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As an early bird I watched darkness recoil in slow motion while the new-born morning approached shivering out of the cold night. At this altitude mornings are harsh and merciless. The ghabi we picked at Dessie was my salvation. The rising sun was chasing the stars that had now retired leaving a dusty, emptiness behind them. I wonder- where do stars hide and where does the moon abide with its fleet?

This Friday morning started with tea, buckets of tea, and the kitchen people couldn’t keep up! To the dismay of a coffee-Ethiopica addict, me, they said it was too early to serve this beverage and soon everyone was jumping into the cars while I was still figuring out ways of opening my eyes without my drug.

A new day dawned exposing the breathtaking scenery of the landscape. The cliffs and the green plateaus lay before and behind, sometimes above and sometimes below us on the serpentine road, unfolding 360° of bucolic pulchritude!

And at last we were there, at Selamge, the elementary school we were building, which we intended to visit! Impatient to touch ground and get more than a fleeting glance of the landscape we drove through, we drove up to the hill, kissed the Selassie church door in a hurry, said a brief hi! to God, crossing my heart, and then hurried out to look down at the school, zigzagging through an enclave of eucalyptus trees!

A beautiful school revealed itself spreading its wings across the field, right under the foot of the hill. And guys, do you know you have a country, a divine sample of how it might look like in paradise? Ethiopia the country is not poor, although we, the people might be!

Then the little ones, our small school kids came running towards us, in their green & yellow uniforms, some falling in their anxiety, brandishing wodqa yetenesachiwun bandira. Their size and color made a perfect complement to the size and color of the fresh and sprouting plantation of lentils demarcated with wild yellow flowers they were running through.

And so, when I saw the kids running in their uniforms, I said to myself: Now the future was here; what a wonderful world!

A very nice carpentry and masonry indeed, it stood proudly neighboring the Meqdela plateau, facing cannon Sebastopol and declining comfortably on the trees that embraced the church behind. At the foreground, the sky rested on a long chain of mountains that made almost a straight line across the horizon. The green, yellow and red fields, the shifting shades of these colors in the sun, the vastness of the landscape – no words, just mesmerizing!

We walked down the field to catch a glimpse of King Tewodros of Meqdela. He was absent. But we saw the cannon his people had left behind. An old man showed us where Gebrye fell and where a thousand other people possibly fell transporting Sebastopol, he commented.

Standing there, in my mind, I could also see the English officers dressed in their clownish misfit outfits, with their Indian soldiers called the Bombay Africans running barefoot behind them, alongside the poor elephants! I could be wrong; it is just a picture I have in my mind. One thing is certain though, all this had forced our brave king to express himself as brutally as he usually did; only this time, definitively, irreversibly!

We waved bye-bye to the Meqdela tableland and the children…. heavy-heartedly. The way back took us to the cold town of Debre Brhan! From the last time I saw it, I have no other memory left other than people wrapped in thick Ghabis, standing by the side of the only highway that took you away from this gelid nowhere! Now, I see that it is a town with colorful hotels and similar edifices! But the people are still standing by the side of the now asphalted road, still wearing their authentic Ghabis!

We got there late in the evening, delayed because a certain amateur photographer dropped one of his cameras in the wilderness and yet insisted on taking a zillion pictures that cost us our dinner! Nobody served dinner that late! Dire straits! No coffee the other day for it was too early; no dinner tonight because it was too late!

The road to Ankober was different from that of the road to Meqdela. Unmistakably different! The big blocks of gray stones sticking up on the gravel road looked like jaws of a crocodile – and I tell you, some guys are scared to death of crocs!! Still, sitting behind the 4wheel drive, all doors closed and a high gear in place, we all felt secure as the Toyota danced its iskista, bumping, jumping and shivering like a virile Efratyan at a local wedding feast!!

From Meqdela, we crossed river Beshlo via Ethiopia´s longest bridge, I understand. Then we saw the majestic mountains of Ambassel, waved hello to Gishen Mariam on the left and couldn’t take off our eyes from the crystal clear water of the river Teleyayen!

Ankober itself was different too. As the road meandered toward the school site, we were filled with a kind of psychedelic nostalgia of a place we have never seen before and yet a place that seemed so very familiar – a kind of déjà vu experience.

The fog traveling over the mountain, just a stone throw away from the little school that seemed to cover the whole of the immense plateau, sucked your soul into it-you glided on the mountain with it… The valley way, way below, maybe a thousand meters down, the colors of the farm plots, the tiny church in the middle, Gedamoch Mikael, pulled the upper half of your body down, down, complying with gravity!

Way back, at a distance, at the skyline, one could see a small building standing alone, proudly sticking up on the top of this highland, caressed by the thin mist sweeping it as it passed by. It was the school toilet; the most beautiful school toilet in the world!

That architect´s lateral thinking made my day! After visiting this simple and neat school building, we set off to see Negus Menelik’s palace – but came just short of actually getting there because our guide was obsessed in getting back to civilization before noon!

Anyway, it was an interesting drive, passing through the market crowd on the road; the car literally pushed aside the people and their means of transport, i.e. their indefatigable donkeys. Creeping through the market crowd we stopped at a suitable spot to see the adorable palace at a few kilometers distance. We entered Addis as the setting sun entered its stealthy abode. The condos of Addis with their red capes welcomed us back, although unreciprocated!

