ETHIOPIA

Ireland, Ireland....Hello, Give Me, Give Me


The drive to the Ethiopian border from Marsabit was every bit as bad as we had heard. The road is relentless and consists of kilometre after kilometre of rocks and nasty corrugations. We were pleased that we had cut out a big chunk of this road by coming across the Chalbi desert from Lake Turkana. This road to Ethiopia challenges you to damage your vehicle. We travelled the 200km from Marsabit to Moyale with the Lizzybus and on the way they lost their new solar panel and a couple of legs from their barbeque. The driver has to concentrate tirelessly at all times on this route and there are no easy stretches to relieve the pounding of vehicle and occupants. We rotated driving every two hours in order to keep fresh. By the end of the journey, averaging around 25km per hour, we only had some slight damage to a roll bar bracket and had developed a ‘leak’ in the wheel hubs.

Once we arrived, we were through the border within an hour. One scam on the Ethiopian side to watch for is a group of ‘officials’ that claim visitors need to pay a development fee. The customs officer gave us the heads up that this is not compulsory so we politely refused and drove to the nearby Koket Hotel where we would overnight. When we arrived at the hotel we discovered there were no rooms available but they would gladly let us camp for 100 Birr (£4). The facilities were not great so it is worth asking for access to a room.

Later I inspected the damaged roll bar bracket and bush and saw that the bottom holding plate had been worn through. A simple reversal of this with one of the other plates would fix it, but unfortunately I sheared off one of the bolts whilst doing so. This now meant that I could not travel on rough roads as the whole bracket would snap off. The logical decision was to head northwards to the large regional town called Awassa so I could get it fixed. Unfortunately, this meant I would miss the Omo Valley and Arba Minch on Lake Chalmo. We had an enjoyable evening with Dave and Jane from the Lizzybus and although the goat meat dish was tough, Dave managed to finish two whole dishes.

The following morning we both drove to Yabello, a small town about 200km north. From here I would make some enquiries and, depending on the outcome, would either head to the Omo Valley or keep going north to Awassa. We arrived at Yabello and found the only decent place to stay was the Yabello Motel. Again camping was on offer, but the rooms were £10 each so we decided to take one. A couple of hours later the Lizzybus arrived and did the same. I asked a couple of tour guide drivers about mechanics and they said there was a local welding garage in Yabello that should be able to remove the sheared bolt. The Lizzybus decided to head to Arba Minch the following morning and skip the remote Omo Valley in the southwest corner of Ethiopia. I decided to give the local welders a go but suspected I would be heading northwards to Awassa to get it fixed.

I drove to the welders and they, as expected, confirmed they could extract the bolt by welding another bolt onto it. My concern was they would end up welding the bolt to the chassis and then I would have an even bigger problem. I got under Proper Job with the welder and he managed to successfully weld the old bolt. After he snapped the weld a couple of times I decided a gentler approach was needed. I worked the bolt a quarter turn by quarter turn and eventually managed to get the sheared bolt stub out. I got a new bolt and holding bracket from my spares kit and within an hour we were heading westwards to catch up with the Lizzybus at Arba Minch.

After a four hour journey along roads which varied from perfect tar to well graded sections we arrived at Arba Minch, located on an escarpment in the Rift Valley overlooking Lake Abaya and Lake Chalmo. The landscape was lush as the rains had arrived and we drove through some scenic high hill country. Based on what I had seen so far, I suspected that Ethiopia would turn out to be a pleasant surprise. Things also appeared to be really cheap here. A good gauge is the beer price which is 30 pence a bottle and a good clean room costs no more than £10 per night. We didn’t know where the Lizzybus had decided to camp in Arba Minch so took the first turning towards Swaynes Lodge. A hundred metres later we saw them pulled into a small lodge and reconnected. They had already checked out a few other places and found this place to be the best value. The rooms and facilities were fine and it cost 150 Birr (£6) per room. That evening we pondered on what to do in this region. I really wanted to go to the Lower Omo Valley to see some tribes that, with time, would be spoilt by tourism. We met a couple of tour guides that told us the roads to Turmi were fine at the moment as the rains had been sporadic. When the rains really start in the Omo Valley it is very easy to get bogged down and delayed for days awaiting the rivers to fall to a point where one can cross safely.

The following morning the Lizzybus departed and headed northwards around the western side of Lake Abaya to Awassa. We decided to stay another day in Arba Minch and visit a couple of local sites. The first was the Nechisar National Park which lies between the two lakes. We set off into the park with an armed guide. Not sure why they needed to be armed but no point arguing. The track started off as sandy but when we approached the hills it turned into a serious off road driving exercise. The road became a rock one and the winding slopes 45 degrees. I knew Proper Job could handle these steep inclines in low range first gear and we clambered up and around the hills. We did not see any animals and the further we got into the drive the more it became apparent that this would not be a simple pleasurable drive around the lakes. After an hour and a half I decided to call it quits and told the guard we were going back. It really was not worth putting Proper Job through the grinder again, especially after the abysmal road from Kenya to the Ethiopian border. We were quite relieved to get out of the park and headed back to town to grab a cold drink.

