Ethiopia People & Culture

This is not really a town you go to without a good reason, I came here whilst en route to the Sudanese refugee camps 100km away near the border. The town is more Sudanese than Ethiopian and as it is out of the highlands the weather is much hotter than the rest of the country. Most of the people here are Nuer, but there are various other groups in the area too. I visited in 2000 and I believe than the security situation has become a lot more of a problem in recent years.

Mursi people accept only new banknotes so keep a good stash of mint 1birr notes with you when visiting. They can get quite agressive and you might see your not-so-new money being thrown on the ground and spat on. Sometimes it takes them months to get to spend it so they keep it hidden, probably buried somewhere. I guess the abundance of crappy notes you get in Ethiopia are their work.

Arrange a trip to the border town of Omorate, cross the Omo river in a dug-out canoe and visit the beautiful Dasenech people. They live in mobile huts so they can grab their houses and run when floods occur. Note their creativity in making jewellry, everything from empty gun shells to beer bottle caps is used! In some books they are referred to as Galeb people, but that is in fact an insult, Galeb meaning 'empty coffee bean shell' (as in garbage)

I highly recommend a walk up to the ruined rock-hewn church of Wusha Mikael (also known as Tekle Haymanot), To get there take a taxi (or walk) out past Arad Kilo to the Kenyan Embassy which is a couple of kilometres further on. Frequent minubuses also ply this route. Turn left immediately after the embassy and head up through the village into the hills. It takes about an hour and a half each way to get to Wusha Mikael. The people are helpful and friendly all the way and you won't get lost. Eventually you will pass a small, regular church and a cemetry. Just keep going on and up until the land levels out and then ask the locals to point you further.

The countryside is rather pretty with plenty of rocks and eucalyptus forests. There are also plenty of flat, green spaces which are ideal for camping. I particularly recommend the area nearest the church. The region is quite isolated from the noise and bustle of the city and is perfectly safe. Just ask the warden to direct you to a suitable spot and be nice to the local kids so they'll be nice to you.

The church itself dates from the 12th Century and is the southern-most church of its type in Ethiopia. It was hit by a bomb and badly damaged during during the Second World War but the ruins that are left are still impressive, even romantic, and definately worth the effort. The warden/guide (covered by the admission fee, about $5) will tell you the whole story and afterward show you a wonderful view point form which you can see the whole of Addis and surrounding mountains arrayed before you

Make sure you take the boat ride on Lake Tana to the different churches, but be ready for a little bit of off road hiking, same goes for the waterfall. Both are extremely beautiful places to visit.

Try arranging a short hike in the Simien Mountains to visit the endemic Gelada Babboon. Unlike other babboons, the Gelada has a bald spot on the chest which is quite practical, as it spends most of his time sitting. It is one of the rarest primates on the planet, but it is actually quite easy to spot. They congregate in groups of ten or more and getting in touch with them involves only an hour or two walking.

Visit all of the churches as they are all so beautiful. Give yourself time so you do not have to rush through them.

Beautiful rock hewn churches. Really hot compared to the rest of Ethiopia

Lots of castles in Gondar, it is cold here though as is much of Ethiopia. One of my favorite cities in Africa though

Stop off between Addis Ababa and Lalibela

This is not really a town you go to without a good reason, I came here whilst en route to the Sudanese refugee camps 100km away near the border. The town is more Sudanese than Ethiopian and as it is out of the highlands the weather is much hotter than the rest of the country. Most of the people here are Nuer, but there are various other groups in the area too. I visited in 2000 and I believe than the security situation has become a lot more of a problem in recent years.

Beautiful lake. the water is good for ur skin. the sun can be very hot in the summer. also be careful when swimming, don't go out to far. and watch out for the mix of hot and cold currents.