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Author:
Jerry W. Bird is President of ATA
Canada Chapter, Editor and
Publisher of Africa Travel
Magazine, and Webmaster for the
ATA site www.africa-ata.org. He
is also Publisher of Air Highways
Magazine, the Journal of Open
Skies, featuring aviation,
tourism, transportation and
business worldwide. His career
began with the Edmonton Journal
Daily Newspaper, and expanded
into the full spectrum of media -
radio, television, magazines and
Internet. He has won
international awards for
creativity in audio visual and
print production.
In
The Queen of Sheba's
Footsteps
by
Jerry W. Bird
Lalibela's
Bet
Giyorgis, most famous of the
eleven rock-hewn churches in this
mountainous area, is believed to
have been built in the late 12th
or early 13th century by King
Lalibela. These incredible
edifices, which were carved
inside and outside from solid
rock, are ranked among the
wonders of the world.
Our
team of North American
journalists came to Ethiopia with
few preconceived notions, yet
each had some special areas of
concern. For every member of the
group, it was a first time
journey to this ancient,
mysterious, storybook land. What
a spiritual awakening it proved
to be. The tour of Ethiopia's
Historic Route began in Addis
Ababa, the capital and
geographical center. For
starters, Ethiopian Airlines,
flew us north to Lalibela, the
holy city; to Gondar- Africa's
Camelot, and to Bahir Dar on Lake
Tana, source of the Blue Nile.
Dire Dawa and the walled city of
Harar in the eastern sector
completed the agenda.
Nothing
I had read about the Holy City of
Lalibela, its mysteries, legends,
saints and monarchs, could have
prepared me for what we were
about to encounter on this trip.
The brief morning flight from
Addis Ababa's Airport north was a
delight, winging through the
cloudless skies, as an
ever-changing panorama of awesome
gorges, deep canyons and broad
plateaus unfolded
below.
Everything
that I had read about Ethiopia in
Wilbur Smith's novels, the River
God and Secret Scroll, was as he
described. As we learned later
from Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Sukkar,
Ethiopia's Tourism Commissioner,
airport construction enjoys a
high priority, and on the high
plain south of Lalibela, a new
terminal building is in the final
stages of completion. Our
temporary waiting area was a
baggage shack, where we basked in
the morning sun, awaiting the
commuter bus.
A
Storybook
Land:
I've never been to Tibet, but the
spiritual presence and views we
saw during our corkscrew journey
up the hillside would easily fit
that image. Small wonder this
storybook land has such a
spiritual presence, a proud
tradition and a way of life that
has survived three millennia,
despite an outside world of hate,
conquest, treachery, trial and
turmoil. The thatched villages,
shepherd boys, terraced farming
methods, simple forms of
irrigation and donkey power,
attest to the fact that time has
stood still &emdash; as well it
should. Coming from North America
it's hard for us to realize that
this is the way it has been in
this part of the world since time
immemorial.
Rocks
of Ages:
During
my recent African excursions, I
have been awed by mankind's
glorious creations, offset by a
Jekyll and Hyde capacity for
evil. While we were shocked by
the slave castles of West
Africa's Gold Coast and
Zanzibar's dungeons, we saw the
result of godly forces at work in
the 12th century rock -hewn
churches that have made the Holy
City of Lalibela a magnet for
Christian pilgrims and
historians.
Many
come for the famous church
festivals in Ethiopia, such as
Timket (Epiphany) and other times
of celebration and devotion.
Souvenirs of King Lalibela are
everywhere, as a continuing
tribute to his glory and
greatness in creating these
wonders of the world. Our
official photographer, Robert
Eilets couldn't get over the
abundance of photo opportunities
in Lalibela's streets, at the
famous stone churches and around
every bend in the road leading to
this remote highland community.
Next time, we vowed to allow an
extra day for photography
alone.
Footnote:
Back in Addis Ababa, it was our
turn to be interviewed -- this
time by Ethiopian press, radio
and television. To a person, each
journalist agreed it was a
positive experience with no
feelings of concern or anxiety
about personal health and safety.