The rest of the afternoon we took it easy and started planning our long journey into the remote Lower Omo Valley. That evening we met another guide that confirmed the route to Turmi, which is the centre of the Hamer tribe’s territory. We wanted to visit the Hamer (known for ‘jumping the bulls’ and body scarification), the Karo (known for their body paintings) and the Mursi (known for their lip disk) tribes. The next day we left Arba Minch and headed back to Konso, which is the turnoff to the Lower Omo Valley. Our progress was very slow due to the large number of cattle and goats on the road. They were been driven to water and to grazing lands and we slowly worked our way through the herds. Arriving at Konso we headed west to Weyto along the road that leads to Jinka. This road is excellent and is mostly tar. We drove through a mountain range and descended into a large wide valley. A couple of hours later we arrived at Weyto where we took the dirt road southwest towards Lake Stephanie. There were no signs of any rains and the dirt road was in good shape. As we reached Lake Stephanie the dusty landscape became marshy as we continued heading towards the Lower Omo Valley. After a further two hours driving at 50kmph we left the wide flat plains and turned towards a range of hills. We crossed a number of dried riverbeds and made our way upwards through the hills. We did not see any other traffic along the way. Still there was no sign of the rains and we eventually dropped down into the Lower Omo Valley.

We arrived at Turmi and pulled into the Buske Lodge. The prices were expensive and the only place for a roof tent was in the car park. We spoke to a local guide and, on his advice, we decided to go to the village to arrange a guide for the following day and check out a couple of other places. We went to the Tourist Hotel where all the guides hangout and made arrangements with a guide called Turk. Our plan was to visit a Hamer village that afternoon and then to drive 70km westwards the following day to a very remote Karo village on the eastern bank of the Omo River. Turk also told us there was a good campsite near to Buske Lodge called Mango Camp. We drove to Mango Camp and found it to be very good.

Later that afternoon we picked up Turk and drove along a non descript pathway through the bush to a Hamer village. Upon arrival a number of villagers came out to see us. They are a very striking, strong proud looking people. They reminded me somewhat of the Himba people of north western Namibia. The Hamer also use an ochre and fat mixture to redden and protect their skin. You can’t but help notice the scarification on the backs of the Hamer people. Apparently the men scarify themselves once they have killed a foe. The women scarify themselves as it is supposed to make them more desirable. The scars are large and look like they have been caused by a cat-o-nine-tails. From a western perspective it appears senseless and brutal. I winced at the pain they must endure to get their scars. We walked around the village and went inside a house to see how they live. Their homes have an odour of fire and animal skin, but do not really offend the senses. The people were friendly and happily posed for photos for a small fee of 2 Birr each.

Later we drove back to Turmi and stopped for a cold drink at the Tourist Hotel. We met a tour operator called Kassa whom we had bumped into in Arba Minch. We chatted about the tribes in the area as well as the routes that would be badly affected by the rains if they came. Kassa had given us very good information previously so when he mentioned that, to visit the Mursi villages, you have to drive 65km from Jinka we realised we could be in for some long drives on potentially dreadful roads. He also said that he did not like going there as the Mursi were aggressive and unscrupulous. This was not the first time we had heard such things of the lip plated Mursi. As we headed back to camp we wondered whether it was worth going up to Jinka and into the Mago National Park to see the Mursi.

The following morning we met Turk at 8am and headed westwards to a remote Karo village. We definitely needed a guide to find this place as most of the trip was along a narrow sandy track that led past the village of Murulle to the Omo River. We were now deep into the Lower Omo Valley and way off the beaten track. A couple of times we needed to back track to find a way around areas affected by recent rains. Eventually we arrived at a village located spectacularly upon a high bank towering over a bend in the Omo River. From this position we saw canoes crossing the river and these provide the only means of getting to the other side. There are no bridges or ferries. Soon a number of villagers appeared and approached us. I immediately noticed that they carried either spears or Kalashnikov guns. The Karo tribe are thought to be one of the most endangered groups in the Omo Valley. They paint themselves in earthy colours that give them a war-like appearance. It was here, on the banks of the Omo River, that I decided would be a fitting place to depart with the soccer ball that Proper Job had carried all around Africa. When I got the ball out, a serious looking gun toting villager walked forward. I asked Turk, our guide, who would be the best person to give it to so as to be a gift to the whole village. I was directed towards a teacher and made my way from the scowling gun toting villager and made some polite talk with the teacher. He was very grateful, but didn’t seem to reckon any of the famous footballers I mentioned. I thought about this, and realised just how isolated these tribes are; there are few people in the world that haven’t heard of Beckham, Rooney and Ronaldo. I wondered if they even know how to play football here. Maybe the ball would end up dropping the 100 metres into the Omo River and floating way down stream to another, maybe more remote tribe. We took some nice photos and said our farewells. I can imagine in a few years time, as roads are built and tarred, that this valley will get bus loads of tourists. At that point, these tribes will be changed forever; for better or for worse, that is a major debating point.

We drove back to Turmi and decided to give the planned trip to Jinka and the Mursi people a miss. Instead we would visit the Monday Hamer market and stay another night. The market was full of Hamer tribe’s people buying and selling goods. We wondered around observing these proud strong people in their traditional attire. As we walked around we realised that the sky had started to take on an ominous look.

