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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 10, 2021 10:00 PM The funeral and the baptism in Ethiopia
My expensive (50 USD) entry ticket to the churches of Lalibela has one value - it allows me to be there during four consecutive days. So today in the morning I called the church gate again and this was the great idea because the funeral ceremony was performed there under the big tree. Singing, lamenting, priests under colorful umbrellas and, first of all: crowd of several hundered people in the white shammas sitting quietly around the tree (ladies are separated from men). After an hour spent in such a environment I went again to the second group of the churches to discover the lower entrance to the Libanos church and underground corridor to Emanuel Church. The last was the hit of the day with nice facade resembling Petra and friendly priest inside, posing with the big metal cross.
Back in the main group I took a sit between the monks singing near Bete Mariam church. I was enjoying the atmosphere and writing my daily notes. After two hours in the backyard they started the baptism ceremony. What a wonderful chance to observe locals, priests in yellow and crying children!
What a day!
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Mar 09, 2021 10:00 PM The dream came true
In the whole world there is only one place like Lalibela. That' why UNECO put it on the World Heritage List. I was wailihg years for the day I will see these cut-in-the-rock churches. The day arrived. After a night spent on the level 2450 m above the see I took my lonely breakfast. On Monday Ethiopians stated their 55-days fast and they treat it very seriously. My host Dessiew (I stay here with the local family) gave me the direction to the... ticket office. OK, I expected I will pay, but not as much as 50 USD, no discounts... The guy in the office told me: before corona we had 200-300 foreign visitors per day. Two days ago we had one visitor from China, yesterday we had one Frenchman and today swe are happy to have you!
There are three groups of churches, 11 in total. The biggest one is right at the ticket office. I was staying few minutes enjoying the unusual view. The churches are alive, with peaple and priests coming to practice their religion. No tourists at all. One more travellers dream come true!
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Mar 08, 2021 10:00 PM Junk minibus to Lalibela
They do not have fixed timetable for the Waldia - Lalibele route. You have to come to the bus stiation in the morning and try your luck. Bajaj to the station cost me 5 birr. "bus station" is rather dusty square without any facilities. But touts are in charge already at the gate and thej will guide you to the proper car shouting "Lalibela, Lalibela!". Little Isuzu minibus was dirty inside and outside. But I was happy anyway keeping my ticket for 110 birr. 7.30 am We were patiently collecting passengers and cargo. The bus finally started at 10.15 am. The distance was 186 kms so I was thinking about 3-4 hours drive. I was naive... Locals were so nice to give me front seat to take better pictures on the way... First 2 hours we were climbing the mountain slopes covered by eucalyptus forest. Thousands of bends and ten thousands of holes in the asphalt. plus herds od donkeys, zebu and goats on the road. When we reached 3240 m pass I was more optimistic, but at thos point we turned right to the grawel and stoney road. The views were great, but no forests on this side of the range. Dry rivers, broken bridges on the route) I reached legendary Lalibela at 4.20 pm - after 6 hours en route. Urrra! :)
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Mar 07, 2021 10:00 PM 11,5 hours on the bus, but what a mountains!
All long distance buses depart Addis before sunrise. They woke me up at 3 am. At 4 am I was on the bus stop, we departed at 4.30 am in the dark. a lot of chaos, many other pick-up stops. At the sunrise we were already climbing the dry hills. On the road herds of donkeys, zebu, goats, and camels. And many holes - the bus is sneaking between them. In the poor villages mosques - this is ismamic part of Ethiopia. Nobody wear the masks in the province - even the police. There were 3 or 4 police controls... But whet a views from the passes! On todays' route it is hard to find the straight 100 m of the read, serpentines up and down... We reached Woldia only at 4 pm. The tdusty own has the atmosphere of the Wild East. Not easy to find the bread.... I am looking for the ride to Lalibela tomorrow. Tired but happy...
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Mar 06, 2021 10:00 PM How can I buy the proper bus ticket?
They build here in Addis 20-storey hotels but they do not have the bus terminal for travel to their provinces... I recognized that on the corrner of Meskel Square near Estepanos church many intercity bus companies have ticket-selling agencies located in the poor shacks. Nowadays quality Selam Bus do not go to the north where I am heading because tribal tensions so I was looking for Valiya Bus. I found 3 young ladies in the shack... - I need a ticket for Monday's bus to Waldia! They did not speak English. I used the calendar, pen and paper to explain. I got a ticket for 478 birr. But the date on the ticket was completely different - they still use traditional Ethiopian calendar. uuu. Where is the time of departure? She said: ten. -Ten o'clock in the morning? Yes, but Ethopian time! Ufff, confusion, the time they use is 6 hours ahead of international time for this zone! So i will be departing at 4 am!
