Travel information on Security & Safety for visitors in Ethiopia

Category Archives: Amhara

The Backroads in Ethiopia – Wer Illu to Mekdela (28 Sept 18)

Mekdela Amba.

Today started and ended in the rich historical annals is Ethiopia. In the sky above as I write Mars looms big and red near the sting in the tail of Scorpio. The Milky Way and trillions of visible stars light up the moonless landscape. I’m writing from Mekdela Amba, where the colourful reign of Emperor Tewedros came to a tragic and dramatic end rather like a shooting star.

The day started in Wer Illu, a Shoan town where the young Menelik, Negus (king) of Shoa, based himself in the 1870s while he waged campaigns that expanded the lands he ruled to the south, west and east. His power grew to the extent that upon Emperor Yohannes’ death he was easily able to claim the Imperial crown. It’s interesting to note that Menelik’s father was killed in battle by Tewedros and he himself was imprisoned on Mekdela, yet said Tewedros treated him like a son (but he still had to escape the fortress Amba!)

Early this morning in Wer Illu I walked around Menelik’s compound: a number of old stone buildings surrounded by a meter thick wall that took the high ground above the town with great views over the Wonchit gorge. One pillar is curiously signed as guest house with seating recently put around it.

I also visited Giyorgis church. I particularly liked the stone gatehouse. The church was closed so I didn’t see inside. Around the church were a number of old houses, probably once belonging to big families, now in poor shape. But the town had a feel to it with a number of old buildings with balconies, probably 150 years old.

Dawit had managed to find a mechanic who helped to fix the power steering oil leak. So we saved the pump from fatal damage and our arms from exhaustion. He also secured the fix on the engine oil leak, and we were ready to go.

It was a stunning drive from North Shoa to South Wollo. We saw large troops Geladas near the gorges that were all around at the start. Shoan houses with compound walls and fancy gate houses gave way to conical thatched cottages as we reached the highlands of South Wollo, with roofs reaching the ground to protect from the bitter cold.

We were climbing all the time in altitude. Wer Ilu was around 2,900 m but we climbed to well over 3,500 passing an amazing volcanic plug. Fields of Meskal daisies made it even more scenic.

We hit the ‘main road’ coming west from Dessie and enjoyed some 30km of asphalt before taking the road north to Adjbar and Tenta.
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It was along this road that we saw our first pilgrims to Gishen Mariam going on foot.

After lunch in Adjbar we picked up our Mekdela guide Getachew and two cooks and set off first to Tenta 10km to the north and then along a 17km road to Mekdela.

The road was pretty good. A bit steep in places, but just short of Mekdela the road was blocked by a rock slide.

I had no idea that there was a dirt road to the top of the Amba. Anyway we abandoned the Landy and walked the last few km to the top. The government have facilitated the construction of some 7 guesthouses is 3 clusters. Drone view of Mekdela Amba from east side

View from drone, guesthouses in bottom left, looming south along east side of Amba

It’s a bit over the top as we gathered they had 15 visitors last year. Due to the lack of ‘uptake’ there had been a decline the state of the buildings. Some are not in use. The toilet by our guesthouse had such a small hole in it that it was unusable. But the long drop at the ‘northern’ guest house was fine. The cooks bought some supplies: bread, rice, oil and onion. So I added veggies and Shiro. We had a delicious dinner: rice, Shiro & al dente veggies. I’m not sure what they planned to feed us. But no tea, coffee, bottled drinks or breakfast.

We explored the southern end of the Amba where Menelik had his buildings. His ‘suicide’ place was clearly marked, and the remains of the prison, store and Medhan Alem church (looted and destroyed by the British ?). We also saw Tewedros’ burial place, a quite glade of trees and a concrete stone. A very simple place and somewhat moving. At the southern end, beyond a water catchment) amusingly called Tewedros’ swimming pool) is Mariam church with a pretty wood around it,and a brightly painted church.

Later I tried to fly my drone of the western edge. I got a few photos despite the wind before I crash landed ?.

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Ethiopia is safe to travel to, says British FCO, so pack your bags and come and see this ancient land.

British FCO map advising travellers going to Ethiopia

British FCO map advising travellers going to Ethiopia

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) have lifted travel advise against non essential travel to all tourist destinations in Ethiopia. On 2nd December they returned their advise to the pre September levels with exception of several remote woredas (district) in North West of Gondar, by lifting advise against travel to western Amhara and parts of Oromiya.

Naturally we knew it was safe for tourists to visit for a long time now, and having just been back from the Simiens, Gondar and Bahir Dar myself, I could see  how peaceful it was. A priest on Lake Tana was confused as to why tourists were staying

Tana Cherkos Museum, L.Tana

Tana Cherkos Museum and monk, Lake Tana

away from his church. It was not easy to explain to him why foreign governments thought Ethiopia so dangerous. I look at some of the advise still on these websites and am baffled myself.

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Imagine the changes and upheaval that has passed by Lake Tana in the last 2900 years! Armies of Queen Yodit (a Jewish Queen) Mohammed Gragn (from Harar) resulted in burned churches and upheaval, as did wars between factious regional leaders and epochs of civil war that left their damage. The recent disturbances pale against those

Lake Tana fisherman on a Tankwa,-  papyrus canoe.

Lake Tana fisherman on a Tankwa,- papyrus canoe.

of history! Lake Tana is a tranquil place, with history going back into the mists of time. It is a lake which still has hippos and where you can greet fishermen passing by in the papyrus tankwa canoes (a craft also found on the Nile and Lake Titicaca!).  So pack your bags and  come and see for yourself.

 

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Lalibela & Meket now safe for travel – so says British FCO

Happy tourists on Mnt Abuna Yoseph

Happy tourists on Mnt Abuna Yoseph

The British FCO has now removed the travel advise against non essential travel to Eastern Amhara, (including Lalibela and the Meket & Lasta Community Treks). [See here] This means UK insurance companies policies will be valid for visits to these areas.

 

This change in advise has also been taken by many other western governments, all of whom have realised travel in Northern Ethiopia is safe for tourists (and has been for some time now!)

What about Gondar, Bahir Dar and the Simiens?

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Giyorgis festival in Meket, villagers ready to welcome tourists

Giyorgis festival in Meket, villagers ready to welcome tourists

Well the British still advise against non-essential travel to these areas.  We sincerely hope this will be lifted in the coming weeks too. Other western countries no longer give advise against travel even in the western parts of Amhara and Tourists are traveling though these places in quite large numbers with no problem. I myself will be traveling to the Simiens, Gondar and Bahir Dar next week and will report on my trip with photos.
If you are visiting to places where the FCO advises

Lalibela - a subterranean labyrinth of passageways

Lalibela – a subterranean labyrinth of passageways

against non-essential travel, then do check with your insurance company to see if your insurance will still be valid. Some companies will provide cover for medi-vac, and other services (but not political evacuation) for areas to which the FCO advises against. Examples are TAG and BUPA Global.

So how about you plan your trip for Christmas and New Year now before all the good slots get taken! We can arrange wonderful treks on the Meket plateau or climbing mount Abuna Yoseph (4,300 m peak and home to a pack of Wolves), and give you time to make a visit to Lalibela with its labyrinth of subterranean rock hewn churches.

 

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