105 - Simien Mountains - God's Own Playground!

The day was the 29th of September, 2003 and the day of our visit to Semien mountain ranges. Right from the early morning, we could hear the rhythmic Amharic music. The Meskel festival was in full swing.  

We started at 05:30 in the morning. The roads were full of burnt wood and ash and uncannily resembled the south Indian festival, Bhogi. The streets were full of the acrid smell of burnt wood. Added to the cold climate, foggy weather and quaintly old fashioned houses, it looked as if we stepped out into a medieval world of kings, castles and wars!

But the loud purring of the van and the diesel smell that it was emanating brought us all back to the harsh realities of life.

The weather was cold, and we were wearing sweaters, mufflers, monkey caps and gloves. But still, it was biting cold. We would be driving 105 kilometres to the Semien mountain ranges, and we were thrilled but quite apprehensive at the chillness that we would have to experience.

The going was slow and Mulugeta our tour guide started grumbling. We were losing time and were forced to have breakfast in the vans. Mulugeta made a grudging concession. He gave us a scornful look and declared, “You can have a restroom/short tea break for fifteen minutes”. He had the demeanour of a haughty king doling out alms to his fawning peasants.

We did not wait for a second offer. The tour party jumped out and made a beeline to the nearest restroom. Most settled for Shai (tea without milk). My eyes fell on the roadside table tennis table. The table was hard, undulating and sported an apology of a net. The rackets were hard, lumpy and had a ‘blink and you will miss’ sponge padding.

The players were taken aback when I requested them to allow me to play. It was hard to play. The table was not exactly the correct size, and the surface was like Kanpur’s fifth-day cricket pitch. Once the ball hits some of the inundations, no one knew the direction that the ball would take.

I quickly adjusted and started playing confidently. Slowly the leering grins from the crowd turned into polite smiles and then into worrisome frowns. There was palpable tension. This was not on the cards.  They could not let a firang (a foreigner) beat them in their courtyard.

Suddenly a thin as reed youngster unravelled himself from the dusty wooden stool. Without a word, he took the racket from my opponent. I knew it was the wild west, and the best gunfighter was here!! The town’s honour was at stake.

By now our touring party too was taking an interest. I tightened my mental loins and tossed the ball. The fight was on. But it was a lost cause. The local boy had too much advantage. He had the support, knew the conditions well, handled the racket better and knew exactly how the ball would move once it hit the crevices. To cut a long story short, the local champion bet me. There was a triumphant cheer, and as a token of appreciation, I gave the winner 5 birrs! That gesture made me very popular among the locals. 

As we left town, Mulugeta lobbed in the next grenade. We would not be stopping at the handicrafts village of Beta Israel or the Ethiopian Jews. We were disappointed but not shattered. By then we knew that most of the Ethiopian Jews had already left Ethiopia and that the village, handicrafts and the local shops were all operated by the entrepreneurial Ethiopians who learned the iconic Jewish clay pottery from the Falasha before they migrated to Israel.

As we climbed into the mountains, nature manifested itself just like a peacock unfolds itself after a torrential downpour. The Meskel flowers were everywhere. They were so numerous that the entire mountain ranges looked as if God gave them a bath in turmeric! And in different shades too!

There were curving roads, misty fog, jutting mountain peaks, breathtaking meadows, long drives over flat surfaces and suddenly the way would end up in narrow ridges. We could see scary drops of over hundreds of feet into valleys on both sides. In many parts, there were no guard rails! A plunge into the valley would mean curtains!

The mountain ranges were rugged and jagged. The mountain peaks were not smooth and looked like as if they were thrown helter-skelter by some unknown force. I was already into the mood of the things, when a spirit spoke to me “You know, they are called gods own chess pieces. the local folklore is that gods played chess here and that is why all the mountain peaks resemble chess pieces. Simien is god’s playground”

I was taken aback, why would a spirit talk to me? Reality dawned. It was not any spirit.  It was Mulugeta who was whispering in my ear! I took my ear out of the range of his mouth and thanked him. Now I knew why the spirit had the smell of stale tobacco and strong Ethiopian coffee!   

