Photos part 10: Mule Ride

The next excursion for me in Lalibela was a mule ride. Here is the kind of ride you can rent for 150ETB, for a three hour trip. The guide who pulls it along definitely wants a tip, and given that you will be led safely through some narrow trails, I think the tip is well earned.

This photo is meant to give you an idea both of the landscape you will see and the width of the trail.

Another view of some of the high ground.

A view of the valleys below.

Photos part 9: Churches of Lalibela

The city of Lalibela is home to fabulous rock-hewn churches. The largest of them is seen here.

Some of the interiors are better decorated than others. It has much to do with the quality of the rock from which carving took place. The better quality rock allowed for finer detail, and in this case it even got painted.

Remember that even if you have visited the main complex of churches, the last-to-be-built and stunning Church of St. George is away from all the others and easy to overlook. If you have traveled all the way to Lalibela, don't walk past this one!

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.

Photos part 7: Blue Nile Falls in the dry season

The Portuguese Bridge, or the Egg Bridge. A knowledgeable guide can tell you much about where this came from, and how it got its names. Alternately, Wikipedia has a good history of the bridge and its repair.

This is the water level you can expect during the dry season because of a hydroelectric diversion.

There is still certainly a lot of walking and sightseeing you can do even when it's not the rainy season.

Photos part 6: Mentewab's Palace and Gondar Market

It's a less extensive site than Fasil Ghebbi, but that was the point. Empress Mentewab was made to feel unwelcome in the same palace complex as the rest of the dynasty, so she built her own palace far from it.

These were formerly the quarters of Scottish explorer James Bruce.

The palace comes bundled with a church which exhibits many ancient art works. It also holds the final resting place of the Empress and her son and grandson.

Following the palace visit, I explored the parts of the Gondar market containing more traditional handicrafts. Clothes, metal works, jewellery, plenty to be found.

The rest of the set can be found here.

Photos part 5: Simien National Park

Simien National Park is home to peaceful Gelada baboons. I was surprised at how close I could safely get to a mother suckling her child. Then again, whenever the baboons had a problem with me they would just move away.

The park is also home to ibex and foxes, among other wildlife, but the easiest thing to find is a view which reminded me at the time of the Grand Canyon. Except this one is greener.

The park is also the traditional home of people living in agrarian conditions. The people are friendly and quick to offer you their wares; I was only too happy to pay for a couple of photographs.

Photos part 4: Debre Birhan Selassie

On the roof of the church you can see ostrich eggs affixed to the cross. The guide said this is because when ostriches are laying eggs they crane their necks around to look at the process, and that this is symbolic of how God watches us from the very beginning.

The other direction shows you the gate with its style of architecture. Space inside churches is limited and often attendees will experience mass from outside.

The place is lined top to bottom with artwork in a traditional style. The colour scheme, as far as I know, comes primarily from what pigments you can generate with local natural sources.

Photos part 2: Fasil Ghebbi

This was the first attraction I toured in Gondar. There are seven castles in the compound and this was the first most prominent one I saw.

This was called the Lovers' Window because the benches could allow two lovers to sit opposite each other by the window.

There are a lot of different angles on each accessible room and area in the full set from which I bring these images, but as for the post, I would like to finish a thought. If you recall, the first photo post ended with me spotting Fasil Ghebbi from the hotel where I was staying.

Well, there's my hotel, as spotted from Fasil Ghebbi!

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.

Day 5: First day in Bahir Dar (March 16)

The post for today will involve packing a travel first aid kit, a short review of Goha Hotel and first impressions of B&B The Annex. I did also spend time touring the trails around Blue Nile Falls.

Being Prepared for Ethiopia

As for why I chose Ethiopia, some of the reasons are personal. There are, fortunately, many other reasons I would happily discuss with you. There is a rich cultural diversity in this country; deep rooted traditions, stories told by the people and the things you will find; stunning churches in Lalibela, carved from stone; castles, and I am certainly a fan of castles given previous excursions to Ireland and the UK; wildlife and landscapes; all great photographic opportunities.

I must admit that I also love the food and the coffee. You can find plenty of Ethiopian cuisine in Toronto.

I am still used to people asking me whether I feel safe on this trip. The presence of wonderful things does not cancel out hazards. I would therefore like to discuss some of the things one must keep in mind when planning a trip to Ethiopia. It should make for a great trip, but not necessarily for the unprepared.

Hello World

Welcome to the first of the Brown Hat Chronicles.

In six days, I will depart for Ethiopia. The purpose of this blog is to educate and inform, and hopefully to entertain; I want to describe in detail what I do in this African country.

It's a big place, bigger than you might think. I will not be able to do everything that there is to do, but I have planned twelve days' worth of activities.

The next post will be about some of the preparations that went into this trip.

Until then,

D. Madeley