After three nights at Lake Bunyonyi, we made the long drive back to Kampala for another night at the Red Chilli camp site. We love that place - it has free wifi! It also has a really big supermarket close by allowing us all to stock up on essentials and buy treats like Cadburys chocolate.
From Kampala, it was just a couple of hours drive the next morning to Jinja - the "adventure capital" of East Africa. We are staying at the Nile River Explorers camp site which has great views over the Nile. We are based here for three nights which is a treat. Given the hectic pace of the trip earlier on, it is nice not to have to take a tent down and put it up every day.
Yesterday, some of us went on a sunset cruise on Lake Victoria. With all you can drink included in the price, things got messy and continued in the bar at camp on our return. Suffice to say, today has been spent recovering and doing little more than swimming in the river, reading and sleeping. Tonight, we go out for a traditional Ugandan meal and then it will be an early night for me in preparation for an adrenalin filled day of white water rafting tomorrow. Bring it on!
Western Sahara 2016
Thursday 30 June 2011
Monday 27 June 2011
Gorillas in the Mist
From Kampala, we drove for a day to reach Lake Bunyonyi where we are based for three nights. This is where most overland trucks base themselves for transfers on to track mountain gorillas.
There are just 740 mountain gorillas left. They are located in the forests where the Ugandan, Rwandan and Democratic Republic of Congo borders meet. Permits to view them are expensive and in short supply. To protect the gorillas, only one group of eight people is permitted to visit each family for an hour per day. Our permits were for Uganda where there are 9 families that the public are permitted to visit.
The gorillas live in dense forests high up in the mountains so getting to them is a challenge. Firstly, a 2 hour drive from camp setting out at 5.30am along some very bumpy muddy tracks. Some beautiful views once the sun came up of the mists rolling up out of the vallies below. After the briefing, for my group, it was a further 30 minute drive to where we started trekking.
I was very fortunate in that I only had to trek for just over an hour before we got to see gorillas. The trackers set off before us to locate the gorillas sleeping location from the previous night. They then follow their tracks to find where they are that day and radio to the guide so we can head to the right location.
Beforehand, I had envisaged being sat at the edge of a clearing watching a family of gorillas from a safe distance. In reality, the forest is so dense that you have to slip, slide and scramble your way up the hillside. Once there is movement in the trees, the trackers will start to cut a way through so that the gorillas are visible. At times, we were just 5 metres away from them and were able to just sit quietly watching them eating, grooming and playing. They seemed unconcerned by our presence. The silverbacks are massive weighing from 200-300 kgs, and the babies are just so cute. It really was a privilege to get so close to these beautiful and endangered species.
Chilling out by the lake today whilst other members of the group go to see the gorillas. Praying that the sun keeps shining so that we can swim and kayak this afternoon. It poured with rain yesterday at camp - don't like to complain but I am getting a little tired of wet tents and damp clothes now!
There are just 740 mountain gorillas left. They are located in the forests where the Ugandan, Rwandan and Democratic Republic of Congo borders meet. Permits to view them are expensive and in short supply. To protect the gorillas, only one group of eight people is permitted to visit each family for an hour per day. Our permits were for Uganda where there are 9 families that the public are permitted to visit.
The gorillas live in dense forests high up in the mountains so getting to them is a challenge. Firstly, a 2 hour drive from camp setting out at 5.30am along some very bumpy muddy tracks. Some beautiful views once the sun came up of the mists rolling up out of the vallies below. After the briefing, for my group, it was a further 30 minute drive to where we started trekking.
I was very fortunate in that I only had to trek for just over an hour before we got to see gorillas. The trackers set off before us to locate the gorillas sleeping location from the previous night. They then follow their tracks to find where they are that day and radio to the guide so we can head to the right location.
Beforehand, I had envisaged being sat at the edge of a clearing watching a family of gorillas from a safe distance. In reality, the forest is so dense that you have to slip, slide and scramble your way up the hillside. Once there is movement in the trees, the trackers will start to cut a way through so that the gorillas are visible. At times, we were just 5 metres away from them and were able to just sit quietly watching them eating, grooming and playing. They seemed unconcerned by our presence. The silverbacks are massive weighing from 200-300 kgs, and the babies are just so cute. It really was a privilege to get so close to these beautiful and endangered species.
Chilling out by the lake today whilst other members of the group go to see the gorillas. Praying that the sun keeps shining so that we can swim and kayak this afternoon. It poured with rain yesterday at camp - don't like to complain but I am getting a little tired of wet tents and damp clothes now!