The mountain ranges were awe-inspiring. The highest mountain in Simien is Ras Dashen which at 4550 metres is Ethiopia tallest mountain and 10th highest in Africa. Similarly, Ankwar stood at 4462 metres (12th highest in Africa), Kidis Yared at 4453 (13th highest in Africa) and Bwahit at 4437 (14th highest in Africa). All were in the Simien mountain ranges. No wonder Semien mountain ranges were a UNESCO world heritage site!

Out of 75 tallest mountains in Africa, 51 are in Ethiopia. Ethiopia houses the mountains of Africa. We were peering at some of the highest peaks in Africa, just like watching Mount Everest and watching alongside some of the highest mountains in the world. Scenes out of National Geographic channel! 

104 – Gondar, a city that the Emperors built!

The trip started early in the morning, and we packed ourselves into the two vans. Early mornings in Bahirdar have a healthy nip, and the air is bracing. The scenic beauty unfolded itself before our unbelieving eyes and compensated for the rough drive. 

Our first stop would be Gondar, the historic city and the erstwhile capital of the Ethiopian Emperors. Gondar is the sixth biggest city in Ethiopia and for the statistically minded Bahirdar is the 5th. Both Bahirdar and Gondar lie on the banks of Lake Tana the biggest freshwater lake in Ethiopia. At 2133 metres over mean sea level, Gondar is at the exact height as Kodaikanal, the queen of the Nilgiris, the famous hill resort of Tamil Nadu. Bahirdar is at 1820 metres above sea level almost the same height as Lonavala (1871 metres) the hill resort in Maharashtra. Gondar was 175 KIlometres away from Bahirdar.  

Gondar is a modern city with a distinctive culture. It has been the seat of power of the Ethiopian Emperors and has some spectacular forts and churches. Gondar was also the place where the Jews of Ethiopia once stayed before they all immigrated to Israel. 

Called Falasha (or wanderers) the Jews called themselves Beta Israel. Most of the Ethiopian Jews have since left, but the Jewish villages still exist as monuments that tourists could visit. 

Gondar is also quite noted among the Indian community. – The cause for fame was the university of medicine and in 2002 almost all the teaching, non-teaching faculty and nurses were totally of Indian origin. Thus the Indian community was all white coated. I was explaining this to Padma and Anasuya aunty. 

Hearing this Kuldeep preened “Arrey Anil Bhai, hum bee tho Doctor hai aur hum bhi tho white coat pehenthey Hai (we too are doctors, and we too wear aprons)”. He was referring to himself as a doctor. A PhD in Mathematics and a Doctorate. And to top it almost all teachers in Ethiopia wear white aprons to protect their clothes from the chalk dust! 

“Dr. Kuldeep Ji. Talk about yourself. I am not a doctor by any imagination, and I don’t wear the apron”. I added quite caustically. I somehow was quite averse to wearing the apron to the classroom. I recited a joke about PhD doctors.  

A freshly minted PhD (who struggled for over a decade for his doctorate) proudly put a nameplate Dr. So and So on his apartment’s front door. The next day morning, there was a frantic ringing of the calling bell. Before he could go to the door, his nosy parker no-nonsense nine-year-old son opened the door. At the door was a man who was panting. “Is the doctor in?” was his worried enquiry. 

The PhD doctor’s son yawned, picked his tooth with an imaginary toothpick and drawled ‘Yes, he is, BUT HE WILL BE OF NO USE TO YOU”. With this, he banged the door in the face of the shocked visitor. More shocked and devastated was his father, who was rudely pushed from the ecstatic heavenly bliss to the hard reality of life. PhD’s are Doctorates and not doctors. Kuldeep roared his approval and laughed till tears came to his eyes.    