I switched on my smartphone an they showed me on the map parking in front of Shebelle restaurant, near Mexico junction. We will see if it works! :)
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Mar 05, 2021 10:00 PM The only tourist in Addis Ababa
From the top terrace of my hotel there is a nice panoramic view of Addis - see picture. Today I spent 5 hours walking around the capital of Ethiopia. I started from the Holy Trinity Cathedral surrounded by the cemetery of noble Ethiopians. The parliament building is just nearby, but it is forbidden to photograph. Then I went down to Churchill Street - once the main and most representative. Today it is grey and dusty with deteriorated building of the National Theatre. Following uphill I found the monument of the Imperial Lion - it still exists, but surrounded by the piles of garbage. The only positive surprise was the Gare at the end of the street - former station of the Ethiopia - Djibouti railway. Once ruined now it is restored and converted into the café. Plants and flowers around... and the great view of the new Addis skyline... Friendly Ethiopians invited me to drink coffee with them. Thank you for the interesting talk! In the afternoon I took the long walk via Africa Ave to Bole. In this street you will find the only supermarkets in European meaning. The can of sardines cost me 51 birr and the round box of Laughing Cow cheese - 52. During my whole todays walk I didn't meet any other tourist!
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Mar 05, 2021 10:00 PM Addis Ababa after 45 years...
I must adjust to the altitude... Addis Ababa lies on the level 2350 m above the sea! Strong sun shines during the day, but in the night temperature drops down to 12 degrees Celsius!
When I was here in 1976 it was rather quiet, low-rise city. Now they built here 20-storey hotels and apartment houses. That's what I see from my window: traditional life in the single-story houses under the palms and the skyscrapers just behind them. But they still do not have the street numbers and side-streets has no names. So the best way to find my White House Hotel is to say "100 m behind Abissynia restaurant". This traditional restaurant is well known (not for me) and has uniforned guards at the gate - see picture.
A lot of poverty is visible on the streets. But the beggars are not aggressive. A big roll in the bakery costs 12 birr, kilo of bananas - 25 birr. I will survive!
For one USD they pay 40 birrs.
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Mar 03, 2021 10:00 PM Smell of Africa
The express train to Vienna aiport cost me 4.20 euro - I was running to the main hall of Hauptbanhof to buy the ticket. It is the shame, that they do not install any ticket machines on the wide platforms! Rude train attendent asked me to wear seciall model of the face mask - FFsomething. Are they crazy? 17 minutes later I reached deserted VIE airport. Depressing view - only one check-in stand open! They checked my COVID test. OK! No single shop or bar open! Ethiopian dreamliner was dirty - so you know that they transport Africans. 6 hours flight, one hot meal, two beers (their wine is very weak). We landed in Addis at sunrise. Visa on arrival costs 50 USD. Welcome to Black Africa! Yes, this continent has a special smell. I bargained with the taxi driver - he took me for 150 birr to my little hotel in the no-name street with no pavement and full of water holes. Local ladies bake the coffee beans on the side walk. I need the rest!
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Mar 02, 2021 10:00 PM Across Poland by train...
It was still dark when I boarded the train in Gdansk at 6 am. Why train? You know that I am the budget traveller! And I found the cheap connection. First to Warsaw, then to the southern border of Poland - I was not sure if my second train heading to Budapest will cross the border or I will walk from last Polish station in Chalupki. Lucky me! As the only passenger in the car I went through the frontier to Bohumin - first station in Czech Republic. Nobody controlled me! But I saw on the bridges over border river Olza Polish police squads blocking the entrance for Czechs to Poland....Because the pandemic - so high in Czech Rp... My train did not continue to Budapest...
Ok, I am now at the Bohumin station waiting for the train to Vienna. I hope this one will depart!
In Vienna there will be very limited time for the transfer to the airport. Fortunately I have already the boarding pass! Let's hope and be optimistic. New adventure just started! :)
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Mar 01, 2021 10:00 PM New voyage starts tomorrow!
These were probably the most difficult waiting hours in my life. The backpack was lying next to me - already packed, and I still didn't know if I will go. I waited with my nerves for the result of the PCR test, which is necessary to open the for me the way to Ethiopia. The test could not be done too early, because it is only valid for a certain number of hours. To make matters worse, two days earlier, after injecting me with the first dose of the COVID vaccine, I got a high temperature and symptoms similar to those I experienced while ill with COVID in November. I was afraid that the disease had come back to me after all... I have just picked up the test result and breathed a sigh - it is good!.
I was in Ethiopia for the first time in 1976 - 45 years ago! The Ethiopian-Eritrean war was going on then and not all provinces of this interesting country were available to foreigners. Since then, I thought about going back to Ethiopia to see at least the unique rock churches in Lalibela. And here I go - against the pandemic and all adversities. The design of my route is marked on the map with a blue line.
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