Friday 24 June 2011
Simien Mountains Photos
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| Me with baboons |
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| Children looking after their animals in the mountains |
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| The overnight trekking group |
Southern Ethiopia & Kenya
Well, it's been a long time since we last had internet so this blog post will be covering a lot.
We left Addis on Monday 13th June and it's fair to say that Athena did not have a good day. It started badly with a flat battery and then the fuel cap was left behind at the petrol station. Things got progressively worse when the front window was shattered when a road barrier was not lifted high enough. Fortunately, no one was badly hurt despite the shards of glass throughout the truck. After clearing up the glass and rigging up a tarp, we were able to get on our way. To make matters worse, it rained all day and then the windscreen wipers broke as well. Despite all these set backs, we made it to our destination, Arba Minch, by night fall. I am constantly impressed on this trip by how resourceful the crew and my fellow expedition members are at dealing with and finding creative solutions to any problems that arise. The windscreen wiper solution of a rope tied to each wiper and fed through into the cab for Alison and Rogan to manually operate was particularly amusing! Probably less so for them, but it entertained us in the back.
We ended up spending two nights in Arba Minch whilst we waited for glass to fix the window to be shipped down from Addis. Our hotel / camping ground overlooked the Rift Valley Lakes so it wasn't a bad place to spend an extra day, relaxing on the terrace enjoying the views.
From there, we continued south through Ethiopia stopping at an eco lodge in the town of Konso for a night to break the journey. In Konso, we were able to go on a village tour to really get an idea of how the people live. When you see how basic the living conditions are, and children dressed in dirty rags with flies in their face and distended stomachs from malnutrition, it serves as a stark reminder of how fortunate we are..
Our final drive in Ethiopia took us through more remote and less populated areas. The people we saw were dressed in more colourful, tribal type clothing than we had previously seen. We stopped off briefly in a village that clearly doesn't get many foreigners passing through as we were a source of great interest to the locals! Later that afternoon, we finally reached the Kenyan border at Moyale. By the time we had got through the border crossing, it was getting late so we ended up camping in the police compound for the night. Not the most scenic campsite but it served a purpose and at least it was safe!
If we thought some of the roads in Ethiopia were bad, they were nothing compared to those of Northern Kenya. Considering Kenya is supposed to be more developed than Sudan and Ethiopia, the roads are shocking. Tarmac is yet to reach the north of the country so we had some very bumpy driving conditions for the next couple of days. The distances were not necessarily long, but it was very slow going - 250km in 10 hours.
On Sat 18th June, we reached Samburu Game Reserve where we camped for two nights by a river. Apparently, there are crocodiles in the river so no swimming or pitching our tents too close. The following day we went on our first game drive. Samburu is known for being home to some more unusual types of animal such as reticulated giraffes and Grevys Zebra. We saw both, plus elephants, impala, water buck, gerenuk, Thomsons Gazelle, wart hogs and much more. I really wanted to see lions so I was delighted to spot two lionesses sleeping under a tree by the river. Considering there were 20 people on the truck, I am amazed that it was actually me who spotted them (especially given my lack of observation skills normally!). Later in the day, when we stopped for lunch, there was another lion only about a 100m away. Fortunately, she didn't seem too interested in us..
From Samburu, we drove on to Lake Nakuru National Park crossing the equator en route (yes, I do have a picture of me next to the sign). Athena was again not having a good day and we ended up walking the last mile to our camp in the dark when she got a flat tyre. Luckily for us, the crew had phoned ahead and organised a three course dinner to be waiting which was a great surprise because no one was looking forward to setting up camp and cooking late at night. This was our first "proper" camp site that caters for overlanders. Lovely grassy camping areas, cooking shelters, toilets, hot showers, bar and restaurant - bliss after some of the wild camp sites we have had so far on the trip. The farm on which the camp site is based is a working dairy farm and home to the biggest race horse breeder in Kenya with over 300 horses. In many ways, it felt like an English farm. Kenya (once we reached the more touristy areas) is notably more developed than Ethiopia. Education and religion are big with children in school uniform everywhere and lots of schools and churches.
We were based at the camp for two nights so we could go on game drives the following day. Lake Nakuru is famed for its pink flamingos. We also saw water buffalos, giraffes, rhino, zebra and got really close to some lions. It was incredible to be that close to them. Literally, with one leap, they could have jumped onto the open roof of the mini bus. However, lions seem to display the same sort of nonchalance that domestic cats display in that they completely ignore us - just as well really.