We stopped for breakfast at the roadside. The scenes were breathtaking, but the countryside was full of mud and was dripping wet. The Ethiopian rainy season was in full swing! Most of us were drowsing when both the vans came to a screeching halt. We were in a traffic jam! 

I got down to enquire. It was a nightmare that came true! There was a massive landslide, and the vehicles were stuck choco-o-block. There was nothing that we could do but watch with open mouths as puny workers struggled to get the rocks and the mud out of the way. It was man against nature! 

 

But on the other side was a sight that stunned us. Rising out of the sheer mountainside was a rock formation (the god’s finger) – that looked exactly like a massive Shiva Lingaa. This sight made the entire group very happy, and they all happily agreed that it was a splendid omen for our start, and the landslide be damned! 

By lunchtime, we reached Gondar. Like most big Ethiopian cities, Gondar was clean and had paved concrete roads. It also had many double-storeyed buildings. The weather was cold, and the air was fresh and unpolluted. We vowed to ourselves. “Next contract, we shall try to come to Gondar”. T.N.Murthy remarked, “Do you know, We can get INDIAN RICE in Gondar?”. What he meant was that we could get Chinese rice that resembles the Indian Sona Masuri! For the Bahirdar Indian community who ate broken soggy rice, it was like God giving boons! The entire troop immediately made plans to buy the whole rice stock of Gondar! 

Our stay was at Hotel Quara. After freshening up, we visited Debre Berhan Selassie, the oldest church of Gondar. It was a typical Ethiopian church, very modest but had spectacular paintings on the walls. Suddenly someone shouted, “look at the ceiling, look at the ceiling.” 

We looked up and the sight shocked and frankly spooked us all. Many faces were solemnly staring at us! Sahithi got a scare of her life and clutched her mother so tightly that Padma gave out a yelp of pain. Sahithi’s tiny nails were piercing her shoulder.

 It took us some seconds to realise that the faces were not real but painted into the ceiling itself. Later a priest told us that the faces belonged to angels and that there were a total of 144 angel faces, each with a slightly different facial expression. An experience of a lifetime! 

Next, we visited the Fasil Gebbi (the royal enclosure) or the Gondar Fort complex. It was founded in the 17th century by Emperor Fasilides (Fasil) and was the home of Ethiopian emperors. Its unique architecture shows diverse influences. 

The origins of the Fasil Ghebbi can be found in the old tradition of the Ethiopian emperors to travel around their possessions, living off the produce of the peasants and dwelling in tents. 

Emperor Fasilides broke this tradition of progressing through the territories, and founded the city of Gondar as his capital; its relative permanence makes the city historically significant. Within the capital, he commanded the construction of an imposing edifice, the Fasil Gemb or Fasilides castle. A wall with numerous gates delineated the area around the Fasil Gemb. Subsequent emperors built their own structures, many of which survive either in whole or part today.

The entry fee was 50 birr! It was so steep that most Indian teaching community at Gondar would not visit the fort even once during their entire stay. We never had such qualms and went inside. By Indian standards, the forts were not spectacular, but they were decent and quite old. The least impressed was Dr. Kuldeep who murmured “such forts exist in nook and corner of my state” No wonder he was so upset. Kuldeep comes from Rajasthan the state that boasts some of the best forts in India if not the world itself!  

Strangely the architecture looked familiar. Later google search proved me correct. The architecture had very strong Indian design aspects. The builders of the Gondar fort were Indians! It established the fact that Indians and Ethiopians had friendly ties from time immemorial. Habsiguda, the bustling place near Tarnaka in Hyderabad, gets its name from Habesha (or locals as called in Amharic). The Nizam of Hyderabad had a massive contingent of Ethiopians in his army, and most of them were stationed in Habsiguda! 

From Gondar fort, we went to Fasilides bath another UNESCO world heritage site. Fasilides bath is around two km northwest of the piazza, attributed to both Emperor Fasilides, and Iyasu I. The large rectangular pool is overlooked by a charming building and alongside are some massive trees with large exposed roots. 

