Travel information on Security & Safety for visitors in Ethiopia

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Tesfa treks ‘are one of the best’ – in the Rough Guides

Tesfa treks are down in Rough Guides as ‘one of the best 7 walking trips you’ve never heard of!

Recognising the off the beaten trail nature of the Tesfa treks,  the Rough Guides have us – check it out

See the various community treks that are possible with Tesfa Tours in Ethiopia . – in Wollo near Lalibela, in Tigray’s Agame mountains, in the Simiens south of the National Park, and on the Rift Valley escarpment near Ankober in the Wof Washa forest
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Staying with the community on Tesfa treks will be the highlight of your trip

The view from Mequat

We just received this amazing feedback:-

“Mark, your treks were amazing. Staying at these 4 places [2 nights in Wollo & 2 nights in Tigray] was just pure happiness and the best moments of this trip. We’re grateful.”

From a French couple who came out of the Agame Mountains in Tigray this morning having traveled across the North of Ethiopia with Tesfa Tours.

Don’t miss out. Spend at least a few nights with the Tesfa communities on

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View from Enaf Community Guest house

your tour of Ethiopia.

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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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The Unique Tesfa Calendar is ready!

New Tesfa Calendar
(desk top and agenda)

The new Tesfa Calendar that runs from Sep 2018 – Aug 2019 (ie Ethiopian Year 2011) is now in its 12th year and is ready!

This calendar is unique in that it details the Ethiopia dates, holidays, saints days, fasts , Islamic holidays and more onto a western calendar month format. So you can see on 11 September it is Meskerem 1 2011, you can see it is a public holiday – Enkutatash (New Year), its also Yohannes – (John the Baptist’s) Annual saints day and Al Hijara- Islamic New Year … not to forget its the monthly Lideta Mariam (birthday of St Mary) day.

This goes along side stunning photos that will make you want to get out of Addis,

The Tesfa hanging calendar – promoting the community treks

or fly over from where ever you have the calendar and see this beautiful country. The photos are taken from the Tesfa Community treks across the north of the country (the Agenda has photos from other additional places too).

This year the calendar comes in 3 versions:

The traditional hanging calendar (29cm across ands 53cm down)- 12 months with 13 photos. We ask a donation of 200 birr to help support the Tesfa communities who have guesthouses around the country hosting visitors enabling them to walk through their beautiful landscapes.

The desktop version, like the hanging calendar but smaller to fit on your desk (20cm x 17cm) – same pages – with photos facing back and dates forward. We also ask the 200 birr donation for these calendars.

But few things had to be taken care of in order to avoid prescription viagra problems in the near future. More natural methods such as taking exercise, stopping smoking, and relaxing from viagra buy daily stress have proven very effective for many people. If a diabetic polyneuropathy generic viagra 25mg occurs, means that something is wrong with them and they may be distressed about it. In addition to chiropractic manipulations, viagra without prescription djpaulkom.tv lifestyle habits and nutritional changes also play a significant role. New and exciting this year is the Agenda (approx 21cm x 15cm) in portrait format, has 1 week to a page and so 53 pages (52.14 weeks a year) – running from Monday to Sunday on each right hand page, and with a photo to match on the left hand page. The agenda will also include a map showing where the community tourism guesthouses are located. For this agenda we ask 400birr

The Tesfa Agenda – Ethiopia and western calendar merged

donation – however if you buy 3 we will ask only 1,000 birr!

The calendars are available from our offices at Kebena, but we will also have copies at various locations around Addis, notably ICS, Sandford School, German School.  If you would like to hold copies to distribute in your organisation please let us know.

For further information call 011 124 5178 / or email calendars@tesfatours.com

 

 

 

 

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Calling all photographers/ Photos needed

photo of Ras Dashen while on a Tesfa Trek in Simiens, curtesy of Kevin Rushby

Calling all photographers who have been on a Tesfa Trek.  We are producing the new Tesfa Calendar and are looking to use photos from

Tesfa Calendars

your treks -Wollo, Tigray Wof Washa or Janamora (south of Simien Park)?

Each year we produce a calendar to promote the community treks I am looking for some of your photos to include in the new Ethiopian Calendar 2011(Ethiopian Year =2018/9.