From Nakuru, we started our journey to Uganda (although we return to Kenya later en route to Tanzania). A night was spent just outside the town of Eldoret. If we thought our Nakuru camp site was nice, Eldoret definitely topped it with a swimming pool and a very cool underground bar. Yesterday, we entered Uganda - our smoothest border crossing yet with the minimum of hassle and no duplicate form filling. We are now in Kampala, the capital, and will be heading towards the moutain gorillas tomorrow.
Hopefully, internet will be more frequent from here on and I can update the blog more often...
We left Addis on Monday 13th June and it's fair to say that Athena did not have a good day. It started badly with a flat battery and then the fuel cap was left behind at the petrol station. Things got progressively worse when the front window was shattered when a road barrier was not lifted high enough. Fortunately, no one was badly hurt despite the shards of glass throughout the truck. After clearing up the glass and rigging up a tarp, we were able to get on our way. To make matters worse, it rained all day and then the windscreen wipers broke as well. Despite all these set backs, we made it to our destination, Arba Minch, by night fall. I am constantly impressed on this trip by how resourceful the crew and my fellow expedition members are at dealing with and finding creative solutions to any problems that arise. The windscreen wiper solution of a rope tied to each wiper and fed through into the cab for Alison and Rogan to manually operate was particularly amusing! Probably less so for them, but it entertained us in the back.
We ended up spending two nights in Arba Minch whilst we waited for glass to fix the window to be shipped down from Addis. Our hotel / camping ground overlooked the Rift Valley Lakes so it wasn't a bad place to spend an extra day, relaxing on the terrace enjoying the views.
From there, we continued south through Ethiopia stopping at an eco lodge in the town of Konso for a night to break the journey. In Konso, we were able to go on a village tour to really get an idea of how the people live. When you see how basic the living conditions are, and children dressed in dirty rags with flies in their face and distended stomachs from malnutrition, it serves as a stark reminder of how fortunate we are..
Our final drive in Ethiopia took us through more remote and less populated areas. The people we saw were dressed in more colourful, tribal type clothing than we had previously seen. We stopped off briefly in a village that clearly doesn't get many foreigners passing through as we were a source of great interest to the locals! Later that afternoon, we finally reached the Kenyan border at Moyale. By the time we had got through the border crossing, it was getting late so we ended up camping in the police compound for the night. Not the most scenic campsite but it served a purpose and at least it was safe!
If we thought some of the roads in Ethiopia were bad, they were nothing compared to those of Northern Kenya. Considering Kenya is supposed to be more developed than Sudan and Ethiopia, the roads are shocking. Tarmac is yet to reach the north of the country so we had some very bumpy driving conditions for the next couple of days. The distances were not necessarily long, but it was very slow going - 250km in 10 hours.
On Sat 18th June, we reached Samburu Game Reserve where we camped for two nights by a river. Apparently, there are crocodiles in the river so no swimming or pitching our tents too close. The following day we went on our first game drive. Samburu is known for being home to some more unusual types of animal such as reticulated giraffes and Grevys Zebra. We saw both, plus elephants, impala, water buck, gerenuk, Thomsons Gazelle, wart hogs and much more. I really wanted to see lions so I was delighted to spot two lionesses sleeping under a tree by the river. Considering there were 20 people on the truck, I am amazed that it was actually me who spotted them (especially given my lack of observation skills normally!). Later in the day, when we stopped for lunch, there was another lion only about a 100m away. Fortunately, she didn't seem too interested in us..
From Samburu, we drove on to Lake Nakuru National Park crossing the equator en route (yes, I do have a picture of me next to the sign). Athena was again not having a good day and we ended up walking the last mile to our camp in the dark when she got a flat tyre. Luckily for us, the crew had phoned ahead and organised a three course dinner to be waiting which was a great surprise because no one was looking forward to setting up camp and cooking late at night. This was our first "proper" camp site that caters for overlanders. Lovely grassy camping areas, cooking shelters, toilets, hot showers, bar and restaurant - bliss after some of the wild camp sites we have had so far on the trip. The farm on which the camp site is based is a working dairy farm and home to the biggest race horse breeder in Kenya with over 300 horses. In many ways, it felt like an English farm. Kenya (once we reached the more touristy areas) is notably more developed than Ethiopia. Education and religion are big with children in school uniform everywhere and lots of schools and churches.
