Ethiopia, The Land of Milk and Honey (and really good coffee)

Horseback riding through Bale Mountains in southern Ethiopia.
Photos courtesy of Jim Tanton

Jim and I just got back from three magical weeks in Ethiopia. We explored the Bale Mountains on horseback, crept through dark tunnels connecting rock-hewn churches in Lalibela, observed gelada monkeys up close in the Simien Mountains and drank macchiatos in the eastern walled city of Harar. We saw an enormous part of the country in only three weeks, mostly thanks to the convenience (and price) of Ethiopian Air domestic flights (*see bottom for notes).

I wanted to write not only to describe our adventures (the good and the ugly) but also to give advice to other travelers. When we were researching whether or not to go to the Bale Mountains, we were simply going off the guidebook. There are no accounts online whether or not it is a worthwhile excursion. We took a leap of faith and went, and it ended up being the highlight of our trip, a hidden gem of Ethiopia. The northern historical circuit (Lalibela-Gondar-Axum) is the usual tourist route, few people go south to the Bale region. Bale is split into two sections: one is Bale National Park, east of Dinsho, so remote that a car is usually necessary. The Bale Mountains to the south of Dodola are not part of the National Park but are remote and protected. There are settlements in these areas but they are few and far between. Coming from Uganda, we were shocked to see a forest inhabited by people that hadn't been completely stripped.

We took a bus from the Autobus Terra (near Mercado) direct to Dodola, passing through Shashemene. The guidebook says it's a 10-hour journey, but to our pleasant surprise it took only 5, thanks to a newly paved road. Dodola is a small town with few things to offer, including a decent hotel. The tourism industry here is still in its infancy, and the hospitality industry has yet to catch up. The guidebook (Brandt) describes one place as "wrapper-fresh" but when we checked it out, we literally walked into a brothel-like establishment. Yello! Stick with the Bale Mountain Motel, it's the best in town. The best part about Dodola is despite the fact that no one speaks English, there are no hotels, you can still get a bomb macchiato at any little café.

Side note history lesson about Ethiopia: it is the only country in Africa that was not colonized by European powers and remained independent throughout the Scramble for Africa. It is a country with an ancient and complex history, with a preserved culture and deep tradition to show for it. This is the place where coffee originated (Kaffa), and coffee ceremonies are an integral part of the culture here. But there's a twist: in 1935, Ethiopia was invaded and occupied by fascist Italy (under Mussolini) until the end of World War II. In their short tenure, the Italians left behind quite a legacy, including macchiatos, foccacia and spaghetti bolognese. Sixty years later, the legacy lives on and is a part of everyday life. Even in a town like Dodola, you can order a macchiato, sit around with all the locals and slowly sip your coffee. We went to the Bale Mountains Head Office and organized our four-day trek on horseback with Dodola Mountain Trekking. For four days, four horses a day, a guide, two handlers, park entrance fee, mountain hut fees, we paid only $70 each. Each! It was incredibly reasonable and one of the best adventures I've had.

We saddled up the next morning and headed out for the mountains on horseback, past vast fields where oxen pulled the plows in preparation for the rains. Unlike Uganda, domesticated animals are the beasts of burden. They use oxen to plow fields, donkeys to carry firewood, horses to pull carts and sheepdogs to herd sheep. It was nice to ride on horseback in a place where everyone else is riding horses. We soon passed all the fields and headed into an enchanting forest. Over the next three days, we saw so many different ecosystems and types of forest. A lot of it reminded us of the landscape on Mt. Sabinyo, with similar yellow fire lilies, heather-covered trees and huge lobelias. We galloped through open fields, went up and down steep mountain passes and crossed many rivers. Jim and I both had a shock when both our horses unexpectedly jumped over a stream, nearly sending us out of our saddles. We stayed each night in the rustic mountain refuges scattered along the track from Dodola (watch out for fleas!)

I loved the serenity and the vastness of Bale region, the locals were very friendly and relaxed. There was no hassling, no begging, just friendly smiles and waves. It was a welcome respite from daily life in Uganda. We would have a lot more of this in the rest of our Ethiopian travels.

Bale Mountains plateau near Sanetti

Horses grazing in Bale Mountains

Our horse handler Musa and our pack horse we named Trotsky. We got the little bell that goes around this horse's neck

 Our newest collection item. Local milk jug. It's made of woven grass, ox blood, leather and horn.

Morning in Bale

Local sheepdogs in the Bale Mountains. I'm in love.