The day had been dull, but the clouds were now building darkly and looked like a big downpour could be on its way. There are two large river crossings that we had been told would be a problem if the rain came. If it rained heavily then you could easily wait for a couple of days before they were passable. We thought long and hard about the merits of staying another day but decided it would be wise to leave that afternoon. We could get as far as Konso and the trip would take us about three hours. As we drove out of Turmi we saw that even the light rains from the night before had had an impact on the river crossings. We drove back through the hills and along the scenic plains of Lake Stephanie. I can now see how the Omorate border crossing from Lake Turkana in northern Kenya would become impassable in the rainy season. We did not see any other overlanders in the Omo Valley and guess no one would be taking that crossing until the rains had gone. Our decision to cross the Chalbi desert to Marsabit rather than enter Ethiopia via Omorate appeared to have been the right choice. However, I would love to have done the Omorate route in the dry season.

When we arrived in Konso we headed to the Edget Hotel, which had been recommended in the Lonely Planet. One look and I decided to look elsewhere. We headed back up the hill to a lodge in construction that is owned by Hess Travel. We were told that a room cost US$65 per night. I asked about camping and they said that would cost 100 Birr each. They even threw in access to one of their chalets. This was a real bargain so we quickly accepted the offer and found a level place to camp. As we were setting up a couple of guests peered down at us from their veranda. After a while they enquired where we were from and we struck up a great conversation that lasted throughout the evening. Harley and Mina, from South London, had just returned from the Omo Valley and had, in the past, done a number of camping trips into Namibia and Botswana. We later realised we had met their tour guide in Turmi and he confirmed that heavy rains had indeed come the day we left. We knew we were lucky to have got out when we did.

We had a fun dinner that evening with Harley and Mina and at 10pm crashed out. Later that night John had a serious bout of stomach problems. This, on top of his worsening foot, was all that he needed. The next morning he looked quite ill, but it clearly wasn’t the food as we had all eaten the same. The symptoms became more and more flu-like and almost identical to the symptoms Sam had shown in South Africa before being diagnosis as having contracted malaria.

We left Konso and headed back towards Yabello. Overnight rains had noticeably roughened the graded road and it took us longer than we thought to reach Yabello. When we pulled into the Yabello Motel we found the place almost fully occpied. Luckily we got a room and John crashed out after I insisted he started a course of Malerone to hopefully cure his malaria.

I did some minor checks on Proper Job and started my Ethiopia blog. Later that afternoon I heard from the Lizzybus, who were now in Addis Ababa camped at Wims House, which is a well known over-landers hangout. They had got their Egypt visa in a day and were applying for their Sudan visa on Wednesday. Hopefully we can hook up with them before they leave Addis and head towards the Simien Mountains. That evening it rained heavily and it was a clear sign that the rainy season had now started in earnest. I was pleased we had left the Omo Valley before these heavy rains hit. That evening I watched Man Utd thrash Schalke 04 from Germany, although it took a long time for the winning goals to come. The return match at Old Trafford in one week time should see United go through to the final.

The following morning we left Yabello and headed northwards to Awassa. John was in no fit condition to drive so I faced a couple of days of long stints at the wheel. With so many domestic animals and people on the roads this is not an ideal situation. Again, it seemed only a matter of time before John caught malaria; he does not wear long trousers and long sleeve shirts in the evening, does not use anti mossie spray and doesn’t take anti malaria tablets. He has been bitten hundreds of times during the trip so the final outcome did not surprise. The ‘result’ however has an impact; the other person has to drive unnecessary long distances or the journey is forced to a standstill awaiting recovery.

The drive through the hills to Awassa was pleasant and the condition of the road good. After seven hours driving we reached Awassa and took the turn towards the mountain village of Wendo Genet. This small hillside village would be a good place to stop for a couple of days whilst John recuperated from his malaria. We stayed at the Wendo Genet Resort and took a couple of rooms. That afternoon I found a good guide that would take me on a trek into the forested hills the following morning. That evening I watched the ill tempered semi final between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The next morning at 6am I met the guide and began a three hour trek into the hills. I could tell that I was not very fit after my travels around Africa and realised that I would have to get right back into my swimming training when I get back to Cornwall. Along the way we saw many new species of birds and the tally for my Africa trip soared that day to over 550 different species. Unfortunately there are a lot of signs of logging in this area and a German Ornithology group I met later in the restaurant confirmed that the de-forestation of these hills was disastrous. Probably the highlight of the new birds I saw was a Narina Trogon that I caught a glimpse of along a river. It was a spectacular sight but unfortunately I was not able to take a photograph. Upon my return to the resort, I lazed about whilst John continued to rest. Again the rains came and we hoped that as we continued our travels northwards we would eventually reach drier climes.

The following morning John showed some signs of improvement as the Malerone course took effect on the malaria. This was good news and I figured in a couple of days he would be back to normal. With his current state of health we could not go to the Bale Mountains. I had wanted to do this to try and see the very rare Ethiopian Wolf. I pondered on the options and decided the best thing was to move northwards to Addis Ababa and start the process for my remaining two visas in Africa; Egypt and Sudan. I had a text message from the Lizzybus saying that they had now got both visas and, surprisingly, did not need a letter of introduction from the British Embassy to get their Sudan visa. This is the first time I had heard of this letter not being required.

The next morning we checked out and I casually enquired how long it would take to get to Addis by road. We were told three hours, which surprised me as I thought we were a lot closer. When I checked my GPS I realised that my earlier estimate was too a different town. We guessed, at best, we would try and submit our Egypt visa that day (which was a Friday). On the way we needed to get a paper receipt for our bank visa cards as part of the paperwork needed to support the application for an Egypt visa. The traffic became progressively worse towards Addis and we arrived at the Egypt Embassy at 12.30 to find visa applications finished at 11am on a Friday. I politely insisted that we wanted to speak directly to the visa section and was told the office staff returned at 1pm. The Royal Wedding was now in full swing and we caught a glimpse of it whilst waiting for the staff to return from lunch. I had a plan to try and convince the staff to let us submit our application form, even though we were late. That week, the Lizzybus had given a staff member a lift to hospital as she was in labour. When the visa staff returned I read them the text from the Lizzybus wanting to know whether it was a boy or a girl. This appeared to do the trick and they let us submit our applications late. We were told to comeback on Monday afternoon to pick them up.

