ETHIOPIA
Addis Ababa, the sprawling, ramshackle capital city, has a population of about 3.5 million. Poverty is rife, but it is one of the safest cities on the continent. A tour guide will say, in all seriousness, that you could walk around the city at night unaccompanied, should you wish to do so. A better idea, however, is to recommend
your clients book a formal tour. The National and Ethnographic museums, Mariam Church and St George’s Cathedral will satisfy culture vultures. Those more drawn to retail therapy can enjoy Mercato, one of Africa’s largest open-air markets. Radisson Blu, Sheraton and Hilton
all have a presence in the city. I stayed at the InterContinental and The Friendship International hotel. Both were clean, comfortable and had all the amenities one would expect of a five-star property. It would be disingenuous, however, to call them luxury hotels. According to the authorities a large number of hotels are due to come on stream in the coming years. However, the tour guides will tell you that hotel and infrastructure projects are generally delayed for many years.
ABOVE: An Orthodox Christian church in Addis Ababa
BELOW: A churchman RIGHT: The lion is the symbol of Ethiopia
PHIL ASKER
FOUNDER, CAPTAIN’S CHOICE
CAPTAINSCHOICE.CO.UK
Below: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ethiopia has a troubled history including more than its fair share of war and famine. Without them, it would be overrun by tourists. The capital Addis Ababa is a fascinating city but the most amazing attractions are around the Historic Route. Bahir Dar on Lake Tana, with its tiny monasteries on islands and headlands, is a great introduction. The Blue Nile Falls are nearby. Cross the lake or fly to Gondar, the old royal capital where emperor after emperor built ever more-imposing palaces, which still stand in all their glory. The highlight is Lalibela. A dirt road from the tiny airport takes you to its 11 Coptic Christian churches which were carved from solid rock in the 13th century. King Lalibela trekked overland to Jerusalem, spent two years there and returned to build the New Jerusalem in Ethiopia, conscripting 25,000 men who worked day and night to build these 11 churches and four more outside the town. Each is tiny, with a priest chanting inside and incense burning. Further north is Axum with the remains of the
Palace of the Queen of Sheba, and supposedly the home of the Ark of the Covenant. To anyone who goes, I urge them to do so with an open mind and to be prepared to experience the real, local Ethiopia. Clients I escorted trusted me and had an
unforgettable meal of injera. This is typical Ethiopian fare, featuring a sponge-like bread covered in meats and vegetables, served by our delighted Ethiopian hosts in a dirt-floor restaurant in a dark deserted street behind a corrugated iron wall… it was, they said afterwards, a highlight of the trip. If you or your clients are thinking about visiting Ethiopia, I say go now before it is ‘discovered’ and overrun with tourists, for I promise it will happen.
aspire september 2014 — 91
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