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We look for photos of landscapes, guesthouses, the community, their lifestyle and the wildlife.

The calendars now come in 3 versions:- wall hanging, desktop and agenda!  All contributors will get a free calendar sent to them!

 

 

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May – A month of holidays in Ethiopia

Arbegenoch – Ethiopian Patriots

There are a number of upcoming holidays in the merry month of May:

The May Day holiday on 1 May (Labour Day) is the first and is an internationally recognised  holiday (although the UK has moved it to the 1st Monday in May which kind of takes the magic out!)

The May 5th / Miazza 27 is Patriots Day and commemorates Haile Selassie’s triumphal return to Addis Ababa, ending the five year occupation of the city by Italian forces in World War II. In particular it honours the Ethiopian patriots (Arbegnoch) who fought for the liberation of their country alongside British (troops from Africa) and other Allied Forces from the Commonwealth countries, France and Belgium). This year, 77 years after this historic occasion, the very few surviving Patriots that are still able will lay a wreath at Arat Kilo in the centre of Addis Ababa.

Mengistu Haile Mariam

May 28th, Genbot Haya (20) is the date upon which EPRDF forces entered Addis Ababa ending the rule of Mengistu’s government which was known as the Derg.  The Derg was the name given to the committee of the military and police that coordinated the new government following the over throw of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. The Derg, initially a temporary military committee, manoeuvred to take over the government, deposed and imprisoned the Emperor Haile Selassie in September 1974. In August 1975 he was killed in slightly mysterious circumstances. The Derg also formally abolished the monarchy and formally took on the communist ideology.

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EPRDF forces enter Addis Ababa 28 May 1991

Mengistu Haile Mariam quickly rose through the ranks to become the chairman in 1977, enforcing the Derg’s power with a two years of brutal repression called the Red Terror that killed many thousands of innocent people, and imprisoned thousands more.  The Derg also imposed nationalisation of land and businesses, and increasingly faced armed rebellion in Eritrea and Tigray. Horrific famine followed killing maybe 100,000 people and displacing many more.

The Derg officially came to an end as a system of government in February 1987, and in September that year a new government “People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia” came into force, with however, Mengistu as a civilian still heading the

government. The collapse of Mengistu’s government became inevitable in early 1991 with EPRDF forces capturing cities such as Gondar, Bahir Dar and Dessie.  On 21 May with his government in disarray Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe where he still lives under shadow of a death sentence. On 28th May 1991, (Genbot 20) EPRDF forces entered Addis Ababa with very little fighting.

On community trek with the local kids in Meket

These holidays give you a chance for a long weekend here or there and are excellent opportunities to get out and see some of the stunning countryside and historical sights of Ethiopia. Why not book a Tesfa trek, a perfect way to see the scenery, culture and some of the wildlife that abounds in Ethiopia.

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The great Lenten fast draws to a close and Easter approaches

Fasika in Lalibela

Enkwanaderasachu

Best wishes to everyone celebrating Easter on either the 1st or the 8th of April. Easter in Ethiopia, known as Fasika is celebrated according to the Orthodox or Eastern church calendar this year on 8th April. Some years it falls on the same day as in the western church, some years it can be far apart, but this year it is one week after western Easter.

Fasika is a Ge’ez (the ancient liturgical language of Ethiopia) word and also the word in Amharinya and Tigrinya for Easter. Easter is also sometimes called Tensae a Ge’ez word meaning to rise). It is one

Sheep are bought into Addis for sale for holidays

of the most important holidays in Ethiopia, marking the end of a long 55 day Lenten fast. On Easter Sunday chickens, sheep, goats and cattle are dispatched for the pot as the fasting comes to an end in no uncertain terms. Sunday sees piles of sheep skins on street corners, to be picked up by small dealers in trucks. In the days leading up to Easter flocks of sheep and goats as well as herds of oxen are driven by herders into the city, chickens are driven in trucks and pick ups. They are sold at impromptu markets all over the city to be slaughtered in back yards. Prices of livestock more than double for Easter. Sheep come to the capital with drovers bringing them across countryside from several hundred miles away, from Shoa and even as far as Wollo.