The climate in mid February was
perfect, and the hospitality of
the people was second to none.
What a beautiful prelude to the
ATA congress, Africa's 1st major
tourism event of the new
millennium.
More
to come, including map and
photos.
Gondar:
Africa's Camelot
As
our minibus rolled into Gondar,
after a short flight from
Lalibela, there was ample
evidence that here was an area
destined for long range
development as a destination
resort. Several new industries
attest to this growing trend, as
did our conversation with
entrepreneurs at the airport and
later at the hotel. Our modern,
government operated hotel, the
Goha was perched like a sentinel
on a hilltop, with a commanding
view of the city and
countryside.
Gondar
was Ethiopia's capital and
principal city during the reign
of Emperor Fasilidas in the 17th
century. Perhaps that's why I
expected to find it a shrine to
past glories, instead of an
active, bustling community, with
people filling the streets, shops
doing a brisk business, and
scores of gaudily painted horse
and buggy taxis (garis) scooting
every which way, like bumper cars
at a
midway.
Several
of our group decided to try this
hair raising means of transport,
and it became a highlight of
their day, trotting through the
narrow alleys of this centuries
old
capital.
Thanks
to a massive government
initiative, many of the castles,
palaces and royal structures
built by the early Emperors are
being carefully restored. These
treasures of Gondar include the
stone bathhouse of Emperor
Fasiladas and the ruined Palace
of Kusquam. We also entered the
church of Debre Brhan Selassie,
to gaze in awe at its unique
murals, which have stood the test
of time for centuries. These
castles display a richness in
architecture that reveals the
influence of Arabia as well as
Axumite traditions, and are said
to be the largest concentration
of such structures in
Africa.
Bahir
Dar, Lake Tana, Blue Nile
Falls
A
pleasant surprise occurred on day
3 of our Historic Route journey
through Ethiopia. Following a
short flight on Ethiopian
Airlines from Gondar to Bahir Dar
Airport, the gut-wrenching
condition of the road leading
west led me to believe our group
of 11 journalists would be
staying at some dusty lakeside
village. However, like several of
my colleagues, I was completely
bowled over when tall palms and
jacarandas suddenly appeared out
of the blue. Like part of a royal
procession, we entered a modern,
well laid out community with
broad, tree-lined boulevards.
Bahir Dar would rival many
seaside retreats on the
Mediterranean or
Florida.
En
route to Lake Tana, I spotted a
huge resort hotel complex nearing
completion &emdash; a sign of
positive things to come. After
checking into our hotel, we
boarded a motor launch for a spin
around Lake Tana, which is
Ethiopia's largest lake. We're
told there are 37 small islands
on the lake, and most of them
shelter monasteries and churches,
some dating back to the 13th
century. On most inland bodies of
water of this size, one might
encounter powerboats and sleek
sailing craft, but on Lake Tana
in Northern Ethiopia, leisure
gives way to practicality. Here,
the waters are alive with a fleet
of 'tankwas' , papyrus canoes,
carrying charcoal and firewood to
market in Bahir Dar.
Nature's
Brush, Fields of Gold and Smoke
of
Fire
In February, the Jacaranda trees
are in full blossom, painting
city boulevards and village
streets in a soft violet hue.
It's a signs that will live in my
memory forever. On a peaceful
hill near Emperor Haile
Selassie's Bahir Dar palace,
overlooking the Blue Nile, we
stopped to mark the moment on
film. How fortunate that the
royal gardeners had the foresight
to plant a mile long stretch of
Jacarandas to frame the entrance
to this regal spot.
The
Ahramic name for the Blue Nile
Falls is 'Tissisat' or 'smoke of
fire' &emdash; which describes
what many claim to be the most
spectacular waterfalls in
Northern Africa. Here a wide body
of water drops over a sheer cliff
more than 45 meters deep. In many
photos I have seen, that curtain
of spray kissed by a brilliant
rainbow. Speaking of rainbows and
pots of gold &emdash; in
September I'm told it's a sure
sign of spring, when the 'Meskel"
flower turns entire hills and
fields to gold.
