Crossing the border from Islamic Sudan to Christian Ethiopia is like entering a whole other world: beer, prostitutes, no more head scarves and well, not so many bras. No wonder this country went from 15 million people in 1935 to a population of 85 million. Yes, that’s Christianity for you! LOL And the most amazing thing we see: green! Never ever would we have imagined that Ethiopia would be such a green and lush country! Trees, plants and flowers everywhere! What a change from the Sudanese desert! Beautiful!!!!
Driving at about 20 kph, people everywhere!
Our first stop is the Village of Tim & Kim at lake Tana in Gorgora. We know, it doesn’t sound very Ethiopian. Tim and Kim are a Dutch couple that started their own hostel with camping facilities as well. Not just a place to stay for travellers but a fantastic spot on earth were you can relax and enjoy nice food (goodness, we even had baked potatoes and mayo!). More so, these guys have started this project not just for themselves, it is a hostel with a heart. The money they make flows back into the community of Gorgora: they employ 15 people that work here full time, they teach them English and make sure they get medical treatment when needed. Slowly but surely the project is advancing and after more than 4 years of hard work it has definitely become a little heaven on earth. In case you come to Ethiopia one day, you can drop them a line. Their site is www.timkimvillage.com.
Personal touch on the car :)
Meeting our Dutch friends again
After a couple of days of relaxing in this great hostel we drive to Dongor a bit up north. From here we go further up to the Simien mountains national park via a horrible road with no tarmac at all: it takes us 3 hours to drive the 100 kilometres! On arrival we go straight to the office were we need to arrange our entrance fee and our scout. No entering the national park without a scout. You don’t need a guide if you don’t want to but a scout has to come along. And so we even get to meet our scout shortly: a little man with a big smell. Oh yes, this looks very promising for the next two days! LOL At 7.30 the next morning we are there to pick him up. It might still be cold outside at this time of the day, but we need air. And we might not have airco but we do have awco: all windows can open! LOL So wearing all our warmer clothes and a scarf we drive up to the entrance of the park. And we have to say we really were lucky with our scout. He knew where to go, he kept children away from the car, spotted the walia ibixes and did not speak a word of English. Just how we like it! LOL So we have really enjoyed our little trip to the mountains. The only little minor thing was the boy throwing a rock at the car. Ethiopian children find it funny to do that. So as we are driving this boy throws a rock at us. Before I know it Kosta is our of the car running behind the kid! I tell you people, he was not running but flying! Full speed ahead… unfortunately at a higher altitude that we are not used to, the lungs do not support this effort. LOL Kosta might not have caught the boy but sure as hell gave him a good scare! And the boy fell, so that gave us some pleasure (or are we just being cruel now? LOL).
Cute baboon
Great views
Kosta and our scout
The hard to spot walia ibix (zoomed in like a thousand times)
Awco??? Bon bijna mijnen thee uitgetuft over men toestenbord vant lachen :o))))))
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