Local shepherd boys in Wollo


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After Easter there is no fasting not even on Wednesdays and Fridays until after Pentecost on 27th May (Parakilitos). In the countryside the end of the fasting is celebrated in different ways. In Tigray priests are feted with parties held by different households from their parish. In Wollo I have seen the girls making swings from rope to hang from trees and sing songs while swinging, while the boys have javelin contests. Its also a second wedding season as people like to get married before the rainy season and after the fasting. These are enjoyable times in the countryside, and if you have the chance to spend a week or so up in the countryside on a Tesfa Trek in Wollo, Tigray or the Simiens you will be a very welcome guest and

Hosanna palm rings

participant at the celebrations. Its still not too late to book your trek in early April!

The lead up to Fasika starts now with Palm Sunday or Hosanna this Sunday (1 week before Easter, 1st April this year).  It is a very special day in the Orthodox church commemorating Jesus’s march into Jerusalem on a donkey with Palm fonds laid before him. It is marked with palms (worn by many worshippers on hands or head), processions and special services in the church.

Following Hosanna is the last week of the Great Lenten fast or Hudadi.  This final week of Hudadi is commonly known as Holy Week, or the “Week of Pains” or in Ethiopia Himamat and it is the strictest part of Lent. During Himamat no absolution is given, and during this week the fast becomes yet more rigorous. For some strict worshippers, having broken the fast after mass on Thursday they will not eat any food nor drink even a drop of water until Easter morning. So they totally abstain for all of Good Friday (or Sekelet) and Saturday, breaking this fast after the church service that goes through the night on Saturday, finishing at around 3am on Sunday morning. These three days are known as “Qanona”. The priests neither eat nor drink but remain in the churches singing and praying incessantly.

As far as I am aware no other major religion has such penitential fasting. For the strict observers of the fast, the 55 days of Lent are very tough on the body. Fasting in Ethiopia not only means a vegan diet but also means many hours of no food or drink. Each fasting day the observer will not eat of drink anything from the time they wake up until after the mass in the middle of the day is finished in church for many that means 3-4pm. Two simple meals may then follow, a late ‘lunch’ or more properly ‘break-fast’, and a light supper in the evening. What is staggering is that there is no drinking – not water, not coffee, nothing – during those fasting hours.

For vegetarians the end of Lent means no fasting food, even on Wednesdays and Fridays – so make the most of the last week of fasting.

 

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Looking for people with whom to trek?

Happy trekkers on Mnt Abuna Yoseph, Wollo

Want to go on a trek but need a companion?

We have been thinking about linking solo trekkers who wish to have another person/people to join them to share costs, and be a companion on the trek.

On this post we will note down solo trekkers who are looking for others to join them. We will not post the contact info of clients or potential clients – only their name.

Start date – approx 23 June / 4 night trek / Abuna Yoseph mountain (behind Lalibela).  A great trek into the Afro Alpine,

Trekking in Meket

climbing the highest mountain in Ethiopia outside of the Simien and Bale mountains.      Ref Matthew Lloyd Thomas

Start date: 27 Oct  / 5 night trek / Eastern Meket /  client coming from Gondar  but (access from Gondar, Bahir Dar or Lalibela). Gondar, Bahir Dar or Lalibela). This trek is on the Meket escarpment outside Lalibela – a walk with great views over the lowlands to the north and along the escarpment. See the rural life of the farmers along the plateau .      Ref Annika Keller
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Start date: 4 Nov / 4 night trek / Wof Washa forest on Rift Valley escarpment 140km N.E. of Addis Ababa. This is a stunning trek into

The forest & valley in early morning – Lik Marefya, Wof Washa forest

indigenous forest ranging from Erica Arboreal at high altitude to Juniper, Olive and Podocarps as you head lower down. Can be accessed with a drive (>3hrs) from Addis –  via Debre Berhan.         Ref Annika Keller 

If you are interested to join on ay of these treks or would like more details please contact Mark@tesfatours.com,  copy to Hlina@tesfatours.com     Happy Trekking!

