12th century churches hewn out of the rock surface. There are at least eleven churches to visit, all built over twenty-three years and each incredible. Built at a time before any mechanisation, they are perfectly constructed and cut out of the rock surface; some dug down into the ground, some cut out from the side of a hill. One man, King Lalibela, designed and organised their construction.
After Lalibela we went on a mountain trek and stayed the night in an Ethiopian village. We slept in a round Tukul constructed of mud and straw and without any electricity, running water or a WC. The views were stunning and always took your breath away. We were 10,000 feet up; and with a sheer drop a few paces from the door of our Tukuls. Women from the local village cooked us a delicious dinner which we ate around a wood fire. During the night, if nature called we just turned over and went to sleep and hoped the call would go away!
The following morning we travelled to Gheralta Lodge in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and met up with Ben and Margot. Here we walked again, this time to visit more of the rock-hewn churches, but unlike the ones in Lalibela, they were built at the top of a mountain. Mary and I miraculously managed to follow Ben and Margot and our guide up to the top of a mountain to see one of these churches. When we got there, we looked down to see the tiny speck that was the vehicle that had brought us to the start point. We gasped. We could not believe we were so high and that we (Mary and I) had managed the scary ascent.
After Gheralta Lodge, we returned to Addis Ababa and relaxed in Ben and Margot’s comfortable and peaceful house and garden and enjoyed a couple of excellent meals in the city before we flew home.
There are three things that stick in my mind about my trips to Ethiopia. The countryside and scenery are beautiful, the people are charming and Ben and Margot are a great couple and extremely hospitable.
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Sunday, 27 February 2011
I'M BACK
Yes, I know. I’m sorry for the complete radio silence from me for the past few months. It’s a real shame that I’ve let my blogging slip away - I guess I’ve lost almost all of the audience I had. The trouble is that I’ve been busy and tired. As I spend quite a lot of my day on a computer, I tend to try to avoid spending my Sunday evenings typing away. But I let the time build up so much that I became a bit embarrassed by my blog, and too ashamed to admit that I needed to do something about it. A bit like debt I guess. Anyway, it feels good to be back on the keyboard. I hope I can keep it up.
There has been some real highlights over the last few months. One of the best has to be my Dad’s visit back in November - he’s the last blog entry. We spent a few days in the wonderful Geralta lodge, in eastern Tigray (in the very north of Ethiopia). The lodge is run by an Italian couple. It’s made of a series of Tigray-style farm houses, made in local stone, in a round shape with thatched roofs. The inside is comfortably fitted out, and all the water comes from wells on the compound. There are great views of the Geralta mountains. The food is authentic and rustic Italian fare, with an Ethiopian twist. While the Lodge is by far one of the very best hotels in Ethiopia, the real highlight are the rock-hewn churches built into the mountains nearby. The mountains stick out from the ground like fingers, scorched dry by the sun. Built into the mountains and carved out on top are churches which were chiseled from the rock centuries ago. We visited two churches, one with beautiful frescos. The other was set on top of a mountain, with a 300 meter sheer cliff face in from of the church. A tunnel running behind the church houses the pilgrims who venture up the mountain most days to sing from 3am. Inside in a series of roughly chipped pillars and candlelit walls. Outside are priests chanting over a microphone and banging the Ethiopian christian drum - the “kebero”. The church is a fantastic combination of devoutness, colour, breath-taking views and sheer craziness.
Another highlight has to be the Simien mountains. I visited these mountains with my friend Andrew. The mountains are north of Gonder (which itself is north of Lake Tana, the source of the Nile). We hiked for five days, getting progressively more dirty, more hairy, and more smelly. We stayed in pretty basic camp sites, but ate well every night thanks to our cook who put together some fantastic dishes, while wearing whites and a chef’s hat. The views were just amazing - it felt like something out of lord of the rings - you could see for miles, sitting on cliffs perched over beautifully green countryside, with the sound of invisible children spilling out everywhere. The nights were icy cold, due to the height. Every morning, there was frost on the ground, and on occasions snow. We wet up to 4450 meters, which is the highest I’ve ever been on foot. Between breathless gasps, I saw eagles, buzzards and vultures. We also saw numerous Gilida baboons (called bleeding heart baboons, due to the blood red triangle on their chests). We also saw three Ibexes, which were like large rain deer. Astonishing animals.