We were based at the camp for two nights so we could go on game drives the following day. Lake Nakuru is famed for its pink flamingos. We also saw water buffalos, giraffes, rhino, zebra and got really close to some lions. It was incredible to be that close to them. Literally, with one leap, they could have jumped onto the open roof of the mini bus. However, lions seem to display the same sort of nonchalance that domestic cats display in that they completely ignore us - just as well really.
From Nakuru, we started our journey to Uganda (although we return to Kenya later en route to Tanzania). A night was spent just outside the town of Eldoret. If we thought our Nakuru camp site was nice, Eldoret definitely topped it with a swimming pool and a very cool underground bar. Yesterday, we entered Uganda - our smoothest border crossing yet with the minimum of hassle and no duplicate form filling. We are now in Kampala, the capital, and will be heading towards the moutain gorillas tomorrow.
Hopefully, internet will be more frequent from here on and I can update the blog more often...
Sunday 12 June 2011
Lalibela to Addis Ababa
We left Gonder on Tues 7th June and made the day long drive to Lalibela arriving at our campsite / hotel early evening. This past week, we have camping at hotels, with the option to upgrade to a room if you wish. Considering the upgrade costs little more than three english pounds per night, it seems foolish not to take the chance of a bed and a bathroom. It rains most afternoons and evenings in Ethiopia so camping is not so much fun. That said, with Ethiopian hotels you never quite know what facilities may be available. Power and water are intermittent at best. We have learnt that when there is water, you should take a shower and do your laundry. Never think, I'll have a shower later or tomorrow morning - you run the risk of there being no water available!
Lalibela is famed for its eleven rock hewn churches. Basically, churches that were cut out of the rock around 800 years ago. They are pretty impressive given the amount of work it must have taken to create them. After a morning tour of the churches, I had a lazy afternoon at the hotel, then some of us headed out to sample the tej, which is the local drink of honey wine (not recommended) and shoulder dancing (don't ask!).
From Lalibela, we drove on to the town of Bahir Dar which is set on the edge of Lake Tana. Spent another fairly laid back day chilling out by the lake. Then yesterday, we made the marathon journey to Addis Ababa, the capital city. This was our longest driving day yet in Africa. We set off at 5am and arrived around 9pm, although two hours of this was spent stuck in a traffic jam in Addis. We have enjoyed some spectacular scenery on our drives, in particular, the Blue Nile Gorge which is 1000m deep. You find that whenever we make roadside stops in Ethiopia (toilet or lunch breaks), within minutes the truck is surrounded by at least 20 children. Even when you think you have stopped in a remote area, they appear as if by magic - fascinated by the faranjis (foreigners). The ongoing requests for pens, money, sweets, etc continue but they will also point at any item of jewellery that you might be wearing to indicate that they want it! They love having their photos taken and for you to show them the picture. This amuses them greatly, as do games of frisbee. The whistles that Di handed out were also a big hit, although I'm sure their parents were less delighted when they returned home with them!
So tomorrow, we have another early start and continue through Southern Ethiopia. In less than a week's time, we will be in Kenya and at our first game park. Looking forward to seeing some big animals!!
Lalibela is famed for its eleven rock hewn churches. Basically, churches that were cut out of the rock around 800 years ago. They are pretty impressive given the amount of work it must have taken to create them. After a morning tour of the churches, I had a lazy afternoon at the hotel, then some of us headed out to sample the tej, which is the local drink of honey wine (not recommended) and shoulder dancing (don't ask!).
From Lalibela, we drove on to the town of Bahir Dar which is set on the edge of Lake Tana. Spent another fairly laid back day chilling out by the lake. Then yesterday, we made the marathon journey to Addis Ababa, the capital city. This was our longest driving day yet in Africa. We set off at 5am and arrived around 9pm, although two hours of this was spent stuck in a traffic jam in Addis. We have enjoyed some spectacular scenery on our drives, in particular, the Blue Nile Gorge which is 1000m deep. You find that whenever we make roadside stops in Ethiopia (toilet or lunch breaks), within minutes the truck is surrounded by at least 20 children. Even when you think you have stopped in a remote area, they appear as if by magic - fascinated by the faranjis (foreigners). The ongoing requests for pens, money, sweets, etc continue but they will also point at any item of jewellery that you might be wearing to indicate that they want it! They love having their photos taken and for you to show them the picture. This amuses them greatly, as do games of frisbee. The whistles that Di handed out were also a big hit, although I'm sure their parents were less delighted when they returned home with them!