Exotic
Harar, Ethiopia's Walled
City
Within Harar are a bustling
33,000 or so Hararis or Adaris
(other groups don't live within
the walls) in a square km or two.
Despite the numbers, most streets
aren't crowded and it is quite
relaxed. Just wandering through
the narrow pathways bracketed by
high whitewashed walls is worth
the visit. The special sites in
Harar are the House of Arthur
Rimbaud, the French poet and arms
dealer, the ancient mosque of
Abul Bakir, and the gates of the
city. There is unfortunately
dilapidated mansion in which the
Emperor Haile Selassie grew up as
well.
The
House of Rimbaud (right) is being
renovated with the help of
UNESCO, making slow but
impressive progress until it was
recently stopped by a shortage of
funds. It is a great two storey
affair with plenty of Indian
woodwork and art deco wallpaper.
It has a wonderful indoor balcony
at the top. From the windows you
can almost see all four
directions over Harar. On the
first floor through another
entrance you can see the
restoration underway on the old
library. While this is styled as
Rimbauds' House, the other story
is that it was a French school at
which Rimbaud taught. Regardless
it is fantastic. It brings to
mind the period of French
ascendancy in Ethiopia, which is
still highly visible. The French
connection here is strong, the
language is quite common and even
the all pervasive 'Ferengi' for
foreigner is an Amharic
corruption of 'French'. French
support for Ethiopia from the
1880s to World War I included the
building of the
railroad.
The
mosque of Sheikh Abul Bakir
reminds you of the Moslem
heritage of Harar (there are 87
mosques in Harar). Abul
Bakirí's mosque is built
on ancient remains which
reputedly date back 1000 years.
It is a holy site for the Moslem
population, who visit in large
numbers, attended by the current
descendant Sheikh. There are
seven gates to old Harar, and
AABD will show you them all if
you give him the time. The most
famous is the one you drive
through coming into the old town.
Many of the others have been
bricked in or replaced by modern
roads.
One
gate our guide will show you is
the one through which the
explorer Richard Burton passed in
1855. He was reputedly the first
European to come to
Harar.
Adaris
are justifiably proud of their
houses, which are all solid and
square, behind walls in a small
compound. They have a large
sitting area for socializing over
coffee or chat (more on this
later). They have loads of
colorful baskets and Chinese
platters on the walls. They are
focused on marriage - there is a
rack over the front door which
holds a valuable rug or rugs
which are the dowry for the
eligible young lady in the house.
They have a room near the
entrance which is kept for
newlyweds, who are expected to
get acquainted through being kept
there for a week after their
marriage. A small opening is used
to pass in food and other
necessities. I always wondered
how they went to the
toilet.
Apart
from the regular houses, AABD
will show you places which sell
the famous Harar baskets and
jewelry. The baskets are a bit
pricey, but very nice. No foreign
resident of Ethiopia should leave
without them as souvenirs. There
is an odd shaped tubular basket
which they use for covering
candles. I rudely call them a
Harar condom. They also do nice
silver bracelets and earrings.
The Adder are amongst the most
prosperous and educated of
Ethiopian peoples. They are
traders. They suffered under the
Communist Dergue. They are
prospering again. There are also
a lot of Amhara people in Harar,
but much of the town and all of
the surrounding countryside is
Oromo.
Outside
of the old town, there is still a
lot to see in Harar. There are
the buildings of the Harar
Military College. There are
numerous public buildings and
churches. My favorite stop,
however, is the Harar beer
factory. I had planned to go to
the beer factory for a long time
before I got around to it.
Excerpt
from a longer article supplied by
John Graham. a Canadian living in
Ethiopia. Photo by Karen Hoffman,
ATA New York
Explorations
in Southern Ethiopia
By
the late Eunice
Rawlings
It
was May 12th, 2000. The 26th
Annual Congress had been a good
one, and even after a late final
soiree, 15 ATA members from
Southern California assembled
eagerly in the Hilton lobby to
begin our tour of Ethiopia's
famous Historic Route, Axum,
Lalibela, Bahar Dar and Gondar.