We stopped at a nearby cafe for a coffee and bite to eat and then drove to a garage called General Motors that had been recommended by Paul Marsh at Footloose4x4. I needed a 5000km service done and also the hub seals changed on both wheel ball joints. The garage management knows the owner of Wims House very well. We were told to bring Proper Job in at 8am on Monday and we should be able to collect Tuesday afternoon. Luckily I have the spare parts required for the hub repair, so hope that it will go smoothly.

We then drove to Wims House and caught up with Dave and Jane of the Lizzybus. They had been here for a week and we made some tentative plans for the crossing from Sudan into Egypt on the Wadi Halfi ferry. Both Dave and I had contacts that we could use for ‘facilitators’ and we emailed them to let them know we would be catching the ferry on 1st June. The conflict in Libya has resulted in many Sudanese fleeing and returning to Sudan which means the ferry is extremely busy. Although only 400 or so people are supposed to be on the ferry at any one time, currently the number is nearer 600.

Saturday night was Reggae night at Wims and many people turned up to listen and dance to the entertaining band. After a few fun hours I returned to the camp site to get some sleep. I noticed another vehicle had arrived and scratched my head to figure out where I had seen it before. The plates showed it was from Estonia and I immediately recalled meeting a traveller from that country when we were in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Waking up the next morning I caught sight of the driver and confirmed it indeed was Tarmo. It was great to catch up and find out where he had been since Mauritania. He has followed my Blog and was up to speed with where and what I had been up to since Mauritania. After reaching Benin he had returned to Estonia and, getting itchy feet again, planned his trip down the east coast of Africa via Turkey and Syria. He is a very resourceful individual and has managed to navigate his way through some tricky situations.

On Sunday we visited the National Museum and spent some time browsing through their interesting fossil display on the origins of humans. It seems most important discoveries have taken place in Ethiopia and has this has been described as the ‘cradle of civilisation’. Later that afternoon I gathered the various spare parts and filters required for Proper Job’s visit to the highly recommended General Motors garage (+251-11-1235336). We still have not escaped the rains which arrive on cue most afternoons.

The following morning we drove Proper Job to the garage and were told it should be ready the following afternoon. On arrival back at Wims we heard that Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden had been killed by US Special Forces in Pakistan the previous evening, 2nd May 2011. I remember hearing the news of the twin towers 9/11 tragedy whilst salmon fishing with friends in eastern Canada. Ten years later, news of this seemingly important milestone was heard in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Lizzybus headed northwards towards the Simien Mountains and we planned to meet them on the 18th May near to the Sudan border where we would cross in convoy prior to the expiry of our Ethiopia visas. Later that afternoon we went to the Egypt Embassy and picked up our visas. The whole process was very straightforward and the staff extremely helpful. That evening it rained heavily in Addis and we spent some hours in the bar chatting with other over-landers.

The following morning we took a taxi to the Sudan Embassy to begin the process of getting a visa. This was the final visa I would need to get on my Africa trip and I reflected on the numerous countries and challenges I had faced whilst circumnavigating the continent. I also remembered the friends who had helped me on the way and they had made the trek that bit easier. The West African route had definitely been far harder than the East African route.

All the information I had gathered on getting a Sudan visa stated that a letter of introduction was needed from your own embassy. Curiously, Dave and Jane from the Lizzybus had not been asked for one, so when we turned up at the Sudan Embassy we did not know what to expect. We arrived just before 9am and asked for an application form. I was immediately asked if I had my Egyptian visas, to which I replied yes. They did not ask for a letter of introduction so we filled in the form requesting a Tourist Visa. We then attached two photos, a copy of the Egypt visa, our passports and a copy of the passport. We submitted our forms and were told to come back in one hour to make payment. We headed across the road to a cafe. An hour later we came back and were given our application form and passport and told to go to the payment office. We paid our US$100 each and were told to come back the following day at 3pm.

We headed back to Wims place and I awaited a call from the garage so I could go and pick up Proper Job. At 2.30pm I received a call and took a taxi to the garage. The workshop manager called Deme came over and took me through the work that had been done. Proper Job was looking so clean. They had even cleaned the engine and the underneath with benzene and I had not seen those areas this clean since leaving the UK. Deme told me that Proper Job was in good shape and that the lubricating grease from the ball joint was due to a worn seal. They had replaced the seals using the hub kit I had provided them out of my substantial spares kit. Actually, I have not used many of the items in the spares kit that I got from Paul Marsh at Footloose4x4. Deme was impressed with what I had and I knew it is certainly a well thought out kit. I drove back to Wims and set up the tent to air it out. The rest of the afternoon I spent time with my Estonian friend Tarmo, going through routes I had taken around Africa.