 

 

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Melkam Timkat

The community at Mequat Mariam parade the Tabot out at TImkat with Ethiopian flags flying

The community at Mequat Mariam in Wollo parade the Tabot out at Timkat

Today one of Ethiopia’s big holidays has started, it is the eve of Timkat and if you are in Addis the roads are closing as the Tabots are paraded out of the churches on their way to the field where the Baptism of Jesus will be commemorated tomorrow morning.  Timkat – meaning ‘Baptism’ is a festival that seems to encapsulate Ethiopia’s unique place in the world. It is frequently referred to as Epiphany, which while technically correct undersells what is a very special and Ethiopian day. Epiphany is a Greek word meaning manifestation or appearance, and it celebrates the events in Christ’s life that showed him to be the son of God. In the early church (before Rome got into it) this was the major feast in the church after Easter. In Epiphany was encapsulated all the major events that manifested Christ’s Godhood to man: his birth (Nativity) , the visit of the Magi, the turning watering wine at the wedding in Canaa, and his baptism in the Jordan river. With the appearance of Christmas in the developing church as a new festival, his nativity was taken out of Epiphany.

Holes are cut in the Ice in Russia

Bathers queue to dip in the freezing water in St..Petersburg

In the Eastern Orthodox churches Epiphany, in Greece often called Theophany (meaning shinning forth/appearance) is celebrated to commemorate the Baptism of Jesus as it is in Ethiopia. In Russia people cut a hole in the ice on a body of water and jump in. In Greece a cross is thrown into water and men dive for the honour of bringing it back. In Ethiopia, the holy Tabot is the heart of the church and what in fact makes a church holy, is processed to a place where water will be blessed. The tabot is in fact a replica of the Tablets of Stone that Moses carried down from Mount Sinai (although many state that they are a replica of the the Ark of Covenant).

In fact it is really spread over 2 or 3 days. This year – (leap years are different next one is 2020), it will start on the 18th Jan (Ter 10). In Addis the Tabots will leave the churches at around 2pm with a big procession, singing of hymns and chants, drumming, horns being blown and dancing to the chants. Icons are processed and most especially the tabots wrapped in brocaded cloth carried on the heads of the high priests under umbrellas. The procession will makes its way over several hours to the special resting point for the tabots. In north eastern Addis Ababa this place is Jan Meda (the Imperial horse racing fields). At Jan Meda about a dozen tabots spend the night with tents for shelter, and priests and devoted followers. The fields become the centre of the festival for the evening and next day, and for tabots from St Mikael churches the next day too.

Tens of thousands of people will gather at the fields in the evening, hundreds sell refreshments and nicknacks. The roads around are packed solid.  During the processions roads are closed across the city (and the country) and no cars can pass. Houses beside the route the tabots pass are blessed. Young lads lay down carpets on the road in front off the tabot. They rapidly roll them up behind and run them round to the front again, extreme hard work and a devotion that illustrates how deep seated are the beliefs and culture of the Orthodox church even in the capital city.

Where to see it? Head to your nearest Orthodox church, and plan to be there by 2pm. Then you can join in the procession to the fields. Don’t be worried by the crowds, everyone is joyful and will be happy to see you, but do show respect for the priests and the tabots, dress appropriately (women should cover heads and neither men nor women should wear short clothing – if you have traditional white cotton clothes all the better). At the convergence points of the tabots there could be pick pockets at work so be careful of possessions and do not carry unnecessary valuables.
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The followers play the church drum “Kabero” and dance the tabot across town

These Timkat processions are through-out Ethiopia where ever there is an Orthodox church. Procession make there way across towns in urban areas and over the fields in the countryside, to a place where in the morning the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan river is commemorated. Water will be blessed and the multitudes will be splashed with the holy water and try to take some home with them in bottles. Following this ceremony the tabots (with the exception of Mikael tabots) will be processed back to their church with similar joy, noise, colour and reverence to that with which they were processed today. These processions bring to mind the biblical accounts of King David’s processing the Ark of Covenant to Jerusalem: “So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.” although Ethiopia’s instruments are drums and horns.

So where should you go to see it (in Ethiopia). In Addis Ababa, head for your nearest place where tabots have congregated, and try to get there quite early (8am). There will be big crowds near the major places such as Jan Meda, and beware of pickpockets! In the countryside similarly head for the tabots resting place early in the morning. Local people will tell you when.