This journey was a journey in celestial dreams, a dream journey and a journey through dreams into real Primary Schools, for real children, in real, rural Ethiopia.

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This journey was a journey in celestial dreams, a dream journey and a journey through dreams into real Primary Schools, for real children, in real, rural Ethiopia.

Preparations for the excursion to the roof of Africa involved many ups and downs but at last I felt I had enough information and advice. I even gathered some information from a friend born there, now living in the US.

I told Mikael Ali, a friend, that we are going to Meqdela for the weekend. He thought I was joking!

You should be lucky if your car gets you to the nearest town the same day – i.e. no flat tyres, no overheated motor, and no collision with a cow… then you have to hire a good horse or a mule … a good guide and fix a pair of strong legs for the steep walk up to the plateau. Which adds up to maybe, at least five days or so?

I adjusted my holster loaded with weapons of mass mosquito destruction- including some 10 mg pink bullets and deadly hypodermic shots against other creatures!

A thought crossed my mind – trying an outfit with a British helmet/hat, a khaki jacket with lots of square pockets with huge flaps, shorts held by a wide belt with buckles the size of a bull’s forehead …and people would ask: Dr Livingston, I presume? Imagine me in the pathetic uniform, in gemballes, a pitch hat and a pipe in the corner of the mouth, with a nasal, supercilious accent to go with the stereotype!

Anyway, the very idea of leaving behind us the cockroaches, the taxis of Addis, the crowded streets with dozens of pedestrians who believe they are immortal, trespassers and thoughtless cattle competing with mad kamikaze drivers with their deafening horns…all competing for the same spot in the middle of the road; the reeking exhaust pipes with odors of gasoline from the 20s – it felt a huge relief!

I knew the scary picture depicted by Texas resident, Meqdela-born Mikael was bogus. He was born half a century ago but still believed he had an objective picture of his village, now a town. (You know, even a second becomes ancient if it doesn’t move, and change is the only constant that is real – which Mikael missed in his calculation.) Our team leader knew the area better. He has walked, ridden and driven through thick and thin to get some schools constructed there. ..

In fact, I think he said he has been there eighteen times? Kudos! I lift my hat for you! My co-passengers were my better half and a friend of ours, a young man, a jack of all trades, who fed us with facts and figures: the number of “left-over” Italians living as indigenous peasants in Gojjam since the Second World War …or the true conspiracy theory behind the Kennedy assassination.

He delved into deep contemplations, all while simultaneously cracking jokes from this world and the next! (I wonder if there was abisho mixed in the qolo we fed him with!) We laughed until our bellies ached! He started for example, a game: what would you do if you were ….Hot discussions ensued when he took upon himself the mantle of Mayor of Addis!

From the flow of the wuyiyit and the smart suggestions that popped up, I was sure they would come up with a neat formula to solve the stench of the urine flood in the streets of Addis. But the nearest we came to was a crazy idea: One has to create a satellite-controlled LASER that detects Urine & Co wherever it touches open air and converts it into vapors of antiretroviral.

Driving on the gravel road was like struggling with a differential calculus but the operator was outstanding, the vehicle strong: a fact not to be taken for granted, as I have nauseating childhood memories of the long bus journeys on these roads. In those days your ribs were as loose as the bolts holding the wheels, when you arrived at your destination-and ribs were the only strong things I had as a little boy!

This road from Dessie to Meqdela was no match for our deft driver whose face lit with joy whenever he conquered the potentially lethal curves that ambushed us every few meters. Some rocks jumped out of a curve like a jack- in- the- box. The car doors shook, the gear gnawed its teeth, but the brakes stood their ground. Excitement at its zenith, all eyes were fixed on the abysmal nadir…

Then a welcome break! At last! We had a short reunion with our friends from the other car at this fantastic road-side resort menafesha called Fontanina! Clean and delicious fruit was served in the open air- under a thin and grossly perforated grass-thatched roof, the purpose of which I am still looking for!

We ate … and no, no stomach ache followed. When we arrived at Tenta, dusk had fallen and I caught a glimpse of the setting sun through the side window. I jumped out of the car, ran west to shoot the sunset, but in a matter of minutes, the brilliant sky sheriff was no more! Nightfall had replaced the crimson veil of the sky bereaving me of my favorite blush of the heavens.

Well, I ran back to our hotel; I was afraid our guide would eat all of Woizero Roman’s famous shiro alone. He talked about it all the way here. Roman, her white scarf on her loosely braided jet black hair, poured the steaming shiro and we watched it fill the eyes of the injera one by one; the steam rose in a hurry, eager to cool itself on the naked, corrugated iron roof.

Delicious, it was! And as an icing on the cake, coffee completed the treat; a ritual I realize has seen a renaissance!

This concluded the escapades of the day and, as I said, night fell audibly like a deflated, heavy kemenedari, covering the Tenta plateau with a pile of damp blankets, while the Ethiopian sky leisurely organized its twinkling stars. I got pain in my rusty neck; head tilted and locked staring at the immensely wide, deep, starry African sky, forgetting time, swallowed by space. ..but then Something told me; it was cold (old)!

