Saturday was our first day trip from the crowds and traffic of Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ, and what an excursion it turned out to be! Having come highly recommended by our neighbors, we hired the services of a tour guide named Abraham, who met us along with his driver Noei (a rough transliteration of his Amharic name) at 0830 to take us on a journey 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the capital to one of Ethiopia's holiest shrines, as well as some stunning views of the Jemma River Gorge.
Though it was raining as we set off, we soon left the precipitation behind as we climbed the mountains overlooking Addis. It was about a 2½-hour drive to our first destination, so en route we stopped for a coffee at a roadside stand:
Popcorn is often served as an accompaniment to coffee:
Our friendly server. You can just make out the grass covering the ground:
We passed through several small towns along the way:
The scenery was surprisingly lush. My impressions of Ethiopia were shaped by images of the terrible famine of the mid-1980's, when news footage showed harsh, brown-colored terrains. In contrast, on Saturday we were presented with scenes that wouldn't have been out of place in northern England or Scotland:
The buildings, however, were unmistakably African. Our guide explained that the white-roofed buildings were for people, while the brown-roofed structures were reserved for livestock:
We reached our destination in due course. I won't divulge if our party was in compliance with all or some of the regulations:
The Debre Libanos ደብረ ሊባኖስ Monastery. The present structure might be modern (1961), but the site has been occupied since the 13th century. The monastery was founded by one of Ethiopia's most revered saints, Tekla Haimanot ተክለ ሃይማኖት:
We were given a tour of the interior by one of the monks, who spoke excellent English:
Stained glass windows are not traditionally an element of Ethiopian Orthodox churches:
Imperial symbols. Emperor Haile Selassie ቀዳማዊ ኃይለ ሥላሴ and his wife were frequent visitors to the monastery:
My daughter took this picture of the dome:
The holiness of the monastery draws countless pilgrims, many of whom stay for extended periods of time close by:
After checking out the monastery, the monk guided us through the adjoining museum, filled with fascinating displays of religious artefacts, as well as items such as old imperial crowns, giant cooking pots and captured Italian guns. Unfortunately, as was the case last week at St. George's, photography wasn't allowed inside the museum.
According to legend, Tekla Haimanot prayed in a cave for 29 years near the waterfall that overlooks the monastery:
From Debre Libanos, we drove a short distance to our next stop, past some breathtaking scenery...:
...to the Ethio-German Park Hotel, where we encountered a troupe of endemic Gelada baboons ጭላዳ ዝንጀሮ. Nature documentaries had always led me to believe that baboons were fierce creatures to be approached carefully (or not at all). Abraham, however, said these animals were afraid of people, the result of being constantly chased off by local farmers:
Immediately after encountering the baboons, the gorge came into view, providing vistas that were absolutely stunning (notice the eagle in the first photo):
This is Africa!:
The trail wound its way around to an impressive waterfall. One reason why we went on this tour so soon after arriving in Addis Ababa is that when the rainy season ends in a matter of days or weeks (depending on whom you ask), the falls will diminish to a trickle before drying up altogether:
A couple was having wedding photos taken on the opposite side of the ravine from us:
The so-called Portuguese Bridge. Though signs onsite state it was constructed by the Portuguese in the 16th century, my Lonely Planet guidebook insists it was put up by Ethiopians in the 1800's (albeit in a Portuguese style):
Crossing the bridge:
A smaller waterfall nearby:
One of my daughter's photos:
Another one by Amber:
Inspired perhaps by the happy couple we saw earlier, Shu-E and I posed for our own set of photos:
Time for lunch, and the girls surprisingly enjoyed tucking into Ethiopian fare. Both claimed the injera እንጀራ at the hotel wasn't as "sour" as that served in other places:
All good things must come to an end, and so it was time to return to Addis. I took a few more photos of the landscape from our van as we headed back:
Playing around with the filters produced this shot of an Ethiopian homestead:
We encountered various modes of transport on the drive back:
My wife took this video of a local traffic jam. Our guide explained that the cattle were being taken to market to be sold in advance of the upcoming Ethiopian New Year, which falls on September 12 this year:
Posing with Abraham at the end of a long but very fulfilling day. He's an excellent tour guide and I highly recommend his services (+251 93 051 9232):
Shu-E understandably was tired and not up for cooking, so I took Amber to Sishu, home to what is reputed by some to be "the best burger in Africa". Having only been on the continent for just over a month, I'm not in a position to verify that claim, except to say that the food is good. The buns, in case you're wondering, were requested by my wife (who remained at home):
Dessert was at Embwa Creamery, located just outside the side door of Sishu:
If Saturday's foray into northern Ethiopia is any indication, the next two years are going to be a fascinating time. Stay tuned...
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