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!
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