The article continues on the next issue

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Washa Michael
Addis Ababa is surrounded by hills in which ancient dwellings and places of worship are continually being discovered. Either natural caves or buildings hewn from the rock, these remnants of bygone civilizations, offer a challenge to the explorer.

Washa Mikael rock church is located on the hill rising behind the British Embassy. It is carved from rock as well the Lalibela churches, and was used during the Italian occupation to harbor the tabot of St. Michael which was later returned to the new church of St. Michael on the Dessie road.

A low tunnel leads into the courtyard and you can then see the still-standing double entrance gate. Although the ceiling has long since fallen in, the remains of windows and other architectural details are discernable.

It is possible to approach fairly close to the church in a four wheel drive vehicle up the track between the British embassy and new St. Michael’s. But riding or walking is often preferable allow two or three hours for the trip to give yourself time to enjoy the marvelous views over the city and countryside.

Legedadi
Leaving the city by the Dessie road, one of the first places of interest is the dam on the Legedadi River, supplying Addis Ababa with most of its water. Turning to the right at 20 km. out of town, a long gravel road runs down to the lake created by the damming of the river. Already, since 1970 when construction   was completed, myriads of water birds have made the lake their home.

After Legedadi the main road continues to Debre Birhan. There are many picturesque spots for picnicking along the way as the road gets nearer to the edge of the escarpment. At about 50 km., just past sendaffa, the deep gorge of the Kesem river is visible to right and can be reached by a track suitable for most cars during the dry season.

Debre Birhan
The town is the centre of a rich sheep breeding area where the animals are raised both for their meat and for their wool. The modern wollen goods factory in Debre Birhan is  on the right of the road at the beginning of the town.

Here are woven the thick blankets for the Addis Ababa market. Traditional wollen goods are also in abundance, little woolly hats on the shepherd boys and the famous black, white and brown Debre Birhan carpets in traditional designs of lions and birds.

Market day is on Saturday. Hotel accommodation is adequate for an overnight stay in route to Debre Sina or Ankober.

Although modern comforts are not available, passable food and a clean bed can be expected. As the town is only one and a half hour’s drive (130km.) many people prefer to forgo an overnight stop.

Ankober
The turning is to the right just at the far end of Debre Birhan. The road reaches the edge of the escarpment through a terraced landscape of fields with small villages dotted about.

At about twelve kilometres after the turnoff, it is worth stopping and climbing to the top of the rise on the left. This is the edge of the escarpment from which one looks down over the great rift valley across the desert to Awash and beyond to the mountains of Haragrge.

Montane flora of great beauty and variety and troops of gelada baboons sporting on the cliff edges makes this one of the more lovely walks.

Ankober, is founded by sahle sillassie and was Menilik’s capital before he moved to Entoto at the beginning of the nineteenth century. On a small conical hill are the remains of Menilik’s palace and at its foot tow churches both containing interesting murals.

Tarmaber Pass
As you climb towards the pass, there is an interesting side trip along the edge of the escarpment.  Look out for a turning on the right which leads up and over one of the tunnels on the main road and thence along the edge overlooking what must be some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

The road continues to Guassa and Mehal Meda but there is no need for the casual visitor to go that far. Even on the main road the views from the various vantage points are awe-inspiring.

Here also live large troops of gelada baboons endemic to Ethiopia with the dramatic lions mane of the adult males blowing in the wind.

The air is chilly so a wind breaker is recommended. You can buy a woolen hat with a baboon hair tassel from the local shepherded boys. After passing through a series of tunnels, the road emerges on the far side of the pass and begins its descent to the market town of Debre Sina.

Robit Valley
As the road descends through Debre Sina, a market town of comparatively little interest except for its dazzling setting. The weather becomes rapidly warmer until 4000ft. below the pass and 30km. further on, you are passing through semi-desert scrub with euphorbia and acacia trees the main vegetation.

Here the altitude is only 1,538mt and irrigation and cultivation of citrus, coffee and other crops is extensive.

The little town of Robit boasts a reasonable hotel and a mission station. Every town of in Ethiopia has its market day whereas Robit’s is on Tuesdays. The people come from as far away as fifty kilometers to sell painted hides, honey, sandals, and agricultural produce of various kinds.

The leather clothed karayu people with elaborate hairstyles, with their cattle, sheep and goats, and leather and basketwork containers are picturesque.

It is polite to ask before you photograph in order to avoid offense. Although this market does not really compare with the famous Monday market at Bati, where highlanders and desert people meet to exchange and barter their goods, it provides something of the some atmosphere a little closer to home.

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The second group south of the Jordan river comprises four churches

• Bete Amanuel

• Bete Merqorious

• Bete Aba libanos

• Bete Gabriel-rufael

Bete Amanuel
Bete Amanuel is perhaps the finest of the group, its elaborate exterior much praised by historians. Its walls imitate the alternate projecting and recessing walls of an Axumite building. The structure  contains a large hall with four pillars and its windows which are irregularly placed are also Axumite in style.