The following morning was sunny so I took the opportunity to do some laundry and re-pack Proper Job. I changed some dollars and headed down town for a light lunch and visited an internet cafe. On the way back I casually checked a Dashen Bank ATM and was really surprised that it accepted MasterCard. I had been told by many people and read in books that Ethiopia banks only accepted visa cards. This Dashen Bank ATM is in the foyer of the Ras Hotel, just a 5 minute walk from Wims House.

We decided to leave Addis as soon as we got our Sudan Visa and drive north of the city for an hour or so. I felt it was better to get the ‘city traffic’ drive out of the way so we had a clean two day trip covering 550km to Lake Tana. We said farewell to Wim and his wife, Tarmo and the other over-landers. I especially wished Tarmo all the best in his travels around Africa and the other continents he was determined to visit. We then headed back to the Sudan Embassy and, upon arrival, were immediately called up and given our passports. We did not get a Tourist Visa as requested, only a two week Transit Visa. I am not sure if they would have required a letter of introduction for a Tourist Visa or whether they have scrapped the need for the letter altogether. If needed, we could extend them in Sudan. We were also reminded that we needed to complete an Alien Registration with the Sudan police within three days of arriving in Sudan, at a cost 0f US$50 per person. In total, the Sudan visa is the most expensive so far on my Africa trip.

We headed out of Addis which took us an hour to get through. An hour after leaving Addis we arrived at Sululta, a town with significant things going on. I gathered it is a major agricultural area as it is prosperous and there is a fair amount lot of construction underway. We found a hotel for the night and you could by the room price that the town was doing well. However, it was now getting late and the hotel offered secure parking. That evening we watched Man Utd beat Schalke 04 in the second leg to go to through to the final against Barcelona.

The next day we had a quick breakfast and got back on the road. We intended to get to Debre Marcos which lies about half way to Lake Turkana. The distance to cover was 270km and the drive is through spectacular highland scenery. The temperature got noticeably cooler as we climbed to over 3000 metres above sea level. After climbing to the top we dropped down into a deep and impressive canyon that has been cut by the Blue Nile River. We dropped over 2km into the canyon in second gear and crossed the Blue Nile River. The climb out of the canyon proved no problem for Proper Job and we arrived in Debre Marcos at around 3pm. We headed to the Hotel Shebal and found it to be good value. That afternoon I caught up with my Blog and did some reading on places to stay around Lake Tana.

The drive northwards towards Lake Tana was through a hilly attractive landscape that was dominated by agricultural activity. Again one has to watchful of the animals and people that in parts crowd the road. Animals in particular need great attention and the young children that you sometimes see in charge do not have the best control. On occasions as you approach they hit the animals with sticks that makes them veer out in front of you. Not sure if this is done on purpose or is a pure lack of experience. The valleys and plains are clearly very fertile and crops abound. Unfortunately there are not many trees around, only where there is a river or piece of land that is too awkward to plough. The hillsides are heavily terraced. After a few hours driving we arrived at Bahir Dar, which is a town of 96,000 people located along the shoreline of the huge Lake Tana. We drove to the government run Ghion Hotel which we had heard mixed reports on. The hotel is right on the shore and the gardens shrouded in huge old trees. We checked the rooms and for the price of 150Birr (UK£6) a room was great value. That evening we enjoyed fine Ethiopian fasting food and a couple of cold St George beers.

The following morning we ate breakfast in the gardens that were full of bird life. I was lucky enough to see a pair of Double Toothed Barbets on a branch and managed to take one picture before they disappeared. I had been in touch with people who could assist us with getting tickets for the Wadi Halfi ferry crossing into Egypt from Sudan, and needed to make a PDF copy of passports and Carnet so they could prepare the necessary paperwork in advance. Additionally they would organise the driving license and vehicle number plates needed for Egypt. The help would save a lot of stress and hassle and, for a fee of around US$100 per vehicle, I considered a fair deal. We made the copies at a nearby internet cafe and grabbed some more cash from the Dashen Bank ATM (which again accepted MasterCard).

We headed back to Ghion Hotel and had refreshment in the garden. Whilst drinking a cold juice a gorgeous male African Paradise Flycatcher alighted only a few feet away. Firstly, these shy birds rarely venture out of thick cover and this one had also begun to morph from a chestnut red to a white plumage. I was able to take a couple of pictures before it flew back into the trees, but after so many attempts to take a good picture throughout Africa I eventually had a pretty decent shot. At midday we left Bahir Dar and headed eastwards towards the somewhat mystical Lalibela.

Two hours from Bahir Dar you take a dirt road that leads up through spectacular highlands. The road is in very good condition and leads up and over a series of plateau ridges almost 3km above sea level. Approaching Lalibela you notice the strong Christian influence. Lalibela is now a World Heritage Site and famous for its unique churches. The town is perched on a hillside and we made our way along a small road to the Asheton Hotel which had been recommended to us by the Lizzybus. We parked in the small courtyard and checked the rooms out. We were impressed with the comfort and ambience. Again the price (150Birr per room) was excellent value. Each hotel was a representative from the Guide Association and we were soon approached. We were told a full day was 450Birr but we insisted that friends had recently had the same for 350Birr. They soon agreed to our price, and it was only afterwards that I found out that the Lizzybus had actually only had their guide for half a day. That evening we ate at the Unique Restaurant which lay across the road from the hotel. The food was basic but was fine. It rained hard that evening and the corrugated iron roofing of the hotel rattled with rain drops for most of the night.

