Traveling Ethiopia

Itinerary
24 Jul 10: Addis Ababa
25 Jul 10: Lalibela
26 Jul 10: Bahir Dar
27 Jul 10: Gonder
28 Jul 10: Axum
29 Jul 10: Addis Ababa

Summary
Finally I got my revenge to enter Ethiopia, after being deported 2 years ago coz I could not get the entry visa.
There are 3 areas that I want to travel in Ethiopia, 1) to see the only permanent lava lake on earth, Erta’Ale, 2) to see the minor tribes, including the famous Mursi people with plate in their lips at Omo Valley, 3) to see the historical world heritages in the North.
Since Erta’Ale was too hot to visit during summer, and I couldn’t find someone to travel with me to share the cost to Omo Valley, this time I decided to go to the historical routes since it is the shortest, the easiest and the cheapest, even I took a lot of domestic planes.
I visited 5 cities, the capital, Addis Ababa, Lalibela which is famous for the rock-hewned churches, Bahar Dar with the monatries in Tana Lake, Gondar with the castle, Axum with the stelae (obelisk) in 6 days.
Except for Bahar Dar to Gonder, which by bus, all I went with airplane.
This time I traveled the first half of the trip with my pretty friend, Miss J.
In Addis Ababa, my host from Couchsurfing Kume, guided us around the city. We tried to chew Chat or Qat in a coffe shop, we tried also traditional food and honey wine called Tej. We drank the famous Macchiato also. The day we were there was university graduation day. We met also few wedding ceremonies.
In Lalibela, we hired a guide and visited the famous 11 rock-hewned churches. It was amazing to imagine how in the old times, people dig and carved the massive hard rock to make the churches. We enjoyed also the hotel Tukol Village and the village there. The lunch with rice in Jerusalem Guest House was a good relief from Ethiopian traditional sour bread, injera.
In Bahar Dar, we stayed in Ghion hotel near the Lake. We chartered a boat and visited 2 monastries on the islands in Tana Lake. It was good to know the life of monks in the island. In the afternoon, we chartered a car to go to Blue Nile Falls. The trip to this falls was better than expected. The hiking was nice, and the falls were huge. At night, we went to an Asmaric House, where the local enjoy the comedian and drink. Miss J enjoyed the evening dancing in front to the public in the club. I separated with Miss J and continued my travel to Gonder.
After frustating waiting the bus to depart from Bahar Dar, finally I arrived in Gonder afternoon. I went to the famous Gonder castle and hired a guide there. The young guide took me around the castle, and then we went to Debre Berhan Selassie church famous for the Monalisa-smile angels and Fasilada Bath. I had also a nice chat with a French Madam and few Spanish.
The next day, I flied to Axum, where I meet Canadian-British gentleman, Iain. We went together to the famous St.Mary of Zion church, hired a guide and watched the monthly ceremony there. Then he guided me to the famous Axum stelae and tombs. I made a good chat with Iain and I guessed we are now officially friend.
The next day, I flied to Addis and a promised to meet Iain in the afternoon at the famous café Tomoca. I met Kume in the airport, had lunch together, and visited Ethnographic Museum inside Addis Ababa University. The city had black-out and the museum was dark. I met Iain again in the café, had a chat, and headed to the airport together since he had to see his girlfriend in the airport. We stopped at Boston Daily Spa for me to have massage, while Iain waited at a restaurant in the same building. After the massage, we walked together to the airport.

Five nicest experiences this time:
1. Wandering about magnificent Lalibela rock-hewn churches.
2. Hiking to the Blue Nile Falls.
3. Exploring Axum stelaes and tombs with Iain the archeologist/ anthropologist
4. Exploring Gonder city with its famous castle and Debre Berhan Selassie church with its thousand Monalisa-smile angels
5. Boat trip at Tana Lake, visiting the monastries, the hippos and papyrus raft.

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