|
|
You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Mar 20, 2021 10:00 PM Awassa or Hauassa?
After morning visit to the National Park Shalla-Abiata ( I was watching there ostriches, big gazelles, warthogs and flamingoes I went to the university town of Awassa (called also Hauassa - Ethiopian alphabet is completely different and hardly transferabke to latin).
Awassa lies on the lake of the same name and it is a blue lake! ( here in Ethiopia' lakes has coffee & milk color) :) The best view is from the airport road (see picture). On the city-side along the lake goes nice, shaddy alley where the local lovers can whisper and kiss each other. But there are also little restaurants serving fish. Around them you will see many marabout birds waiting for the food. Strange: I did not see them in the national park in the morning. The provision must be better here! :)
Main avenue, dotted by high palms goes from the lake up to the big church of St Gabriel. Sorry, but Ethopian churches are closed during the day, so I did not see the interior. Awassa has also something I can recommend: Lake View Hotel - just steps from the coast. So far this is my favourite accommodation in Ethiopia. The young staff smiles, they provide all info, included breakfast is delicious with big bowl of freshly made mango juice. For the huge room with balcony I paid 1250 birr - like 30 dollars.
Such a traveller is qualified for the discount - they said! They probably saw less of Ethiopia than me... Thank you, dear friends!
|
Mar 19, 2021 10:00 PM Abandoned hotel on Lake Langano
This was very long and tiring day, but I managed to reach Lake Langano before the sunset. Langano, situated 200 kms south of Addis Ababa is the only lake in Ethiopia free of bilharzia, so the people can swim in it without any worries. The poblem is that from the main road where buses/ cars operates is 3 kms distance by tbe sandy road. Where to go? I made a choice of Bekele Mola hotel located right on the beach. When I reached the gate the guards said: hotel is closed, no running water, no food, but regarding accommodation... I was to tired to go back to the main road and to look for the other place in the distance of 5 kms or so... So we made the deal - I will stay for 500 birr in their best room with mosquito net, with bucket shower only. They promised power, but it never arrived... The place is beautiful. Imagine long, sandy beach with a chain of the palms, flame trees in blossom in the garden and just-married Ethiopian pair who arrived here for the photo session. High cliff from the left side and mountains on the otjer side of the lake. And the silence... No, I did not swim because the water has a color coffee with milk... Next time!
|
Mar 17, 2021 10:00 PM Pretty ladies of Hamer Tribe
It is good to be in Turmi on market day (Mon or Thu) The people from the surrounding villages are coming to the main, dusty square of the village not only to to sell and buy, but also to meet families and friends. Most of them are from the Hamer tribe. Ladies are easy recognizable because their special hairdressing ( see picture) . But it is not easy to photograph them because they are shy and usually ask for money. If you are with the local guide it is worth to give him the camera - locals knowing tribe' language can take pictures without any problem.
Only bucket shower this morming. I have enough fascinating but very hot Omo valley. It is time tu turn back to the north or east of Ethiopia!
|
Mar 16, 2021 10:00 PM To the Karo tribe...
Hot, hot, hot... Today I went to the village of Karo tribe - some 65 kms west of Trumi. It is beautifully located on the high bank of Omo River. People are painting here their bodies. But the place is very commercialised - they want 10 birr for each picture taken. For the first time I met here other tourists (2 cars) But it was still worth the tiring journey!
|
Mar 15, 2021 10:00 PM On the south side of Omo River
First tropical storm of the coming rainy season in the night. Today in the morning I moved to Turmi - another little towship used by tribe people to buy necessary, limited supply. Based in the Green Hotel ( often no water or electricity, wi- fi from time to time, often broken) I took the excursion to the Omo River - 70 kms away through thre dry bush. Again by 4x4 car. Where we reached the new bridge on Omo it was necessary to report with the passport to the police post because you are entering frontier zone with Kenya and South Sudan.