The following morning we met with our guide and headed down to the southern set of churches. There was a large sermon underway at the entrance to the churches and hundreds of people sat and listened. We managed to use the same entrance ticket that Dave and Jane from the Lizzybus had. We owe them a few beers for that. The churches are impressive to look at, but it was only when I realised they are carved out of ONE solid piece of rock that I was lost for words. Walking around inside you cannot help but marvel at the workmanship and human effort that created these. At one point Lalibela was the capital of the vast empire of Abyssinia. It was, and still is today, of great importance to the world of Christianity. As we wondered around the six churches in the southern section I imagined it was places such as this that famous novelist, Wilbur Smith, must have got his inspiration from to write his amazing Africa based adventures.

The sense of history makes for a fascinating tour and after a couple of hours we decided to break until after lunch. There is so much to take in that it is not productive to cram it all in to a morning session. We agreed to meet our guide again at 14.30 to visit the northern churches and headed to the Seven Olives Hotel for brunch. After an excellent brunch we headed back to our hotel for a siesta. It trained heavily for a couple of hours but by 14.00 had stopped. I took a brisk walk down to another hotel to meet with a Swiss couple that had a Sudan SIM card for me. I didn’t realise how far away their hotel was and after two kilometres walking quickly in rising humidity I arrived. They also had some Sudanese money which I exchanged from them. With time running out I headed back to the meeting place which was all up hill. Thankfully I still have a semblance of fitness from my swimming so made it to the top where I gulped down a litre of water.

The northern churches are also very impressive and, whilst not as well finished as the southern set, were probably even more mysterious than the southern churches. One church we came to has a deep pool and a long dark tunnel that led to a room that the priest Lalibela stayed. There is so much history and important facts that are tied to this place that one cannot capture it in a simple blog. We had a great time touring these remarkable structures and began to realise how special a place this is.
Today was the deciding game in the Premiership where Man Utd play Chelsea at home for the title decider. We found a TV hall which had satellite TV and turned up at 5.45pm to get a seat. The place was already full but the owner managed to find us a couple of seats. I was on the front bench with a load of kids who were all avid Utd supporters. It amazes me just how deep football clubs penetrate even the remotest of places. The game kicked off and the place erupted when Hernandez scored for Utd within a minute of kick off. That was a dream start and Chelsea never recovered. The game ended 2-1 to Und but really should have been 4-1. I hope I will be in a place that I can watch the Barcelona v Man Utd final of the Champions League later this month.

The following morning we had another great breakfast at Seven Olives and then packed up and drove to the edge of town. We stopped and chatted briefly with Dutch overlanders Roland and Paul, who asked if they could follow us along a scenic route that leads directly northwards from Lalibela to Sekouta, where a right turn leads back to the main road at Korem. My Estonian friend Tarmo had told me about this route and so I was confident that it would turn out to be worthwhile. Indeed it turned out to be fantastic and the quality dirt road led us over beautiful high hills and through stunning gorges. This route is rarely visited by tourist who follow the recommendations in the Lonely Planet. Hence, the people you encounter along the way are much less influenced by the trappings and you genuinely feel that you have entered into true unscathed rural Ethiopian highlands. Three hours later we arrived at Korem and had thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

We drove along the tarred road to the large town of Mekele with its population of almost 100,000. We could have stopped for the night at a couple of small towns along the way. We didn’t and the drive lasted about two hours too long. By the time we reached Mekele we were very tired and, in hindsight, we should have stopped earlier. We drove to the Hill Top Hotel which had been recommended to us by a couple of travellers. When we got there we were told that we could have a room but had to check out at 7am the following morning as the whole hotel had been booked by the Ministry of Defence. That was not going to work for us so we went to two further hotels only to find they were fully booked. We had passed a nice looking hotel called Milano so decided to check that one out. It had been a long day and we were pleased to find that Milano had rooms available for one night and at a bargain price of 180Birr. The hotel also had secure parking around the back and we got our gear out of Proper Job and headed to the room. On the way through the foyer I noticed the Dutch guys Roland and Paul whom had followed us from Lalibela along the off the beaten track to Korem. They had also tried a number of hotels in Mekele and found all fully booked or ridiculously overpriced. One hotel had even asked them 150Birr to park their car. We discovered the reason all hotels were booked was because the Ministry of Defence had a five day sports event on. Anyway, we would now only stay one night instead of two.

The following morning we headed into town to see if we could find a fast internet cafe. Unfortunately we could not and after a delicious mango avocado juice we checked out of the hotel and drove to a fuel station to fill up with diesel. There are not so many fuel stations here in northern Ethiopia so it is better to fill up your tank whenever you can, just in case. Our goal today was not to have a long drive and we decided that Adigrat, which lay around 70km away, would suit us fine. We turned off the tar road at Wukro to take a route through a valley where many rock hewn churches exist. After ten kilometres I decided to turn back as the road was much worse than I had been told. We got back to the main road and headed northwards again. The scenery along the way was again very pleasing and we made good progress. Some 20km before our destination we noticed a heavy rainstorm in the hills that lay before Adigrat. The road here was under construction and the heavy rain had made the road very slippery. We had to drive in first gear for a few kilometres and saw many vehicles lose their traction and skid wildly across the road. On one particular downhill stretch we were the only ones that attempted it, but Proper Job did not let us down. We arrived in Adigrat and made our way towards the Selwit Hotel that was recommended in the Lonely Planet. When we got there via a series of cobbled roads we found it was shut. I decided to head back to the main road to cruise for an alternative. There appeared to be a fair bit of development here and after a few hundred metres came across the Eve Hotel which looked quite posh. I thought the price would be around 800Birr but was surprised when he said 198Birr. I snapped a room up and parked Proper Job in a narrow internal parking bay. We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and I caught up with my blog. We decided to stay for one night and head towards Axum, which lies on the northern section of the scenic loop we were taking back to Lake Tana, the following day.