So tomorrow, we have another early start and continue through Southern Ethiopia. In less than a week's time, we will be in Kenya and at our first game park. Looking forward to seeing some big animals!!
Monday 6 June 2011
Simien Mountains Trekking
The keener trekkers in the group took a two day / one night trekkng option. After loading our kit onto mules, we set off Saturday morning and reached a spectacular waterfall mid morning. There are baboons everywhere in the Simien Mountains and you can get really close to them. Our aim was to reach the Gogo (not sure the spelling is right) summit (3926m) the following day, so we climbed steadily upwards reaching our camp by mid pm.
We stopped en route at one of the villages to see a coffee ceremony performed by the local women. Coffee drinking is important in Ethiopia and they go through a ritual of washing and roasting the beans. You then get three cups of coffee - the first fairly strong, then a weaker one, and finally one with lots of sugar. Shame I didn't realise this before I accepted the first cup because I then felt obliged to drink all three cups (and I don't normally drink coffee at all)!
The coffee ceremony took place in one of the local villagers homes. It was fascinating to see inside and get an idea of how they live. Their homes are round wooden huts with thatched roofs. It was very dark inside as the only light comes from a small fire. There was a raised area where the six members of the family slept and below separate areas for the animals. It is just incredible how basic and hard a life the people in the Simien Mountains live.
Tougher still is the life the children lead. Their job is to take the animals out on to the mountains to graze and they spend their days watching over their livestock. Some of the children we saw could not have been more than six years old. The weather conditions in the mountains are harsh, particularly now during the rainy season. It rains most afternoons and can get very cold. Whilst we were sheltering at camp in the cooking hut, there was a hailstorm and these poor children bringing their animals back down to the village were caught in it. They ran as fast as they could to shelter in our hut. We may have found it cold and wet in the mountains, but at least we have top of the range thermals and waterproofs. These children are barefoot, dressed in little more than rags with just a blanket to wrap around them for warmth - not a lot of help in the pouring rain.
The following morning was bright and clear so we set off for the summit. Well worth the effort - it is hard going as you gain altitude and the air gets thinner and it becomes harder to breath - but the views were spectacular. On our way back down, we were lucky enough to see an Ethiopian wolf. These are rare and only found in the Simiens - they look like big foxes.
We celebrated the end of our trek and rejoining the rest of the group with a chicken dinner. So far, it has been difficult to buy meat in Ethiopia (except live meat) so there have been numerous discussions among the group about killing animals. It started as a joke but has now become reality! Obviously, we could just pay the local guides to kill, pluck and prepare the chickens for cooking, but some of the men in the group decided it would be "fun" to learn how to do this for themselves. So one poor chicken was bought to camp live (along with its already dead friends). I fear a goat could be next....
After a night of thunder, lightening and heavy rain, we left the Simien Mountains this morning and are now back in Gonder for one night getting our fill of western food. Burger and chips for lunch, pizza and wine for dinner may be? Tomorrow, we have a ten hour drive to Lalibela, our next stop in Ethiopia. Will upload some photos of trekking when I have a better internet connection.
We stopped en route at one of the villages to see a coffee ceremony performed by the local women. Coffee drinking is important in Ethiopia and they go through a ritual of washing and roasting the beans. You then get three cups of coffee - the first fairly strong, then a weaker one, and finally one with lots of sugar. Shame I didn't realise this before I accepted the first cup because I then felt obliged to drink all three cups (and I don't normally drink coffee at all)!
The coffee ceremony took place in one of the local villagers homes. It was fascinating to see inside and get an idea of how they live. Their homes are round wooden huts with thatched roofs. It was very dark inside as the only light comes from a small fire. There was a raised area where the six members of the family slept and below separate areas for the animals. It is just incredible how basic and hard a life the people in the Simien Mountains live.
Tougher still is the life the children lead. Their job is to take the animals out on to the mountains to graze and they spend their days watching over their livestock. Some of the children we saw could not have been more than six years old. The weather conditions in the mountains are harsh, particularly now during the rainy season. It rains most afternoons and can get very cold. Whilst we were sheltering at camp in the cooking hut, there was a hailstorm and these poor children bringing their animals back down to the village were caught in it. They ran as fast as they could to shelter in our hut. We may have found it cold and wet in the mountains, but at least we have top of the range thermals and waterproofs. These children are barefoot, dressed in little more than rags with just a blanket to wrap around them for warmth - not a lot of help in the pouring rain.
