Ethiopia
Amhara

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    • Day 8

      Fahrt durchs Gebirge nach Dessie

      November 13, 2019 in Ethiopia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

      Heute geht unsere Fahrt durch das Gebirge auf 3250m. Von hier oben hat man einen wundervollen Blick auf das Land. Die Fahrt wird wieder spektakulär, wir fahren über 100km nur Schotterpisten. Das ein oder andere mal müssen sich die Fahrer gegenseitig helfen. Die Natur ist einzigartig. Man kann sich an ihrer Schönheit gar nicht satt sehen.Read more

    • Day 6

      Fahrt nach Lalibela

      November 11, 2019 in Ethiopia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

      Heute geht unsere Reise nach Lalibela, benannt nach König Lalibela. Das entlegene Gebirgsdorf ist heute ein bedeutsamer Pilgerort. Wir fahren hoch in den Bergen, teils über 3000m. Die Landschaft ist einzigartig und wunderschön. Wir besuchen eine einheimische Familie und dürfen Einblick in ihr einfaches Leben nehmen. Es ist einfach unvorstellbar, dass man noch so leben kann.Read more

    • Day 8

      Lalibela 2

      January 13, 2020 in Ethiopia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      Il paraît que Lalibela a été construite comme une réplique éthiopienne de Jérusalem, afin d'offrir un lieu de pèlerinage plus accessible. Les noms des lieux ont été repris, aussi on y trouve le Jourdain (Yordanos), l'église Bet Golgotha, le Mont des Oliviers (Debra Zeit), etc. La comparaison s'arrête là, car Lalibela a son style bien à elle ! Parmi mille choses, la sécurité est bien plus relax, et les vendeurs de kippas PSG/Arsenal/Bob l'éponge sont absents. Ici c'est plutôt la sandalette en plastique qui a la côte sur les étals.Read more

    • Day 6

      Les montagnes du Simien 2

      January 11, 2020 in Ethiopia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      Aujourd'hui nous rencontrons deux colonies d'animaux :
      - un beau groupe de babouins géladas, qui s'ébrouent, s'épouillent au soleil. Ils se fichent royalement des touristes.
      - un moins beau groupe de puces de lit qui nous a bien défoncés pendant la nuit.Read more

    • Day 64

      48. ETH: Bahir Dar - Blue Nile Falls

      July 10, 2023 in Ethiopia ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

      Our tour guide for the drive through Ethiopia was Dagi, and our driver, Yonnis. They picked us up in Addis & we headed off to Bahir Dar.

      The Blue Nile Falls is a key tourist attraction in this part of Ethiopia. It is known as Tis Abay in Amharic, meaning 'Smoke Abay'.

      The river's path takes it to Khartoum, Sudan, where it joins the White Nile (which originates in Uganda, as you saw in my last post). Collectively the 2 rivers are the primary source of the Nile River, which also flows through Egypt, ultimately emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. The construction of a much-needed hydroelectric dam upstream (the river flows north, so upstream is south, in Ethiopia) has reduced the flow of the falls, but the real issue lies in Egypt, where the many people relying on the Nile are affected by the reduction in flow.

      Although puny in comparison to Victoria Falls in Tanzania, I enjoyed this experience more. The Nile Falls were located in a remote, lush green area surrounded by local farmland. It gave me the feeling of enjoying a special place in nature, as opposed to joining the herd at a tourist attraction.

      Food update: We got introduced to injera, a thin pancake made from local teff flour, which is topped in the center with your choice of food. You eat the dish with your hands, tearing off a piece of the pancake, and using it to pick up and eat your topping. Its a bit messy as the pancake becomes soggy, but its a traditional practice for Ethiopians to eat with their hands. Not my cup of tea, but I'm glad i tried it.
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    • Day 65

      50. ETH: Gondar - Fortress, church & fun

      July 11, 2023 in Ethiopia ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

      We visited Gondar, a city in northern Ethiopia known for the walled Fasil Ghebbi fortress and palace compound. King Fasil (Fasilidas) settled in Gondar and established it as a permanent capital in 1636. The fortress city functioned as the centre of the Ethiopian government until 1864. At the center of the compound is the immense 17th-century castle of Emperor Fasilides, which combines Portuguese, Indian and local architectural styles.