Arriving in Axum we noticed the Lizzybus parked outside the Africa Hotel. We decided to check into the same hotel and find out what was worth visiting in the area. The rooms were basic but adequate for a couple of nights. The following morning we headed up to the northern stele park, which houses the best of the town’s ancient carved stone objects. Some of the stele are over 30m in length and are intricately carved. One stele, named the Rome Stele, was stolen by Mussolini and transported to Rome but later returned to Axum. The museum is also worth a visit. Just outside the stele park is a church where the Ark of the Covenant is supposed to be housed. No one has ever seen it and it is carefully guarded. Later that afternoon we walked further up the hill to see the Queen of Sheba’s bath. It actually looks more like a big reservoir. Further up the hill are some tombs which are also worth a visit. We were lucky that we did not have loads of locals bugging us on the way up, as we had heard from others that they had hordes.

That evening a large group of people from the Hash Harriers booked into the hotel. They were a lot of fun and I was surprised how far reaching their network is. They would be a really good group to have contact with when overlanding around the world as they are a well connected bunch. They also like a party, so be prepared. I found the children in this part of Ethiopia increasingly annoying. They have two sentences; hello and give me money. We have heard from quite a few travellers that in Ethiopia it eventually gets to you, and here, in Axum, it certainly was beginning to bite.

The following morning, Friday the 13th, we had a quick breakfast and headed out of town towards Debark, which lay about 170km away. We had been told by the Hash Harriers that the trip takes around 10 hours as there are major works underway on the roads. The first 100km was along tar and well graded roads, and I was beginning to wonder how the journey could possibly take that much time. We then reached a set of high hills and as we climbed the slopes the road became narrower and we hit the first set of road works. We pulled over and patiently waited for a road to be excavated. Time rolled on and the Lizzybus joined us on the hillside overlooking a huge river. The air was thick with the dust created by the bulldozer pushing tonnes of earth and rock over the edge and down the steep valley side. After a 90 minute wait the road was level and we were able to proceed. We drove carefully around the hairpin bends and, although stressful, it was impossible not to appreciate the gorgeous views. A few kilometres further on we came to a grinding halt. Another road was being excavated and when I walked around the corner I realised we were in for another long wait. The diggers had hundreds of tons of rock to move and there was nothing you could do but wait. Again it wasn’t long before some local children came by and started asking for gifts and we did our best to ignore them. Eventually after a couple of hours wait a one lane dirt road was cleared and we thankfully continued our journey.

Some two hundred metres further on we recognised an oncoming Landrover called Sandladders which we had last seen in the Jungle Junction, Nairobi. We stopped and chatted briefly to Andrew and Cristina before moving on before some trucks which we had overtaken earlier caught up with us. A few minutes later there was a loud sound from Proper Job that sounded like a gunshot. I spun around and was shocked to see a large hole in the rear door window and glass everywhere. This was the same window that had been shattered in Ghana. We pulled up around the next corner and looked around for people, thinking someone had thrown a stone through the window. All I could see were a few cows slipping and sliding on the hillside a 100 metres or so above us. The hole was eight inches in diameter and when I opened the back door I found a large rounded rock weighing a couple of kilograms on the back seat. It was obvious this had not been thrown as it was the size of a very large grapefruit. The only conclusion we could come to was that the cows had dislodged the rock above us and we had been incredibly unlucky to have been in that particular spot when it had come hurtling down the slope. On reflection, we realised that in some ways we had been lucky it had not come through the driver’s window. If it had, then it could easily have resulted in a serious accident, maybe even a fatality. We patched up the shattered window with duck tape and carried on our journey to Debark, which was till about 30km away. The road was rough dirt road all the way and I really did not think the taped window would stay in place. Having a smashed window was one thing, but if the shattered glass actually fell out then the security issues were much more serious. The rest of the journey was clouded in an atmosphere of depression as I, in particular, grappled with the reality of how difficult this would be to get fixed. In Ghana, with the help of my well connected Cornish friend Angelo Massimino, it had been relatively simple. Here in northern Ethiopia it would be much more difficult and very frustrating.

We eventually reached Debark and the journey had taken ten hours in total. We reached the Simien Park Hotel to find it had no water. Clearly it had rained heavily the day before so we were somewhat surprised. A local pointed us towards a new hotel which had hot water so we ended up there for the night. Also, importantly the hotel had secure parking. Debark is a scruffy ugly town which can only be described as a mess. The following morning we would be heading to Gondor, a town of over 100,000 people. There were a couple of garages in Gondor and that would be my first effort to getting the window replaced.