The following morning was bright and clear so we set off for the summit. Well worth the effort - it is hard going as you gain altitude and the air gets thinner and it becomes harder to breath - but the views were spectacular. On our way back down, we were lucky enough to see an Ethiopian wolf. These are rare and only found in the Simiens - they look like big foxes.
We celebrated the end of our trek and rejoining the rest of the group with a chicken dinner. So far, it has been difficult to buy meat in Ethiopia (except live meat) so there have been numerous discussions among the group about killing animals. It started as a joke but has now become reality! Obviously, we could just pay the local guides to kill, pluck and prepare the chickens for cooking, but some of the men in the group decided it would be "fun" to learn how to do this for themselves. So one poor chicken was bought to camp live (along with its already dead friends). I fear a goat could be next....
After a night of thunder, lightening and heavy rain, we left the Simien Mountains this morning and are now back in Gonder for one night getting our fill of western food. Burger and chips for lunch, pizza and wine for dinner may be? Tomorrow, we have a ten hour drive to Lalibela, our next stop in Ethiopia. Will upload some photos of trekking when I have a better internet connection.
Ethiopia - a green and pleasant land
Sorry that it's been a while since my last update, but as predicted internet access in Ethiopia is not the best!
So, since my last update, we spent a day driving through Sudan to get close to the Ethiopian border before setting up camp for the night. The travelling conditions in Sudan were tough and we only got a brief glimpse of this vast country. The landscape was largely flat, arid desert with loads of litter everywhere. However, what Sudan lacked in landscape was made up for by the people. Whenever we passed people, they would smile and wave and shout "Welcome to Sudan". Apart from the tourist police, we did not get any hassle and they just seemed genuinely pleased to have visitors to their country. This made a nice contrast to some of the hassle we got in Egypt.
On the 1st June, we crossed the border into Ethiopia. Within minutes, the landscape changed dramatically from desert to green grass and mountains. I'm sure many people associate Ethiopia with the images so vividly depicted on our TV screens of drought and famine. My first glimpse of Ethiopia would suggest a very different country.
We started to gain altitude quite quickly which meant the temperature dropped and we finally stopped sweating! We arrived in the town of Gonder early evening where we stayed in a basic hotel, and celebrated our arrival in Ethiopia with a night out on the town...
After two nights in Gonder, we headed towards Simien Mountains National Park. The roads were really rough - little more than dirt tracks so slow going. However, there was lots to see out of the truck windows so the journey was far from dull. We passed through numerous villages and towns. There is so much livestock everywhere - horses, cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys. Whenever, we pass children they wave and run after the truck. Sadly, this is mainly because they associate white people with handouts and they are constantly asking for money, sweets, pens and bread. They are hard to resist at times, but I don't think it helps to keep giving them handouts.
I will finish this post now before the internet crashes on me and will then attempt a post on our time in the Simien Mountains!
So, since my last update, we spent a day driving through Sudan to get close to the Ethiopian border before setting up camp for the night. The travelling conditions in Sudan were tough and we only got a brief glimpse of this vast country. The landscape was largely flat, arid desert with loads of litter everywhere. However, what Sudan lacked in landscape was made up for by the people. Whenever we passed people, they would smile and wave and shout "Welcome to Sudan". Apart from the tourist police, we did not get any hassle and they just seemed genuinely pleased to have visitors to their country. This made a nice contrast to some of the hassle we got in Egypt.
On the 1st June, we crossed the border into Ethiopia. Within minutes, the landscape changed dramatically from desert to green grass and mountains. I'm sure many people associate Ethiopia with the images so vividly depicted on our TV screens of drought and famine. My first glimpse of Ethiopia would suggest a very different country.
We started to gain altitude quite quickly which meant the temperature dropped and we finally stopped sweating! We arrived in the town of Gonder early evening where we stayed in a basic hotel, and celebrated our arrival in Ethiopia with a night out on the town...
After two nights in Gonder, we headed towards Simien Mountains National Park. The roads were really rough - little more than dirt tracks so slow going. However, there was lots to see out of the truck windows so the journey was far from dull. We passed through numerous villages and towns. There is so much livestock everywhere - horses, cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys. Whenever, we pass children they wave and run after the truck. Sadly, this is mainly because they associate white people with handouts and they are constantly asking for money, sweets, pens and bread. They are hard to resist at times, but I don't think it helps to keep giving them handouts.
I will finish this post now before the internet crashes on me and will then attempt a post on our time in the Simien Mountains!
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