      We also visited the Debre Birhan Selassie church, which means Trinity and Mountain of Light, and is the most famous place of worship in Gondar. Originally painted for those unable to read, every inch of the church walls are covered in vivid depictions of biblical verses.

      But the real fun was heading out one evening to a local establishment called a "traditional house", where we watched the ekista dance. Eskista is a traditional Ethiopian cultural dance from the Amhara ethnic group performed by men, women, and children. It's known for its unique emphasis on intense shoulder movement. I gave it a shot, but, as usual, my enthusiasm outweighed my talent!
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    • Day 62

      47. Ethiopia: Addis Ababa

      July 8, 2023 in Ethiopia ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

      Our flight from Nairobi Kenya to Addis Ababa Ethiopia went smoothly. Of course, Craig had us at the airport so early that we beat the Ethiopian Airlines staff there, and had to wait for them to set up. Haha.

      Upon arrival in AA, after a 15 minute delay chatting with a guy at the airport who we thought was our shuttle driver (but who turned out to be just a guy wanting to change money for us), we made our way to our hotel. Arriving around 9:30P, they seemed unaware of our reservation, but my "boy scout" travelling partner had ALL the paperwork, and the confusion was quickly dispelled.

      Our Africa experience now changes, from an animal focus, to a cultural focus. Our one day in Addis gave us time for a visit to a museum and to the markets.

      The Ethnological Museum is situated on the campus of Addis Ababa University, in the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie, whose real name is Tafari Makonnen. His pre-emperor title of "Ras", meaning duke or prince, coupled with his first name was the source of the word "Rastafarian", a counter-culture movement developed in Jamaica and brought to light by reggae musicians like Bob Marley. Go figure

      After a tour of the museum, we drove through the local markets. Some pix attached.
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    • Day 7

      Lalibela 1

      January 12, 2020 in Ethiopia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

      Lalibela, c'est la carte postale, sans doute l'endroit le plus visité par les touristes en Ethiopie. Et ça a un prix ! 50 dollars l'entrée des fameuses églises creusées dans la roche. La visite la plus chère de tout notre voyage. Bon, faut pas rêver, ça reste un peu désorganisé. Donc les gars qui délivrent les billets se plantent dans le jour ET le mois (WTF)* donc on nous fait des problèmes pendant la visite. Les types s'y mettent quand même à 4 pour nous délivrer le billet d'entrée : un qui fait remplir un formulaire, un qui fait payer, un qui remplit les informations sur le billet, un qui regarde les autres travailler...

      Une ambiance particulière règne dans ces églises un peu sombres, dont les recoins cachés peuvent receler des peintures anciennes (ou un placard à balais). Quel boulot pour arracher ces édifices à la pierre, tailler les colonnes, les fenêtres ou sculpter ces beaux reliefs ! Pas étonnant que certains croient à une aide venue du ciel...

      * Une petite précision sur le temps en Ethiopie, qui s'écoule selon des règles étonnantes : le calendrier est le calendrier julien, donc nous sommes en 2012. L'heure correspond à l'heure au format international +6h. Donc quand on vous dit qu'il est 21h, il faut comprendre qu'il est 15h !
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    • Day 64

      49. ETH: BD - Monastery on Lake Tana

      July 10, 2023 in Ethiopia ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

      Today we took a boat ride across Lake Tana (largest lake in Ethiopia) to visit a 14th century monastery.

      The Ura Kidanemihret monastery was founded in the 14th century and updated to its current condition in the 16th century. Its interior is decorated with numerous murals painted between 100 and 250 years ago.Read more

    • Day 5

      Fahrt nach Gondar

      November 10, 2019 in Ethiopia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

      Heute geht unsere Reise nach Gondar, der einstigen Hauptstadt von Äthiopien. Seit 1979 zählt sie zum UNESCO- Weltkulturerbe. Der Legende nach soll König Fasilides von einem alten Einsiedler aufgefordert worden sein, genau hier eine Stadt zu gründen und ein Schloss zu errichten. Dieses Schloss werden wir besichtigen. Während der Fahrt nach Gondar bestaunen wir die herrliche Landschaft und beobachten die Einheimischen beim alltäglichen Leben.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Amhara Region, Amhara, Āmara Kilil

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