Padma gave a huge sigh and said “Why did the emperor build a separate bath for himself? That too so far away. Why can’t he take a bath at the fort itself?” I mentally imagined an emperor trundling along ponderously from his fort to the bathing area, just to take a bath. And at that time there were no friendly Bajaja (three-wheeler autos) or cars! Shaking myself out of the mental stupor, I quickly explained “Bath does not mean a bathroom. It is a symbolic bath. This symbolic bathing takes place during the Ethiopian festival of the Timkat”. 

Although the complex was used initially for swimming (royalty donned inflated goat-skin life jackets to swim), nowadays, it is filled with water for the Timkat (Baptism) or Epiphany celebrations which fall on the 20th of January.

After the bishop blesses the water, the pool becomes a riot of splashing water, shouts and laughter as crowds jump in. The ceremony replicates Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River and is a sacred renewal of faith among the Orthodox Christian community of Ethiopia.

103 - The devil in Detail – Gondar, Simien and Lalibela trip.

Mulugeta our tour guide gave us the details of the tour. We would be starting on the 26th of September and would come back on the 30th of September 2003. The trip would begin from Bahirdar, and first, we would go to Gondar. Gondar boosts of some spectacular forts, churches and Fasilidas bath a world heritage centre. 

From Gondar, we would go to Lalibela, and incidentally, the 27th of September is Meskel the big Ethiopian festival. Meskel is the annual religious festival of the Ethiopian orthodox church which commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman Empress Helena in the fourth century. 

Meskel occurs on the 17th Meskerem in the Ethiopian Calendar or the 27th of September in the Georgian calendar. "Meskel" is the Geez word for "cross". Geez is the holy language of Ethiopia. Geez is the language of the holy scripts. It is the Sanskrit language of Ethiopia! 

Many Ethiopians who live in cities return to their villages to celebrate the national event. The Meskel celebration includes the burning of a large bonfire or Demera based on the belief that Queen Eleni as she is known had a revelation in her dream.  

The prophecy was that the queen should make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where the true Cross lay buried. The queen ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile. Frankincense was added, and the bonfire was lit. The smoke rose high to the sky and returned, precisely to the burial spot of the true Cross.

The Demera procession takes place in the early evening the day before Meskel or on the day itself. Charcoal remains from the fire is collected and the faithful mark their foreheads with the shape of a cross. One of the significant occurrences of the festival is the coinciding with the mass blooming of meskel flowers, the golden-yellow daisies.  

We had not seen the Meskel celebration and were in great anticipation to witness it at Lalibela, the holiest of the Ethiopian sites. It is like witnessing Brahmotsavam in Tirupati. The festivities have the same energy and vibrancy of the Ravana Samharam performed on the 10th day of the Indian Dussehra festival.   

Then it was down to the costing. The trip estimation was 12,000 birr or 60,000 rupees. It was overall 1200 dollars or 100 dollars (Rs 5,000/-) per person, and It was a dirt-cheap deal. However, it was puzzling that the Indian community was so stingy that it was not willing to spend Rs 5,000/- on a trip that they would never get another chance to experience. 

I told the group that the costs were only an estimate and that expenses could go up or down. Everyone paid the 1000 birr without a murmur. 

I cautioned the group and told them to carry woollens, essential medicines, mosquito nets, trekking shoes and water. Water is critical as water quality is quite variable in Ethiopia and bottled mineral water was not available at all places. There was an agreement that we should carry at least five litres of water per person. 

As we had kids (Pranav and Sahithi), it was decided that we carry homemade food. Padma volunteered to make masala pooris, Murukulu (a readymade snack) and Mango pickle. Kuldeep's items were fifty chapattis, pudina chutney, garlic chutney and alu (potato) curry, Tasleem got to prepare fifty chapattis, T.N.Murthy got one kg fried groundnuts, Geeta madam got pullihora and chips, Dr. Neelima's items were lemon rice and mango pickle.  