A special staircase leads up to an upper story. The most striking interior feature is the double frieze of blind windows, in the vaulted nave, the lower part being purely ornamental and the upper one consisting of windows alternating with decorated areas.

In the rock floor of the southern aisle a hole opens into a long, subterranean tunnel leading to neighboring Bete Merqorios.
Chambers and cavities for sacred bees in the outer wall of the courtyard are a reminder of the bees that prophesied kingship to Lalibela.

Some of the chambers, however, are the graves of monks and pilgrims who wanted to be buried in this holy city. In this outer wall two further underground passage have been discovered leading to Bete Merqorious.

Bete Merqorious
Partially collapsed and recently restored, is thought to have originally served a secular purpose perhaps that of a house of justice, as amongst the secular objects found in recently excavate trenches were shackles for the ankles of prisoners.

The Lalibela clergy only much later turned it into a shrine for worship, and the part serving today as a church occupies the eastern end of a subterranean hall that opens to a courtyard.

The naked walls of Bete Merqurious were once covered with rich paintings on cotton fabrics, which were attached to the walls by a thick layer of clay, on blood and straw.

For their better preservation they were removed and can now be seen in the national museum in Addis Ababa. They were most likely painted in Gonder and it is thought they originate from the early seventeenth or eighteenth century.

Bete Aba Libanos
Bete Abba Libanos which is separated from the surrounding land on only three sides, is a structure of great charm, and a good example of a cave church. It resembles Bete Amanuel in that its walls are chiseled in Axumite style.

Bete Gabriel-Rufael
It is suspected that Bete Gabriel-rufael was also not originally intended to serve as a church, largly because of its disorientation and unusual plan. The labyrinthine floor plan features three angular halls with pillars and pilasters that are squeezed between two courtyards.

The most impressive part of the church is the monumental facade. Although usually entered from the top of the rick near Bete Amanuel in the east by a small bridge logs leading over the central trench, you may also approach from the east by a series of small tunnel, or gallery—like passage and another log bridge ten meters above the court yard.

Bet Giorgis
Bete Giorgis isolated from the others and it is the remarkable church, possibly the most elegant of all the Lalibela structure.

It is located in the south-west of the village on a sloping rock terrace.In a deep pit with perpendicular walls, it can only be reached through a tunnel, which is entered from some distance away through a trench.

Legend says that when king lalibelq had almost completed its churches, he was severly reproached by saint George who in full armor rode up to him on his white horser for not having constructed a house for him.

Lalibela there upon promised the saint the most beautiful church and saint George apparently supervised the execution of the works in person as attested by the fact that monks today still show the hoof marks of its horse to visitors.

Standing on a three-tiered plinth, bête giorgis is shaped in the form of a greek cross, and has walls reminiscent of axumite architecture. The church also has an elaborately shaped door way.

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Legend has it that one day his mother saw him lying happily in his cradle surrounded by a dense swarm of bees. Recalling an old Ethiopian belief that the animal world could foretell the advent of important personages.. the second sight came upon her and she cried out, ‘The  bees know that child will become king’. Accordingly she called her son ‘Lalibela’ which means the bee recognizes his sovereignty.

Lalibela’s older brother, Harbe, the incumbent monarch was naturally disturbed to hear this news and become jealous. As the years passed he began to fear for the safety of the throne decided to eliminate his rival unsuccessfully tried to have his brother murdered.
Presecutions of one kind or another continued for several years, culminating in a deadly potion that the young prince in mortal sleep. During the three day stupor.

Lalibela was transported by angels to the first, second and third heaven where God ordered him to return to Roha and build churches, the like of which the world had never seen before. The almighty, it is said, further told the prince how to design those churches, where to build them and how to decorate.

After Lalibela returned to mortal existence Habres acting on instructions from the lord, went to pay homage to him and beg his forgiveness. Two brothers then, rode together on the same mule to Roha and Harbe abdicated in favor of his younger brother.

When Lalibela was crowned, he gathered stone masons, carpenters, tools, set down a scale of wages and purchased the land needed for the building. The churches were built with great speed because the angels continued the work at night.

The churches can actually be divided in to two main groups one to the south and the other to the North of a stream known locally as the Jordan River. The first group churches lie in their rock cradles one behind the other north of   the river. They are Six in number
Bete Gologota
Bete Mikael (Also Known as Bete Debre Sina)
Bete Meskal
Bete Denagle
Bete Mariam and
Bete Medhane-Alem

Bete Medhane-Alem:- is the Largest of all the Lalibela churches taking the form a Greek Temple, it is unusual in being entirely surrounded by square shaped columns, with a further forest of twenty eight massive rectangular columns supporting the roofs inside. In a corner of the church one can see three empty grave said to have been symbolically dug for the biblical personages of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A theory that is put forward is that Bete MedhaneAlam is a copy of in rock of the original church of Saint Mary of Zion at Axum.

Bete Maryam:– A few minutes’ walk from Bete Medhane Alam is Bete Mariam, Which stands in a spacious courtyard. It is the most beloved not only of the Lalibela clergy, but also of the many pilgrims streaming into its courtyard on holidays.  Legend says that King lalibela also favored this church above all and attended mass there daily.