OK - we intended to crossed the river by local canoe (attraction!) but no canoe available due to the high water and no motor for the motorboat too. aSo we went through the bridge. 1 kn nward there is a poor village of Dassenych tribe. They have colorful necklaces , but their houses changed in the 21st century - instead the grass on the roofs the use metal. sheets. Still interesting!
I had a hard time. Not only because the temperatures reaching 40 deg, but also beceuse Afro-belly I suffer. It happened when you try local food. Let' s be optimistic!
|
Mar 15, 2021 10:00 PM On the south side of Omo River
First tropical storm of the coming rainy season in the night. Today in the morning I moved to Turmi - another little towship used by tribe people to buy necessary, limited supply. Based in the Green Hotel ( often no water or electricity, wi- fi from time to time, often broken) I took the excursion to the Omo River - 70 kms away through thre dry bush. Again by 4x4 car. Where we reached the new bridge on Omo it was necessary to report with the passport to the police post because you are entering frontier zone with Kenya and South Sudan.
OK - we intended to crossed the river by local canoe (attraction!) but no canoe available due to the high water and no motor for the motorboat too. aSo we went through the bridge. 1 kn nward there is a poor village of Dassenych tribe. They have colorful necklaces , but their houses changed in the 21st century - instead the grass on the roofs the use metal. sheets. Still interesting!
I had a hard time. Not only because the temperatures reaching 40 deg, but also beceuse Afro-belly I suffer. It happened when you try local food. Let' s be optimistic!
|
Mar 14, 2021 10:00 PM Mursi tribe - still authentic
You can travek to Jinka by junk bus bus if you want to go onward to the tribes it is better to rent a car wth the driver and prefessional guide who speak tribe language.
We started at 6 am, it was still dark. 65 km on the gravel road an I saw their tille huts, fires, kids and ladies. Mursi are nomads. the are moving with their cattle every half a year or so. In the group I visited there are 150 people. Rather primitive, but they know Lready the value of the money - I paid 200 birr to the chef de village for the pictures. But it was worth... Mursi ladies cut their lower lip an put there ceramic or wooden disc. Why? It is tradition! Maybe they want to be different from other tribes.?
|
Mar 13, 2021 10:00 PM Long drive to Jinka
In the morning I attended pleasant, 2hours boat tour on Lake Chamo. But it is no longer the same Chamo Lake I visited in 1976. The level of the water raised about 2 m. Old boat jettty, gate and the ticket office are under the water. The access to the coast is limited by bush growing in the water. Summary: I saw only 2 big crocodiles, sailing in the deep water.
Than it was the time to go south, where the most interesting tribes of Ethiopia live. The road was partly gravel, partly asphalt with the holes.
We crossed pictureqsqoe mountain ranges, small villages with rondavel houses. Herds of livestock many times blocked the way. People making lo
laundry in the shallow riwers (see picture). Imagine also black kids dancing on the road and expecting the donation. Temperature 35 Celsius. I reached Jinka ( see on the map where is Jinka) at 4.30 pm. Jinka is the gateway to the tribes. I will see them tomorrow.
|
Mar 12, 2021 10:00 PM With a Dorze tribe
In the late afternoon I reached the village of Dorze tribe living on the mountain 2700 m above the sea level inSouth Ethiopia. Very interesting place! They use false banana plant 6-7 m high not onlly to build their elephant face shaped houses but also to produce tasty bread and the fiber. They have interesting nationan costumes. Can you recognise this guy in the leopard skin on the picture? After tiring, hot day a night in Arba Minch...
|
Mar 11, 2021 10:00 PM Did you ever try ynjera?
In the past in Ethiopia they ate ynjera instead of bread. Even now, especially in the province they eat more ynjera than white bread, I also eat ynjera for lunch - look at the picture: ynjera is a sour fermented flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made out of teff flour. The single "pancake" has diameter of 40 cm and cost me 60 birr. In addition I ordered different kind of vegetables (you sed them on the top) - for 20 birr.
Tasty!
Today it is time to say goodbye to charming Lalibela and the lovely family of Dessiew. I am going south! Please keep your fingers crossed!
|
Page:
65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75
|
|
|