Man proposes, and God disposes. Exactly twelve hours before the trip Mulugeta dropped a bomb! There was a change in the plan. The bus that we had booked was not available. Another group of tourists booked it, and that information did not percolate down to Mulugeta. 

Now we would be provided two minivans. The travel itinerary changed too. We would first go Gondar, then from Gondar to Simien mountains. From Simien mountains, we would return to Gondar. From Gondar, via Oreta, we would go to Lalibela. The bus would be available from Oreta onwards. And from Lalibela, we would come back to Bahirdar. And to top it all there would be two Irish tourists who would be joining our group. Like all things African, it was a flat ultimatum delivered in a no-nonsense tone. We had no choice but to accept. Time was not on our side. It was Mulugeta's way or the high way (get lost you, Indian group!)

That day evening, we had the final meeting before the trip. Dr.T.N.Murthy took to the floor, cleared his voice and spoke in the most stentorian voice. As he spoke we cowered, such was his eloquence "Good evening, brothers and sisters of Kable 7 and Kable 3 (Jeevan sir's house was in Kable 3). Our trip starts tomorrow. All of us have to maintain time. 

Don't think that it is only Anil Ramesh Sir's trip. It is our collective trip. We are spending LOT OF MONEY. Let us share responsibility. We will have buggy leaders every day. Day one it will be Anil sir, 2nd day it will be me, the third day it will be Dr. Kuldeep, 4th day it will be Jeevan sir, and on day five it will be Dr. Neelima and Tasleem. Let us take collective decisions. FRIENDS WE HAVE TO ENJOY TO THE MAXIMUM AS WE ARE SPENDING LOT OF MONEY" .  Even after 16 years, the speech still rings in my ears. It had the same effect on me as Mark Anthony's speech had on the commoners of Rome! 

Then came the dilemma, what to do with our Valuables? Passports, gold and relevant documents. Pesto, an idea flashed! Why don't we entrust them to Chidambaram (our ever helpful, eager beaver next-door neighbour)?

I knocked on his door, and Chidambaram cautiously it. I barged in and gave him the bag. I chirped "Chidambaram sir; please keep this bag. We are off to the trip tomorrow morning" I was sounding more confident than I was feeling! 

Chidambaram gave me a look that would have burnt lesser mortals. He took the bag without a word and nodded his head. 

I came back and gave Padma conspiratory wink "It is done" I smirked. As I was smirking, there was a knock at the front door. Who else, it was Chidambaram. 

He was carrying our bag. Without a preamble, he said "I don't think I can keep this bag. I might have to go to Gondar on an official trip. In which case, I can't guarantee the safety of your valuables." 

I was bewildered. Chidambaram and I belonged to the same department, and there was no official trip on the anvil. "what official trip?" I gaped at him. It was my best imitation of a fish gasping for air. Chidambaram fixed me with a stern look "I never said that there is an official trip. I said if there is an official trip". 

I often thought of myself as being smart. I cooed to Chidambaram. My voice was dripping with sugar "That is right, that is right. Official trips can be a pain in the backside". I brightened up "Sure, sure, if there is an official trip, where would you keep your valuables?". 

Mr. Chidambaram looked at me as if he was looking at an eight-year-old imbecile "I never trust anyone with my valuables. I would carry it with me" and added with extra emphasis "on my person". 

My defences collapsed as if they were a bank of sand hit by a Tsunami. I took my bag and bade him goodbye. I had to go to PEDA campus and request Rajani madam to take care of my valuables. Luckily for me, she accepted to keep them. Exhausted, we quickly went to sleep as we had an early start the next day morning. 

102 - Trip to Gondar, Simien Mountains and lalibela - Ethiopian Journey

The first bit of bad news came from PEDA campus. TSFM (Telugu Speaking faculty member) who was annoyed at not being invited went and frightened Rajani out of her wits. He said “Rajani, you are going to die if you go to Lalibela. You will get malaria, no doubt at all”. 