A box of the royal family of Lalibela is still shown on the western wall of the courtyard opposite the main entrance. A deep square pond in the courtyard is said to have miraculons properties and infertile women dip themselves in the algae covered waters at certain times of the year, particularly at Christmas.

Dedicated to Mary, the mother of Christ, this church is alone amongst the Lalibela monoliths in that it has a projecting porch the remains of early unusual frescos can be seen on the ceiling and upper walls, and there are many elaborately carved details on the piers, capitals, and arches.

Chapel of Bete Meskel: In the northern wall of the mariam courtyard is the excavated chapel of Bete Masqal. It is a broad gallery, with the row of four pillars dividing the space into two aisles spanned by arcades. One spanned between two arches contains a relief cross beneath stylized foliage, a decorate motif often found in Lalibela. Beta masqual also contains several large caves, some of them inhabited by hermits.

Chapel of Bete Denagil: Getting out on the south of the Bete Mariam courtyard is the little chapel of Bete Denaghel, which is connected with one of the most fascinating legends of Lalibela.

Priests will tell you that the chapel was constructed in honor of maidens martyred under Jalian the Apostate. Who ruled Rome in the mid fourth under Julian   the Apostate, who ruled Rome in the mid fourth century, the time when Christianity was first brought to Axum.
It is said that fifty young maidens, nuns, and novices, who lived a pious life under the supervision of their abbess sofia in Edessa (present-day Turkey), where ordered to be killed by Julian when he passed through the town and learned of the nunnery.

The abbess and her young maidens were beheaded. This tiny chapel in the mountains of Ethiopia helps keep alive the memory of their modest contemplative life and their last moment of bravery in professing their Christian faith.

Bete Michael (Bete DebreSina): Bete Michael is considered a twin church of the more northern bête Golgotha. Two windows in the southern wall of Bete Golgotha give light to the two shriens-the right hand one is the selassie Chapel and the left to the ‘Iyesus Cell’ located at the east of the right –hand nave of the church proper, Not far from the ‘Tomb of Christ’ an  arched recess in the north –east corner of the church – is movable slab set into the floor, said to cover the most secret place of the holy eity, the tomb or crypt of king Lalibela.

Bete Golgota: Bete Golgotha although in its architecture, houses some of the most remarkable pieces of early Christian Ethiopian art Figurative relief rare else were in Ethiopia. The tomb of Chris displays are cumbent figure in high relief with an angel in low relief above its head.

The figures of seven saints, mostly larger than life, decorate arched niehes in walls. Some of the most beautiful processional crosses of Lalibela are shown to tourists in the Bete Golgotha. One, a very rich and elaborate metal cross, black with age and decorated with inlaid circles, is said to have belonged to king Lalibela. His rod and stool, also said to have been his throne, may also be shown here

Silassie Chapel: A door way at the east end of the right – hand nave of Bete Gologota opens on the Selassie Chapel a place of greatest sanetity that is rarely open even to th priests. And very few visitors have been permitted to enter it. The shrine is completely imprisoned in the rock and features three monolithic altars.

The central altar displays a relief decoration of four winged creatures with hand raised in prayer, tought to be representations of the four Evangelists.

The Tomb of Adam: The  simple but impressive Tomb of Adam is a huge square block of stone, which stands in a deep trench in front of the western face of Bete Gologota. The ground floor of this hollowed-out block serves as the western entrance to the first group of churches, and the upper floor houses a hermit’s cell. A cross is the only decoration of the tomb.

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The park has excellent potential to be among the top places of interest in Ethiopia.  There are great opportunities for viewing variety of fauna, flora and the yet unchanged traditional life of the local people, trekking, mountain hiking and ecological studies.

The park is found North West of Ethiopia about 885km from Addis Ababa and about 102km from Gondar.  It is the place where Ras Dashen, the highest summit in the country and the fourth highest in Africa is found.

Simien mountains national park lies within the center of a triangle of important historical sites of the country namely Axum, Gondar and Lalibela churches.

Though not far from equator, the climate of Simien Mountains is a temperate type with generally afro alpine characteristics. The daily temperature ranges between a minimum of below freezing  -2 Celsius and maximum of 18 Celsius. Fluctuations are common and hence the area is described as ‘summer every day and winter every night’.

There is one wet season June to September and little rain fall from February to March which the mean annual rainfall is about 1550mm.

The park is endowed with arrays of animal biodiversity which represents species of both African and Eurasian origins. The Walia Ibex (Capra Walie) is one of the most fascinating wild goats, endemic to the area and the Simian Mountains are the southernmost limit of Ibexs in the world.

Though few in number, the rare Ethiopian wolf (Canis Simensis) is also another tourist appeal of the park.

Tourists will have ample opportunities to learn more about by looking at the socio ecological aspects of the endemic gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada), bleeding heart baboon or lion monkey as it is sometimes called.  Maternal care, hierarchy among males, fighting for takeover and dominance among them and other behaviors of these animals.

There are also various species of larger animals such as leopard, caracal, wildcat, common jackal, hyena, bushbucks (common bush  buck and an endemic one called Menilik’s bush buck), klipspringer, bush dicker, black and white colubus monkey,  anubis and hamadrads baboons. Moreover, considerable numbers of species of rodents are common in different habitats of the park.