Other highlights include the timkit celebrations in Addis, which celebrate epiphany, which saw Addis become a city of colour, bells, flags for the day. Roads were blocked with partying kids helping carry their church’s “ark of the covenant.” But above all, the best highlight has to be christmas eve. We had Margot’s parents here, and were just about to sit down for dinner (roast duck bought from the only duck farmer in Ethiopia). We had opened all our presents. Except Margot had one more. A ring! After six years, I thought it was about time that I popped the question. Luckily she said yes. And it turned out to be a fantastic christmas. June 23 2012. Lets hope our wedding will have some of the colour, noise and joy that I’ve seen in Ethiopia in the last few months.
There has been some real highlights over the last few months. One of the best has to be my Dad’s visit back in November - he’s the last blog entry. We spent a few days in the wonderful Geralta lodge, in eastern Tigray (in the very north of Ethiopia). The lodge is run by an Italian couple. It’s made of a series of Tigray-style farm houses, made in local stone, in a round shape with thatched roofs. The inside is comfortably fitted out, and all the water comes from wells on the compound. There are great views of the Geralta mountains. The food is authentic and rustic Italian fare, with an Ethiopian twist. While the Lodge is by far one of the very best hotels in Ethiopia, the real highlight are the rock-hewn churches built into the mountains nearby. The mountains stick out from the ground like fingers, scorched dry by the sun. Built into the mountains and carved out on top are churches which were chiseled from the rock centuries ago. We visited two churches, one with beautiful frescos. The other was set on top of a mountain, with a 300 meter sheer cliff face in from of the church. A tunnel running behind the church houses the pilgrims who venture up the mountain most days to sing from 3am. Inside in a series of roughly chipped pillars and candlelit walls. Outside are priests chanting over a microphone and banging the Ethiopian christian drum - the “kebero”. The church is a fantastic combination of devoutness, colour, breath-taking views and sheer craziness.
Another highlight has to be the Simien mountains. I visited these mountains with my friend Andrew. The mountains are north of Gonder (which itself is north of Lake Tana, the source of the Nile). We hiked for five days, getting progressively more dirty, more hairy, and more smelly. We stayed in pretty basic camp sites, but ate well every night thanks to our cook who put together some fantastic dishes, while wearing whites and a chef’s hat. The views were just amazing - it felt like something out of lord of the rings - you could see for miles, sitting on cliffs perched over beautifully green countryside, with the sound of invisible children spilling out everywhere. The nights were icy cold, due to the height. Every morning, there was frost on the ground, and on occasions snow. We wet up to 4450 meters, which is the highest I’ve ever been on foot. Between breathless gasps, I saw eagles, buzzards and vultures. We also saw numerous Gilida baboons (called bleeding heart baboons, due to the blood red triangle on their chests). We also saw three Ibexes, which were like large rain deer. Astonishing animals.
Other highlights include the timkit celebrations in Addis, which celebrate epiphany, which saw Addis become a city of colour, bells, flags for the day. Roads were blocked with partying kids helping carry their church’s “ark of the covenant.” But above all, the best highlight has to be christmas eve. We had Margot’s parents here, and were just about to sit down for dinner (roast duck bought from the only duck farmer in Ethiopia). We had opened all our presents. Except Margot had one more. A ring! After six years, I thought it was about time that I popped the question. Luckily she said yes. And it turned out to be a fantastic christmas. June 23 2012. Lets hope our wedding will have some of the colour, noise and joy that I’ve seen in Ethiopia in the last few months.
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