Photos part 8: Lake Tana

The next excursion happened on Lake Tana, where pelicans are plentiful. If you go there in the morning, the waters are calm; after noon, waves start to pick up a bit.

The islands in Lake Tana are home to monasteries. You can see some original art works and also have access to handicraft vendors, including a man who paints in the traditional style.

You may also find hippopotamus on the lake. This is one reason why I preferred to travel via motor boat, instead of the more traditional papyrus boat method.

Day 6: Bahir Dar day 2 (March 17)

It is a lovely day in Bahir Dar. People tell me it must be hotter than Gondar; it's always hot here, compared to the March temperatures I experienced in Toronto, but in any case it doesn't [i]feel[/i] hotter. I suspect it's because I have spent more time walking or in a tiktuk[look up spelling] (think of an auto-rickshaw) here, while in Gondar I spent a lot of time in cars. I have experienced a good wind and plenty of shade.

Regarding cars, and this is a tangent, there's a "window" game. A driver taught it to me purely by example. If you see a large dust cloud coming toward the vehicle, you roll up your window. If all is clear you roll it down again. Unless you visit this country during a wet season, you can expect a lot of dust to come from the wheels of large vehicles heading in the direction opposite yours. It's not fun to inhale it or get it in the eyes. To make the game easier, don't even watch for clouds: roll the window when the driver does, and always in the same direction.

Anyway, enough of that. This post will talk about amateur bird-watching on the patio of my B&B, my experiences on Lake Tana and in an island monastery, and also the reality of travel budgets.