The park is listed as one of the important bird areas in Ethiopia. Over 180 species of birds are recorded in the park and few of them are endemic to the country.  This number implies the Simien Mountains National Park is a bird watchers paradise.

Some of the birds that are frequently viewed are the; lammergeyer (bearded vultures), augur buzzard, verreaux’s eagle, erckel’s francolin, alpine chat, ankober siren, the vultures, tacazze sunbird, etc.

Lower altitudes have much diversity of bird species than the uplands. Tourists interested in bird watching are expected to trek in the lowlands and should have ample days to spend.

The variety of flora in the park is as diverse as the range of habitats and altitudinal gradients. Various species of forest trees, herbs and grasses are recorded in the park. The natural vegetation found in the afro montane areas (from 2000 – 2700m asl) include species like hagenia abyssinica, dombeya torrida, schefflera abyssinica, olea europea and many others.

Mostly below the edge of the escarpments, there is dominated forest, the ericaceous belt (tree heather or Erica arborea), dotted with St. John’s wort, both of which are known as Forbes and small shrubs in other parts of the world.

In higher altitudes (above 3200m) the afro alpine vegetation dominates the region. Here grass and herbaceous species are the dominant floristic composition. However the magnificent  landmark species is the giant lobelia.

Others species of interest include rosularia simensis, arabis thaliana are common in steep inaccessible cliffs of rocky parts. The numerous flowers in the upland and forested areas of the simian mountains national park are of photographers delight.

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The park was added to the world heritage site in 1978.

There are 57 tree species and variety of herbaceous plants, 22 large and 13 small mammals and about 180 bird species have been recorded.

There are endemic mammals Walia ibex, Ethiopian wolf, Menelik’s bushbuck and the gelada baboons.

The forest vegetation varies with altitude beginning with high forest at lower altitudes in the escarpment extending to the high plateau touched Afro Montana evergreen bush land and thickets.

13 km as you drive through the park gate, you will find Buit Ras campsite. The common animals for this campsite are Gelada baboon that are endemic to Ethiopia and birds such as wattled ibis, alpine chat, black kite and white collard pigeon, lammergeyer, and augur buzzard.

Ethiopia Simien Mountains – Sankaber campsite

Sankaber campsite is located 38km north east of Debark town in the Simien Mountain  range and is accessible by vehicle both in the wet and dry seasons.

Here you will be rewarded with very impressive views of the lowland areas and also be encountered with large troops of the endemic gelada baboons. They are often referred to as the bleeding heart baboon or the lion monkey.

They are impressive in their shaggy coat resembling a lion whilst their chest has a marked red heart or patch.

You can be certain to find them here in large numbers and an exciting part is they are quite easy to approach.

Sankaber area comprises the scenic mountain ranges and impressive escarpment both in the north and south faces of the camping site.

The camp site is part of the afro-Montana evergreen bush and thicket and endowed with commonest animals for the park such as the endemic gelada baboon, klipspringer. There is also a chance to see the two endemic Walia ibex and the Menelik’s bush buck.

There are several birds species among them the common ones erckel’s francolin, white rumped babbler, olive thrush, ground scraper, alpine chat, Abyssinian wood pecker, African white backed vulture, and lammergeyer.

Ethiopia Simien Mountains – Gich

The Gich campsite is situated at 48km north east of Debark (where the park’s main office is located) at an altitude of 3600m.

Gich campsite is not accessible by transportation and it is recommended by riding and using pack animals.

There are no lodge facilities except the basic community lodges.

The campsite is the best part of the spectacular Simien massif for its impressive escarpments superb view points and mountainous summit such as Emetgogo, Seha, Kedadit and Giderdgot.

In this area, cultivation is done in a two-year cycle. One side of the valley is planted whilst the other side lies fallow. You will notice extensive soil erosion in this area as a result of the combination of such factors as slope steepness, cultivation, overgrazing, erosive rainfall and limited land resources.

If you are trekking, then you might want to pause at Gich village where you can be sure to be invited into one of the local houses for a coffee ceremony. You may want to enjoy this very important social tradition of Ethiopia as well as gain an insight into the traditional lifestyle.

Just above Gich village is the campsite which will serve as your base. It is recommended to stay there at least for two nights.

The campsite has great views of the mountains and is characterized by giant Lobelia plants. These plants can grow up to 10 meters in height and may live for as long as twenty years, at which point they first flower before dying.

Ethiopia Simien Mountains – Chenek campsite

Chenek campsite is spectacularly located in a beautiful valley at the foot of the Bwahit  Peak.

Strategically placed benches allow for the opportunity to take in the expansive views back toward Imet Gogo, especially beautiful in both the dawn and dusk light.

A large troop of gelada baboons are common here and Walia Ibex are also often seen on the rocky escarpments.

The Chenek campsite is located at 58km north east of debark at an altitude of 3600m. It is accessible by car both in the wet and dry season. It is extremely spectacular containing scenic mountains ranges, impressive escarpment super view points and mountains summit such as mount Buhit and varieties of plant and animal species.