Once at Bole International
Airport in Addis Ababa, airport
we passed through formalities and
waited in the departure lounge.
After we had bought everything
possible in the gift shop, time
began to drag and we became aware
of solemn faces all around us.
Finally, an Ethiopian Airlines
representative informed us that
Ethiopia and Eretria were
officially at war and going north
was not an option.
We
didn't think going back to the
hotel for several days was an
option either. Our wonderful tour
director George from
Tourman's/Ethiopia Tours gave us
some ideas for alternative
arrangements and a phone call to
Commissioner Sukkar enabled us to
negotiate with the airport
operations manger, Bekele Kidane
who graciously found just the
right sized Ethiopian Airlines
plane for us.
We
invited members of other groups
that were stranded and picked up
a couple of hitch-hikers from
other galaxies and 19 of us
including the steward boarded a
sturdy twin-engine prop plane and
headed to Arba Minch, 505
kilometers southwest of Addis. To
Ethiopian Airline's credit this
whole operation was concluded by
about 11:30 am. As we headed
south and munched on boxed
lunches, we passed over
spectacular scenery. After
leaving the modern skyline of
Addis Ababa we found ourselves
marveling at a giant patchwork of
little farms with fields of
green, gold and brown, each with
its cluster of round, thatched
homes.
Arba
Minch, the Lakes and Nech Sar
National Park
We passed over lakes and steep
craggy cliffs. As we came closer
to our destination, Arba Minch,
the scenery turned to brilliant
green and Chamo and Abaya, the
largest of the Rift Valley lakes,
shimmered back at us. Arba Minch
airport consisted of a tin roof
shed with bathrooms in a nearby
field. Next door to these
amenities a modern, unfinished
airport structure rose as a
phoenix from the ashes, possibly
waiting for the war to be over,
so that more funds would be
available to complete it.
Curious, friendly people who
enjoyed posing for pictures and
kept us entertained until our
vehicles arrived surrounded us.
The minivans had seen better
days, but given the circumstances
they and their owners did very
well by us. Our pilots bid us
farewell and promised to come
back for us in a couple of
days.
After
a short ride we arrived at our
destination, the Bekele Molla
Hotel. The main building was
whitewashed and dripping with
bouganvillias, the terrace had a
view that was indescribable. We
had several weather changes
during our brief stay which only
intensified the superb vista of
lakes Chamo and Abaya, the
intense greens of Nech Sar
National Park, the magnificent
mountains and the inimitable
African skies filled with giant,
soaring birds.
The
accommodation was in twin
bungalows. Very basic. The
bathrooms were spartan and as we
learned later, water was iffy.
Some rooms had water for a while;
some showers shut off just as one
had worked up a good lather and
some had no water. The windows
were ill fitting so the
mosquitoes declared May 12
ñ 14 a new feast day.
Never have I been so glad to be
with such a wonderful group of
people. We all laughed at each
otherís tales of woe,
which we shared over
breakfast.
Meals
at the hotel were also an
adventure. But when you consider
that 18 of us descended on them
on a moment's notice, the chef
did a great job. The menu didn't
change much, fish, beef,
spaghetti and soup. We all soon
learned that the fish was
incredible (freshly caught from
the lake) and the servings were
huge. On our final evening, we
were presented with breaded
Tilapia served on special stands
so that it looked as though the
fish were swimming along the
table. The flesh was easily
removed with a fork from each
side of the fish and it was truly
out of this world.
Green
Crocodiles and Pink Flamingos
We were unable to visit some of
the different communities and
main attractions in the area
because most roads had been
washed out. We did take a wild
boat ride across lake Chamo to
see the basking grounds of
hundreds of Nile crocodile, (some
reach 30 feet in length), with
hippos, pink flamingos and storks
close by. Our return was quite
late in the afternoon and a storm
was brewing. The gathering clouds
and the setting sun made a
memorable panorama of changing
light dancing on the water and
bouncing off the mountains. That
night the heavens opened and it
poured!