Rattled at the talk of death, next day Rajani approached me in the university. She said “I came all the way from India to earn, save and go back. I don’t want to die like a nobody in this remote place”. The seriousness with which the message was delivered was stunning. I politely told her not to worry and asked her to stay put, safe at Bahirdar. 

The talk of Rajani not coming boosted the chances of Clara coming, as both could not see eye to eye. Even though they shared the same flat, the animosity between Clara and Rajani was known to the entire teaching community of Bahirdar. 

Then the news trickled in. Unknown to me Bala invited his HOD from Electrical Engineering Department along with his entire family. This threw a spanner in our plan. Addis Gedafaw was a very young Ethiopian girl and was quite compatible with us. We neither knew the HOD of Electrical Engineering nor knew his wife and kids. I had to call Balakrishna and tell him to drop the invitation to his HOD. 

This was the tipping point. Somehow it was construed that me being a PEDA faculty did not want the faculty (both Indian and Ethiopian) of POLY campus to come along with us to the trip. I watched haplessly as the rumours grew and spread. 

Days were slipping by and Mulugeta our tour guide kept reminding us that we needed to confirm the trip. The waiting game was dragging on. On 23rd of September, I made up my mind. I would tell our entire group of 18 invitees to confirm by the next day. 

That evening on the way to the market, I met Suresh. He was coming to my house. He was quite flustered. He said forthrightly “Anil sir. What you are doing is not correct. You are inviting selectively. This is creating bad feelings among us all. Bala is feeling very upset about the withdrawal of invitation to his HOD. If Addis can be called, why not his HOD? Even TSFM approached me. Why is he not invited”? He was not mincing words.  

The last week had been tough. I had to conduct the end-term examination for the extension classes, grade and submit the results. I was also the PRO of Bahirdar University and had to organise a press conference. On the top, Aunty’s return date to India was approaching fast and the trip could not be postponed. The mental trauma of the previous week spilled over. 

“Suresh”, I told him “There is no conspiracy theory. I am neither neglecting nor persecuting any one. Time is simply running out. We have already decided on the list of invitees. The reasons for not inviting TSFM is known to you. Alex is a bachelor and so is Addis. I thought inviting an Ethiopian family with kids would be too much of a cultural barrier to cross. And we do not know them at all. Their customs and habits might not be compatible with ours. That is why I had to tell Bala to drop the invitation”. Suresh did not look convinced at all. 

The ding-dong business of going forth and coming back had worn me down. I told him point blank, “Suresh, I think the trip has reached a point of no return. Our family had decided. Aunty has come all the way from America. We want to see Gondar, Lalibela and Simien mountains, come what may. We will go and we will go inspite of any one coming or not. Now it is individuals’ choice. They can take their own decisions”. Hearing this ultimatum, Suresh’s face turned red. He wished me goodbye and cycled away. I knew that the bridge was broken. 

By the time I returned from the market the damage was done. Suresh called Dr. Kuldeep on his landline. He informed Kuldeep that he, his wife and Bala were not coming to the trip. Cool and composed, Kuldeep assured Suresh that it was all right. 

By night, Dr. Naidu from POLY too dropped out. He cited his sinus problem and said that the cold weather in Simien might aggravate his problem. The reason was accepted, with a smile!

Now bad news was flooding in. Addis had twisted her ankle and was advised bed rest. She was forced to drop out. Clara and Addis were close friends and Clara too dropped out. It was looking as if the punters of Bahirdar were right. Spanners were being thrown into the trip, left, right, and centre and the wheels were coming off, quite dramatically. 

That evening an SOS (emergency) meeting was held in Dr. Kuldeep’s house in Kable 7. It was literally all hands on the deck. I told the meeting, “Things are not in our favour. But our family wants to go. And we will go, no matter, what. You are free to take your own decisions. We can’t wait. This dillydallying is very upsetting. We need to plan for the trip and pay advance to Ghion hotel”. 