Chenek campsite is in a mixed afro alpine community zone. Visitors have more chance to see the endemic mammals Walia ibex, Ethiopian wolf and gelada baboon. Also klipspringer and common jackal including the several bird species.

Ethiopia Simien Mountains – Ras Dashen Summit
Dashen is the highest peak in Ethiopia, 4530mt above sea level.

As you continue your expedition to Dashen there is a pass, at around 4250 meters where there is an impressive moraine.

This moraine was formed 20,000 – 14,000 years ago in the last ice age when the Simien Mountain tops had small ice caps.

A moraine is material transported by a glacier and then deposited.

The final stretch to the summit involves an exciting climb / scramble up and over large boulders to the summit. From atop the summit of Ras Dashen, 4543 meters, you will be fascinated by the far-ranging view which spans more than ten thousand square kilometers.

On the west the steep faces of peaks in the National Park are visible whilst to the north and east is the Tekeze valley. A lot can be said about the spectacular Simien Mountains but nothing matches that great first hand experience. Come and see, you are invited!!

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The city is as pleasant as you’ll find for relaxing and viewing Lake Tana and the weather is probably the best in Ethiopia.

Mango Park by the Dashen roundabout is the best place do view pelicans and have a juice in the afternoon and serves decent cheap fasting food.

For farenji (western) food there are some good new places in the town.

The friendship cafe and Obama’s opposite Dashen bank both have first floor balconies and decent meat.

They are also becoming increasingly popular with locals. Rendezvous (head south to the Papyrus hotel and turn left for 100 yards) serves the best pizza in town.

Bahirdar, an Amharic word meaning shore seems to derive its name from Lake Tana. A serene province of water and source of the Blue Nile.

There are some thirty seven islands are situated on the lake. And on the islands there are pastures on which farmers labor using agricultural methods dating from the earliest times.

In the island monasteries, orthodox monks pray, meditate, study; and stand guard over great treasures of historical and religious artifacts.

Many of Ethiopian monarchs came here on the pilgrimages or to be buried. Their crosses, crowns and old manuscripts can be seen by visitors today.

Islands and Churches
There are thirty seven of them scattered on the Lake and some twenty of them shelter churches and monasteries that    offer immense historical and cultural interest for a visitor.

Most of them have beautiful mural paintings, kings crosses, house crowns and clothes of former kings.

An interesting way to get to these islands would be tankwas or reed boats. However a power ferry is better for time saving and safety than the tankwas.

The islands are most conveniently reached by boat from Bahirdar on the southern side of the Lake though boats can also be obtained at Gorgora on the northern shore.

Among the many interesting and historic locations on or around the lake some are on the islands of Birgida Maryam, Dega Estifanos, Dek, Narga, Tana Cherkos, Mitsele Fasiledes, Kebran, and Debre Maryam, as well as the Gorgora, Mandaba.

All have fine churches. Though founded much earlier, most of the actual buildings date from the late sixteenth or early seventeenth centuries.

Access to the churches is for the most part closed to women. They are allowed to land on the banks of the islands but not permitted to proceed any further.

The clergy sometimes agree to bring some of their treasures to the water’s edge for women visitors to inspect. Women are, however, permitted to visit churches on the Zege peninsula, the near by church of Ura Kidane Mehret, and Narga Sellasie.

Zege and Ura Kidane Mihret
Zege is the main tourist attraction in the region, and the monasteries merit a good half day at least – boats can be arranged privately or with any hotel.

Ura Kidane Mihret is the largest and most impressive monastery on the peninsula, while nearby Azwa Maryam is situated near one of the prettiest and most secluded inlets in the area.

Located on the Zeghe peninsula, the monastery is an integral part of the local community with the added advantage that women are allowed inside.

Some travellers find the amount of attention from children irritating, but the local guides are friendly.

They genuinely appreciate the chance to show their home to visitors; don’t underestimate the importance of the tourism industry for the local industry.

This is one place where you can be sure that money you spend – on guides or souvenirs – will be of direct benefit to local residents.

If you feel like traveling a little further field, the two monasteries at Mehal Zege have some really interesting restoration and the local village is truly gorgeous.

It’s worth taking the walk between monasteries, rather than only hopping around in a boat, as it’s one of the few indigenous coffee forests in Northern Ethiopia.

As well as giving some insight into a way of life you won’t see anywhere else the people of Zege are quite proud of their uniqueness.

The forest paths are straight-out gorgeous, and you’re more than likely to see vervet monkeys and hornbills on the way.

There’s calmness to the place, and if you stop in at the museums at Azwa, Ura or Mehal Zege, you get an impression of just how far back Christianity goes in this region.

Kebran Gabriel and Dega Estefanos
Kebran Gabriel the nearest monastery to Bahirdar and it is a very attractive and important tourist attraction in the area.

Established in the fourteen century and rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Iyasu I (1682-1706), it is an unassuming but nevertheless impressive building with a distinct cathedral atmosphere.

The church design dates from the same time as that of the Kebran Gabriel church, but it is a more decorative building, with colorful frescoes depicting biblical scenes from biblical lore and the history of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Another great attraction is Dega Estefanos, which is also closed to women. Although farther away from Bahirdar it is well worth visiting. A steep trek up a winding path leading towards the monastery on the summit.