We left early to make I in good time to check out the garages in Gondor. The road was much better than the day before and within three hours we arrived. When we arrived there was no network coverage so we headed to the recommended Belagez Pension. Upon arrival a well spoken local approached and I enquired whether he knew a good garage that could replace a window. He assured me there were a couple around so we immediately headed of, very much aware that it was a Saturday and businesses could well close early. The first garage we came to assured me 100% that they had the right window and suggested that they remove the broken window whilst the new one was being brought from a nearby location. I declined and insisted that I wanted to see the new one before the other was removed. Luckily I did, as an hour later they reappeared saying they did not have one. Anyway, we moved onto another garage and they again said they wanted to take out the old window and match it with one in the store. Same result, although they did offer one window that after some cutting and reshaping would fit. I declined their offer as the curvature on the window they offered was different. I then went around to the back of Proper Job to dig out my computer to check on the name of the hotel we were supposed to meet the Lizzybus. I opened my bag and pulled out a computer I didn’t recognize. Slowly, the reality sunk in. The rock that had come through the window had somehow slammed straight into the side of my HP notebook and had completely smashed it. I then realized how fast that rock was travelling and the seriousness of the consequences if it had come through the front window of Proper Job. Te sickening feeling that I felt at that moment I have not had many times in my life. Besides the seriousness of the potential injuries now I had lost all my trip files and connection to MapSource. I had had enough for the day so we went back to Belagez. On arrival we found the Lizzybus parked up. We enquired about rooms and were told our friends had taken the last two. I angrily asked if we could camp and the manager confessed that it was a prank that the Lizzybus had asked him to pull. It would have been funny on another occasion but with all that had recently happened I did not have much of a sense of humour left.

That afternoon, after a couple of hours contemplating my options, I headed up to a local computer shop to check whether by any chance my computer could be read from another computer. Unfortunately he did not have the right cable to try it out so I asked whether we could connect an external screen. When we did, and to my amazement, after a series of file verification my bent and twisted HP notebook fired up and I was able to copy the files I needed onto a memory stick. This Blog for instance would have been lost if I had not been able to do so. It was now clear at least now, once back in the UK, I would be able to recover all my files from the hard drive. I believe the shut-down shock mechanism on the HP notebook had saved the day. I still can’t believe when looking at the state of my HP notebook, that there is any life whatsoever in it.

The following morning we went to the nearby royal palace complex which dates 400 years old. It looks like a medieval castle and is an impressive sight. There are six palaces inside the 17,000 square meters compound. Later that day as word spread around town that I needed a new window, I was cornered by a couple of locals who said that a garage had the window I needed. I left the palace to meet the garage owner and he said he was sure he could get the window delivered to Gondor the following evening from either Bahir Dar or Addis Ababa. We agreed a price, which was only to be paid upon delivery of the right window. He took the vehicle details and left. I am not convinced that he will deliver but if he does I will happily pay him for his services. A power cut hit Gondor so the rest of the day we lazed around in cafes and rested.

As expected the window did not arrive on time but I was told that it would be here the following day as it was on a different bus coming from Addis. The manager, Philemon, at Belegez Pension was very helpful throughout the whole exercise and suggested that we start making alternative plans. We made a call to the major spare parts shop in Bahir Dar and they said they definitely had the right window but couldn’t confirm because their system was down. Sounded like a familiar theme here. The rest of the day we hung around the various cafes in town, which I must say was quite pleasant. Later that afternoon I pondered on how I could load up my EuroCity maps onto my Garmin. It was risky using my HP Mini as if half way through the exercise it failed then I would also loose my Africa maps as well. I went to the local computer shop and reopened my HP Mini. At first MapSource would not recognise my Garmin but after trying the Unit ID option it picked it up. Next I highlighted the route back to Cornwall that I would take through Europe and began the transfer. After a 20 minutes process all the maps were successfully transferred. Again I was well impressed with how my smashed HP Mini had managed to perform this exercise. I drove down to the NOC fuel station and had the underneath of Proper Job power washed to remove the thick mud that had accumulated on the road from Adigrat to Axum. I needed to do this before I could grease up the prop shafts. As expected, the window for Proper Job did not arrive that evening so I prepared to drive to Bahir Dar the following day to try and find a replacement. That evening we ate dinner with the Lizzybus crew and chatted about plans for Sudan.

The following morning we went down town and grabbed a quick breakfast. Around 9am I had a call from Filimon saying the mechanic had called and he now had the window in hand and would be at Belegez in 40 minutes. I had heard this before so was a bit sceptical. We went back to Belegez and waited. An hour later, surprisingly, the mechanic turned up with a window. To my even greater surprise it appeared to be the correct one. I gave the go ahead for the change and 90 minutes later the new window was fitted and worked fine. I paid the agreed fee plus a little extra for the mechanic to pay off a couple of others that had been useful. Filimon took me to a local shop that put shading tint on windows and that was job complete. Returning to Belegez a couple of Ethiopians suddenly appeared and asked to be paid something for their help. Again this is unfortunately a typical pattern in this “give me give me give me’ country and I was having none of it. I told them clearly I had given the money to the mechanic and it was up to him who he paid depending on whether he thought certain people had been of help. This seemed to do the trick and they were ushered out of Belegez. I then took the opportunity to grease the prop shafts and hubs in preparation for Sudan. This done, all the jobs were finished so I could relax. We spent the afternoon back in the cafes and I took some more money out of the ATM to change into Sudanese pounds on the border.

Ethiopia has been exceptionally good value and the south, in particular, impressed me. The scenery is fabulous but the roads are crowded and fraught with danger. The people, especially the youth, get more tiring the further north you get and the kids are unfortunately relentless in their pursuit of money. I sometimes wonder if Bob Geldof’s Live Aid has caused these unfortunate traits as I have not experienced them anywhere else on my journey through Arica.

The following morning we set off for the border which took about three hours along perfect tar roads