Shopper's
Paradise
The rain continued until after
lunch the next day. Near our
hotel was a small 'gift shop'
which was full well priced local
treasures. We bought wonderful
pots, jewelry, lip plates and
other reminders of the area. We
heard later that our little
shopping spree had provided
enough revenue to feed the
storeowner's family for six
months. We went into town and
walked around the market, a
collection of little canvas
covered, ground level stalls,
which on this day were little
islands of dark brown mud
surrounded by water. Some of us
purchased beautiful shammas the
finely hand-woven cotton shawls
worn by most Ethiopians. We
concluded the day's activities by
dropping in, uninvited, on a
small village in the country. We
were welcomed by young and old
alike and were made to feel very
much at home.
Awash
and Awash National Park
We flew back to Addis and boarded
a waiting tour bus that took us
southeast to Awash. Arriving late
in the evening, we stayed at a
hotel that was in a walled
enclosure with rooms around the
perimeter. There was a large open
area in the middle with an
assortment of small livestock.
Dinner was delicious. There was
no water to drink. We had to make
do with beer or Coca-Cola. Aside
from a dead bat in one of the
rooms, (just a tiny one) the
accommodation was clean and
comfortable. It was hot though,
and all of us had packed to go
north, so in the rooms with no
air-conditioning; well, you get
the idea. We awoke to find that
we had were staying at the Hotel
Paradise
Our
morning saw us exploring Awash
National Park where dik dik,
waterbuck, ostrich, gazelle,
zebra, oryx and other plains game
as well as cats may be seen. Our
game viewing was not good, but a
large group in a large bus
preempts any serious sightings.
Meeting
the Nomads of Southern
Ethiopia
Truly exceptional, was an
encounter with the nomadic
peoples of the area who appeared
by the Awash river where we had
stopped at a clearing to stretch
our legs and admire and
photograph some exquisite purple
rollers, one of Ethiopia's 830
species of birds. They came in a
long, dignified procession,
slowly and quietly, the men
dressed in little more than a
toga, with huge machete like
knives at the waist, and the
women, shy yet beautiful, some
wearing colors, others in
traditional off-whites. With them
came a large group of haughty
camels, long horned cattle, goats
and donkeys. The scene was magic,
as the various animals came to
the water's edge to quench their
thirst.
These
good folk weren't particularly
thrilled to see us and didn't
want their pictures taken. When
offered Birr (Ethiopian
currency), in return for a pose
they scoffed at us. "What will we
do with money"? They queried. It
didn't help that the chief
decided that George was looking
at his women, and started chasing
us brandishing an ancient
shotgun. We swiftly boarded the
bus and headed towards
Addis.
Another
similar incident occurred when we
stopped to get a close-up look at
some great water birds. We drove
over a marshy area then walked
the final few yards. From a
distance we could see a large
herd of camel and pretty soon two
fierce young men with a halos of
hair, and big machetes came and
asked why we were observing their
camels. When George tried to
explain that we were looking at
birds, they clearly thought it
was a pretty lame excuse. "Birds!
Who looks at birds"? Again, we
excused ourselves and continued
to Addis!
This
wasn't the journey we planned and
we didn't accomplish a whole lot,
but we wouldn't have missed this
excursion for anything. For one
thing, it was a great bonding
experience for the group. But
more than that, it was a
humbling, learning experience.
Ethiopia is two and a half times
the size of France, so it is
possible to be in a country at
war and not be in danger and it
is equally possible to be in
southern Ethiopia and not see a
sign of drought. Ethiopia is a
land of many contrasts and as
travel professionals we must
spread the word that Ethiopia is
a country that offers much to the
traveler and with proper
preparation a visit will be a
safe and enriching
experience.
Our
tour operator in Ethiopia was
Tourman's Ethiopia Tours, Addis
Ababa.
Eunice
Rawlings passed away in
2001.
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