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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 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.?
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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.
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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...
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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!
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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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