Never alone in Ethiopia
On went the trip to Gonder, the ‘Camelot of Africa’. We had no idea Africa had castles at all. Emperor Fasilidas around 1650 started to build the first castle: the royal enclosure is now in the middle of the city. Every emperor built an additional building, banquet hall, sauna or something else. It was still in a good shape. What was most interesting to us that they kept lions in a separate building. Every ruler used to have his own tame lions, Abyssinian lions, in a special house, called the lion house. Even Haile Selassie had his tame lion and the lions accompanied him on every trip!
We also went to the royal bath which is still used in January every year. The river will flow through the bath, about 4 meters deep. The water will be blessed by the priest and then all the people jump in the water ! It is an ingenious system because afterwards they let the water flow back to the river. Again our ‘babies’ were free of charge to enter into the bath. Bart and Evert are not too happy by the fact that everyone calls them babies. As you can see on the photo is taking a taxi in Ethiopia always a lot of bargaining and of course are the children watching and shouting :'you, you' and 'babies'.
Lastly we went to Debre Berhan Selassie church which was created around 1690. On the ceiling they painted lots of angels. We thought it was the nicest church we have seen, mainly because the fact that our taxi driver together with the priest tried to show us in very basic English all the paintings on the wall and their meaning. It was really touching. But that was enough. So much for culture and churches. Sudan was waiting.
We also went to the royal bath which is still used in January every year. The river will flow through the bath, about 4 meters deep. The water will be blessed by the priest and then all the people jump in the water ! It is an ingenious system because afterwards they let the water flow back to the river. Again our ‘babies’ were free of charge to enter into the bath. Bart and Evert are not too happy by the fact that everyone calls them babies. As you can see on the photo is taking a taxi in Ethiopia always a lot of bargaining and of course are the children watching and shouting :'you, you' and 'babies'.
Lastly we went to Debre Berhan Selassie church which was created around 1690. On the ceiling they painted lots of angels. We thought it was the nicest church we have seen, mainly because the fact that our taxi driver together with the priest tried to show us in very basic English all the paintings on the wall and their meaning. It was really touching. But that was enough. So much for culture and churches. Sudan was waiting.
Debre Berhan Selassie Church and the angels on the ceiling
The trip to the border was again a battle of dust and detours, but we knew tarmac was waiting in the Sudan. The villages we drove through were poor and underdeveloped. The immigration office was in a kind of shed and no computers because there was no electricity. We spent our last Birrs on water and biscuits and crossed the border into the Sudan.
The trip to the border was again a battle of dust and detours, but we knew tarmac was waiting in the Sudan. The villages we drove through were poor and underdeveloped. The immigration office was in a kind of shed and no computers because there was no electricity. We spent our last Birrs on water and biscuits and crossed the border into the Sudan.
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