I was going to head for Aksum, north of Lalibela, famous for its Obelisks .. but the guide I met yesterday said the road had been washed away and the only route was via Gonder ..a long way.
It is on the way to the Simien mountains .so after a breakfast "missing the Injera" I head off .. About 80 k's to join the tar road..and it's bad..
Driving in Ethiopia..come to think of it most of Africa..is draining! After 5-6 hours of bad roads, potholes big enough to hide an elephant, trucks, buses, cars, motorbikes, pedestrians, onlookers and animals, one is physically and mentally stuffed.. a meal, a beer and you are in bed.
The scenery is good.You do remember the comments about water.. It is usually left to the women to fetch..
Imagine an Aussie girl having to do this..
Aren't we lucky to be born white. And we had no choice.
Finally I get to the tar road and it is plain sailing..
Gonder here I come.
Fill up with diesel..it is cash only at the petrol stations and they all have fully armed guards with AK 47's.. Friendly bunch.
I get to Gonder at 2 and find a hotel US$40 per night that looks ok.. but decide instead to head for Debark just outside the Simien National Park gates.. A nice town.. and there is a brand new hotel in town.. I check it out and check in.. At dinner I meet a South African/Aussie guy and his English wife.. they are doing Ethiopia on the cheap.. local buses.. and have just spent 5 days trekking the park.. with a guide, an armed guard and a donkey carrying a tent and food. The guide and armed guard just slept on the ground under a bush.
They said it was great and I should try and make it to Chenek, where the view is spectacular.
They are catching the Gonder-Aksum bus early next day.. They have booked seats from Gonder but the bus company over sell so they have paid a guy to sit on the bus from Gonder to Debark and reserve 2 seats for them. $15 plus his return bus fare.
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