Advertisement 1

Ethiopia is one of Africa’s best kept secrets

The jewel in Ethiopia’s crown is Lalibela, an hour’s flight from Addis Ababa.

Article content

Ethiopia – When I told friends we were going there this spring, they were almost unanimous: “Why would you want to go there….isn’t it the poorest country in Africa…..aren’t they still in the midst of a famine….is it safe?” And the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Max 8, a few weeks before we departed Canada, didn’t help.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

Yes, they are poor, but proud. So proud.

Yes food shortages and poverty are continuing issues, and armed conflict and the potential for ethnic violence exists near the borders with Kenya, Sudan and Eritrea, so it is always best to check the government advisor website first.

Article content

Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, has just been awarded the Model Peace Prize for his work on restarting peace talks with neighbouring Eritrea and beginning to restore freedoms in his country after decades of political and economic repression.

In the ten days we were there, we never once felt unsafe.

The face of a Gelada baboon, which is found only in Ethiopia.
The face of a Gelada baboon, which is found only in Ethiopia. Photo by Clive Jackson

As we quickly discovered, Ethiopia has extraordinary history and culture, stunning ruins, and beautiful scenery – but until now not many tourists.

Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

That is changing. Fast.

The jewel in Ethiopia’s crown is Lalibela, an hour’s flight from Addis Ababa. The area contains 13 spectacular churches and chapels carved from solid rock beneath the earth’s surface, sometime between the 12 and 13th centuries.

Some describe it as the world’s most spellbinding collection of historical religious sites. Many Ethiopians claim it is the eighth wonder of the world – there is a legitimate argument to make it one of the Seven Wonders.

A priest inside one of the rock-hewn churches in Lalibela.
A priest inside one of the rock-hewn churches in Lalibela. Photo by Clive Jackson

As you stand on the ground above, you peer down onto the rock hewn churches, carved straight out of the massive rock at your feet. As you climb down 45 feet or more into the carved interiors, you marvel at quite how they managed such a feat.

The biggest church in this subterranean village is the 8,000 square foot Bet Medhane Alem, and its vast size creates a cathedral-like atmosphere.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

But the most spectacular is Bet Giyorgis, carved in the form of a cross.

In addition to the 13 churches there are monasteries almost hanging from the mountainsides around Lalibela and perched on nearby mountaintops.

Ethiopia was so spectacular, in fact, that it immediately rocketed into my top five countries of all time.

The Semien Mountains, in northern Ethiopia.
The Semien Mountains, in northern Ethiopia. Photo by Clive Jackson

In addition to its history the landscapes and scenery stand out. The Simien Mountains on the Ethiopian plateau – one of nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country – are one of the most stunning panoramas in the world, with jagged peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices dropping up to 5,000 feet.

During one driving trip around the Grand Canyon-style rim, I found myself sitting peacefully surrounded by as many as 400 Gelada baboons. I was taken to this beautiful place by local tribesmen who, like everyone we met in Ethiopia, were kind and gentle.

Advertisement 5
Story continues below
Article content

We stayed in a splendid new lodge built into a ridge on one of the rims overlooking the breathtaking beauty of the Simiens, sipping Ethiopian beer as the colours changed throughout the day.

The Limalimo Lodge is run by an English woman who is married to an Ethiopian. But the lodge was the dream of two Simien Mountain guides, who wanted to make sure local communities benefited from tourism.

It was, however, an exception to the rule. The accommodation generally has a way to go before being able to reach more luxurious Western standards, apart from Addis Ababa itself.

But Ethiopians realize the infrastructure has to change – and there are signs that it is.

A woman on a mountain just outside Addis Adaba carrying an estimated 75kg of wood on her back.
A woman on a mountain just outside Addis Adaba carrying an estimated 75kg of wood on her back. Photo by Clive Jackson

Our knowledgeable guide Abenezer Dereje, who was with us throughout the trip, said tourism grew by nearly 50 per cent last year, and will be up even more this year. It now represents nearly ten per cent of the country’s economy, and one person in 12 works for the industry.

Advertisement 6
Story continues below
Article content

But with 100 million people, it remains one of the poorest nations on earth. And yet the gentle people are amongst the proudest we’ve met anywhere on the planet.

Dereje said that of course, everyone associates Ethiopia with the famine of the 1980s and the Live Aid concerts. It was the terrible drought and heart wrenching hunger, which inspired Bob Geldof’s Band Aid in 1984 to raise funds. But he says precautions have been taken to ensure that it never happens again.

Ethiopia is also arguably the birthplace of civilization following the discovery of the 3.2 million-year-old skeleton named Lucy in the Eastern part of the country.

The actual skeleton is stored away from the public eye in an Addis Ababa vault, but there is an exact replica in the National Museum.

Advertisement 7
Story continues below
Article content

Ethiopia also boasts one of the longest running royal dynasties in the world, dating back to around 10BC when Sheba visited King Solomon of Israel and, as legend has it, gave birth to the country’s first king.

The imperial line lasted until 1974, when the descendants of Haile Selassie were deposed. Nowadays it is a republic.

History is well represented in Addis, an epic city of sprawling proportions. In the Holy Trinity Cathedral it is hard not to be impressed by the massive granite tombs containing Haile Selassie and his wife.

It is also home to the biggest, and most chaotic, marketplace in Africa – six square miles jammed with people buying anything that can be sold.

The Bebre Birhan Selassie church in Gondar.
The Bebre Birhan Selassie church in Gondar. Photo by Clive Jackson

Outside Addis the country has medieval forts, palaces and tombs like the citadel in Gondar and the towering stone stelae of Axum. In Gondar, make time to visit the Debre Beerha Selassie Church, with beautiful biblical scenes painted onto the walls and ceilings – with gorgeous doe-eyed Ethiopian angels. The city is also studded with fairy tale castles and palaces, dating from its heyday in the 17th and 18 Centuries.

Advertisement 8
Story continues below
Article content

The source of the Blue Nile is close by at Lake Tana in Bahir Dar. And further south, the Lower Omo Valley is the home to the most colourful tribes on earth, including the Mursi with ceramic plates in the lower lips of the women.

How we got there

For two people, including internal airfares (we had six flights) the cost was around $7,000. We travelled with Jacaranda tours, booked through Personal Travel Management based in Vancouver.

And yes, we flew with Ethiopian Airways, right after the Max-8 crash, and found the airline to be clean and efficient – every flight was on time. It is still considered one of the best airlines in Africa.

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    News Near Tillsonburg
      This Week in Flyers