Lalibela

After four days in the mountains, we rode back to Addis Ababa and caught an early flight to Lalibela. It's in the middle of nowhere in north central Ethiopia, and takes usually 2 days by car to reach. 

Lalibela is known for rock-hewn churches dating back to the 5th century AD, each of the eleven churches unique and ancient. The churches have been built into the rock, usually carved downwards so you have to take a dark tunnel down into the abyss.

We had fun exploring all the secret passageways that connect the clusters of churches. Beware, it is $50 for a weeklong pass to enter these churches as well as the surrounding area (and the priests and guards will still ask you for a tip!). On top of that, an official guide costs about $20 (too steep for us Peace Corps folk, so guidebook it is!) Despite the ethereal beauty and spirituality of the churches, there are quite a few hassles in the city. The locals all approach you to ask your name, where you come from and if you want a guide. After a few times, I wanted to be left in peace. I suppose that's the nature of a town that depends almost entirely on tourism-- there's going to be a lot of hassling from locals. At least we had some respite from being tirelessly called "Muzungu" in Uganda, here they either say "You!" or ferengi, or foreigner.

One of my favorite parts of this place was how these ancient rock-hewn churches are still alive. Everyday there is a service held, complete with chanting, bells and burning frankincense, in these old, worn spaces. I love how actively used they are, the churches haven't been boarded up as a museum, but are living relics. Our last morning there, we awoke at 6am to attend the St. Mary's celebration. It was a beautiful morning, with all the locals coming from all directions up the steps to St. Maryam's, wrapped in Ethiopian white muslin. 

Kissing the rock-hewn church in Lalibela

Afternoon prayers

Bet Giyorgis church

Next stop: Gondar and the Simien Mountains. We took a short flight from Lalibela to Gondar, and left the following morning to trek in the Simiens. The Simiens have been featured both on Planet Earth and Human Planet, starring the endemic gelada population. Gelada monkeys are endemic to Ethiopia, are the only grass-eating monkeys, and have over 30 calls in their repertoire. They were fascinating creatures to observe, especially since they made such a ruckus! 

Gelada monkey

The sun came out in the Simiens just in time! 

We trekked a few miles to the campsite for the night, a basic and rustic accommodation and not nearly as inviting as the Bale Mountains. We were traveling with two other German travelers, and bunked up in the shared dormitory. Despite the foggy weather, we still managed to get a few good views of the spectacular Simiens.

Our next and final stop was Harar. We flew to the sleepy town of Dire Dawa (somehow the second largest city in Ethiopia, but doubtful since we saw about 3 people!) and then took a bus into the highlands of Harar. Harar is one of the three distinct coffee growing regions in Ethiopia, and a city steeped in history. It used to be a self-governing city-state, complete with an amir, until Menelik's defeat and unification with Ethiopia. It is also known as the fourth holiest Muslim city (for reasons we never could seem to get to the bottom...) and not far from the Somali border. Harar was lovely, enchanting and had a certain Middle Eastern feel to it while still distinctly Ethiopian.

The old city had a walled enclosure, 365 alleyways and 99 mosques. Everyone (and I mean everyone) right down to the homeless lady on the corner, is chewing khat (also known as chat). Khat is a tender leaf that when chewed gives a caffeine-like high. Harar had wonderfully distinct foods, such as mulawah pastry smothered in honey and numaful, a white bean paste mixed with lentils, tomatoes and spicy beri beri. We explored the city for three days, meandering down alleys, drinking coffee at every other café and eating at Mermaid Cafe, chatting with locals. Arthur Rimbaud lived here for a time, after giving up poetry as a young man and deciding to become a coffee merchant. The house where he lived has beautiful architecture and stained glass windows, with a small library downstairs and old photographs of Harar from the 1890s hanging.
Our last délire was with the Hyena Man. We went out to the outskirts of town at dusk while the Hyena Man called hyenas from up to 20k away for a feeding frenzy. We got to feed the greedy hyenas by hand (and by mouth!) scraps of meat. I've never been so close to such a powerful creature before. I'm usually not one for touristy activities, but hey, for $5, this was a blast.

Exploring the hidden alleys in Harar

Jim in front of Harar Gate 

Harar khat market

Feeding the hyenas in Harar 

Arthur Rimbaud's house from when he lived here in 1891 as a coffee merchant

* Notes:
If you book international travel with Ethiopian Air, domestic flights are much cheaper. You will pay resident rate for domestic flights, around $50-100 as opposed to $300.