Some 90 meters (300feet) above lake’s surface are low, round, thatched-roof buildings that house the monks.

Also nearby an arch set into a high stone wall leads to a grassy clearing.

At the center of which stands the church of St Stephanos, a relatively new building erected about a century ago after the original structure had burned down in a grass fire.

The real historic interest in Dega Estefanos, however, lies in its treasury. Here, together with numerous piles of brightly colored ceremonial robes, are coffins containing the mummified remains of several former emperors.

Few among those emperors are Yekuno Amlak, who restored the Solomonic dynasty in 1270; Dawit, late fourteenth century; ZaraYakob, fifteenth century; Za Dengel, early seventeenth century.

I like Bahirdar very much and I always have great time there.

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We arrived at Lalibela, where Ethiopia has its best-known historical sites and treasure, the rock-hewn churches.

This incredible achievement took 23 years under the guidance of King Lalibela, and the churches are divided into two complexes of five each, with the separate Beta Giyorgis.

The latter is the only one without a Unesco-imposed roof, which may do wonders for protecting the frescos in the rainy season, but detracts from the spectacle which Beta Giyorgis provides, with all its magnificent simplicity.

This is, however, a minor quibble. The churches are not only magnificent, but an ample demonstration of the strength of religious feeling in Ethiopia which prevails to this day.

We were there in Easter week and the very small numbers of tourists were well outnumbered by the pilgrims and general worshippers who had come to pray, meditate, or listen to the priests.

The priests were reading out the ancient tomes written in Ge’ez – the same script as everyday Amharic, but just as incomprehensible to the layman as Latin is to the average churchgoer in Europe.

The rock-hewn churches truly deserve to be one of the wonders of the world and would be if Ethiopia had not been off the beaten track for so long. Again, the priests are happy to show off the treasures of each church, including the famous 7kg gold cross Lalibela, which was recently stolen and then recovered.

They are so use to picture requests that they don sunglasses inside the church to cope with the regular camera flashes.

We also went to the church of Yemrehane Kristos, about 40km away from Lalibela, and constructed at least half-a-century before.

The last 12km of this trip involved a jolting ride on a rutted track – the so-called African massage. This was well worth it when we walked up to a church of stunning simplicity and beauty, constructed of marble, stone and wood, but inside a cave of overhanging basalt blocks.

A recent ugly brick wall blocks up the entrance, but does not detract from the amazing spectacle and location.

To Axum

From there, it was on by air to Axum, and the staggering stelae, or granite columns, which stand in the centre of the town.

As you stand admiring the skilful carving and the level of engineering required to lift columns of 25 metres and above into a standing position, it takes a huge leap of imagination to realise that the ones still upright date from 300-500AD.

The largest one is 33 metres, but that has sadly collapsed. If it were still standing, it would be the tallest obelisk in the world.

However, two others, almost as tall, still stand. One is helped to stay upright by a probably unnecessary sling – it has stayed up for nearly two millennia unaided – but the other is breathtaking in its grandeur.

How lucky, then, it was in the last few years returned from Rome, where it had been spirited away by the occupying Italians, who outrageously held on to it for so long.

The walled city Harar and hyenas

Back in Addis for half a day, we moved swiftly on to Harar, taking a break from the northern historical circuit by visiting a walled city which had its own ruling emir for around 1,000 years until taken over by Menelik I.

Harer is considered the fourth holiest city in Islam, and the base for many Muslim incursions into Christian Ethiopia over the centuries.

It was forbidden to non-Muslims until visited by the multilingual British explorer Sir Richard Burton in the mid-1850s, and guides will still point out which of the five old gates he entered the city by.

Those old gates, big enough for a camel, are now superseded by narrow lanes just about big enough for a car.

Harar also makes great play of its association with the French symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud, who gave up composing verse at 21 and eventually spent the best part of a decade as a trader in Harar at the end of the 19th century.

However, the best part of the city is just being able to soak up the atmosphere, which is remarkably chilled out for a walled city with such a fiercely partisan history.

You can wander through the alleys and lanes without ever going too far astray, and taking frequent stops for cups of coffee, the local crop of which is outstanding even by Ethiopia’s formidable standards.

Finally, don’t forget to watch the hyenas being fed just after dusk outside the city walls. You can even have a go yourself, if you are brave enough.

Back to Addis

In Addis again, we had time enough to take a trip out to Africa’s largest market, Merkato, but take a guide here if you don’t want to get hopelessly lost in the hustle and bustle of the market.

We finished off with a visit to St George’s Cathedral, the day before Orthodox Easter, where we again admired the incomparable modernist frescoes of Afewerk Tekle.

Finally, just a word on Highway Tours again. Everywhere we went outside of Addis, we stayed at the best available hotels (there’s always the Hilton if you want to splash out in Addis) and enjoyed the delicious Ethiopian cuisine.

I’m missing my doro wat and kitfo (raw meat) so we might just have to find somewhere in London.

We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Highway Tours and Eskinder to anyone wanting to travel to Ethiopia.

Eskinder Hailu
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