Worshippers jump into the Fasilides baths

In Gondar you will need to seek out a place early in the morning at Fasilidas’ baths. It becomes extremely crowded. Your guide will advise you. The moment of the joyful splashing is the high point. In Gondar youngsters jump into the pool, in Addis the clergy spray the crowd from the water in the pool in the midst of the field. In parishes up and down the country water is splashed from the blessed pool, spring or river in a joyous celebration. Then you can follow the joyful processions back up to the churches.

The 20th January, Ter 12, is one of the big St Mikael days in the year, and also commemorates the Wedding Feast at Canaa when Jesus turned water into wine. The St.Mikael tabots remain in the field on the 19th and on the morning if the 290th a special mass is celebrated and the procession then begins back to the Mikael church. This is the biggest procession of them all as followers of other nearby churches will join in. In many places there is Gooks: racing of decorated horses around the procession. With a lot of dancing through the morning the Tabot is processed back to its church bestowing blessings on all whose house is passed. Most processions will be finished by around 2pm.

Melkam Timkat!

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Treks that change lives!

Tesfa Community Treks providing income to local villagers, and open the eyes of the guests.

Enaf Tesfa village guesthouse in Tigray

An increasing number of discerning tourists are looking to the Tesfa Community Treks where villagers host the tourists and benefits flow directly to the local hosts. For while the Simien Mountains and Bale Mountains have been drawing tourists for decades, keen to trek in these Afro Alpine mountains with their unique wildlife the Tesfa treks also have wildlife and stunning views but at the same time tourists are giving a big something back, and experiencing the real Ethiopia of the highland farmers.

Since 2003 Tesfa treks have been hosting tourists in the

Mequat Mariam Scones for breakfast

mountains of North Wollo around Lalibela. Initially in Meket Woreda and more recently Gidan and Lasta woredas local villages have built 11 guesthouses organised as cooperatives to host small groups of walkers along the basalt escarpments that surround Lalibela. Included in this network of guesthouse are several on Mount Abuna Yoseph, a protected area around the highest peak in Ethiopia outside of the Simien and Bale Mountains at 4,288m.  The higher reaches of Abuna Yoseph are home to a pack of Ethiopian wolves, as well as troops of Gelada, leopards and many raptors.

Mequat Mariam guesthouse, N.Wollo

Since 2012 tourists have also been walking on the Tesfa treks in the Agame mountains around Adigrat in E.Tigray. There is a network of 7 village guesthouses with stunning walks between and a number of magnificent rock hewn churches that are rarely visited by tourists (other than those staying in the guesthouses). Again there are Geladas and amazing birds to see but as with the treks in Wollo, it is the host communities and the age-old farming life of the highlands that have the biggest impact on the visitors. The hospitality is humbling and simplicity of life prompts something to all of us coming from our cluttered and hectic lives.

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Breakfast @Taga Mariam, Simiens

Now Tesfa is opening up new areas for community treks, with 3 simple village guesthouses to the south of the Simien National Park (Funded by African Wildlife Foundation) and 4 village guesthouses in North Shoa, in and around Wof Washa forest, just beyond Ankober. As with the village guesthouses in Wollo and Tigray, each guesthouse is owned and run by a community from the local village organised into a cooperative.

In each case 55% of the payment (around $34USD) goes to pay the village community and lunch (mostly provided by the village or another nearby provider), 25% goes towards local

The forest at Wof Washa, N.Shoa

guides and coordinators, and only 20% (+VAT) is kept by Tesfa Tours who provide the marketing and booking service. Each community provides not just accommodation, but food, hot drinks, and a pack animal. The cost per night also includes a guide, so all that remains is transport in and out and bottled drinks (sold by the community ) – beers, water, soft drinks and maybe some wine or gin and tonic!  Facilities include beds, with sheets and blankets, a simple sit down toilet, a dining room, and great views!

For more information contact info@tesfatours.com or pop by our Addis office.  We will also add more information on our

The view from Janamora Woreda to Ras Dashen

website in the near future.

Get out into the fresh air of the mountains and experience the Real Ethiopia!

 

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