Kuldeep broke out in laughter “Arrey Anil Saab. Why so solemn? Shilpa and I, are coming”. Dr. Neelima and Tasneem too nodded their affirmative. Looking on was an impassive T.N. Murthy. He said suddenly, “I am coming too. Seeing you face so much resistance, I would like to be part of the trip”. That was very good news. 

Now we had five from our family (myself, Padma, Pranav, Sahithi and Aunty) and Dr. Kuldeep, Shilpa, Dr. T.N. Murthy, Dr. Neelima and Tasneem. That made the count a solid ten. Alex, the Russian too was in. A phone call and Jeevan confirmed that he and his wife too were in. 

I told the gathering, “that is it. We are freezing the group. We are a group of 12 (not considering Sahithi, a baby)”. I beamed at them, “Wow, we are a dirty dozen (punning on the popular western movie from Hollywood)”. Even though, said in jest, the tag struck. we were christened the Dirty Dozen. 

That evening we went and met Mulugeta and paid advance of 5,000 birr. He was shell shocked. We were paying for a bus of 22 but had only 12 tourists. We would start on 27th of September and return back by 31st September. Our trip was on, officially.

101 - Tearing The Indian Community Apart – Ethiopian Journey

Choosing the places to visit was quite easy. We wanted to travel to places that were close by and we wanted to finish off the trip in five days. The places selected themselves. Gondar, as it was only 175 kilometers away and it had Fasil Ghebbi, the fort and Fasilidas bath, another huge attraction.

We could not miss out Lalibela the 8^th natural wonder of the world. Not visiting Lalibela after staying in Ethiopia is like visiting India and not seeing Tirupati or visiting Saudi Arabia and not seeing Mecca.

We were all nature lovers including Anasuya aunty and we wanted to see the Majestic Simien mountains and see for ourselves ‘Gods own chess pieces’. The legend is that gods played chess with the mountains shaped like chess pieces. 

We also wanted to see the endangered Simien Fox, Gelada Baboons and the Ethiopian Walia Ibex, all majestic animals.

 Sadly, only 500 Walia Ibex are left in Ethiopia and most of them are in the Simien mountains. Of course we wanted to experience an ambience that is unparalleled in the world. Simien mountains has a mystique that we were told had to be experienced. It can’t be described.

We had to travel by road and there was no way we could travel by air especially to Simien mountains. Of course all the three places, Bahirdar, Gondar and Lalibela were connected by air but from Addis Ababa. Bahirdar – Lalibela was not connected by air and Bahirdar Gondar were so close that the travel has to be by road.

There was no reliable road transport service and once we planned to visit Simien mountains we had only one choice. Make it into a package tour and then it becomes viable and feasible.

Deciding to travel, was the easy part. Where do we get information about fixing a package tour?  Luckily for us Mansoor Ali Khan, my colleague from the management department had a known contact in Ghion Hotel. Ghion hotel was right at the edge of mango park and it was also close to the jetty that took tourists to the island monasteries.

Kuldeep and me went to Ghion hotel and met Mulugeta. Mulugeta told us that the trip was possible and that it would have to be a five-day trip. He promised us a 22 seater bus. The bus charges were fixed and the night stay would be at Gondar, Lalibela and one night would be at Simien National Park.

Five of us were certainties. Our family of four and Anasuya aunty. We first mooted the group travel idea in Kable 7 and it was received with great enthusiasm by Kuldeep and Shilpa, Dr. Neelima and Tasneem. Dr. Srinivas Inguva had gone to India and Dr. T. N. Murthy was not interested. We had eight (not counting Sahithi) in the kitty and wanted 14 more.

We were quite choosy in whom we wanted to invite. We knew by now that the cursed ‘Indian stretchable Time’ concept had travelled to Ethiopia too. Some Indians would take inordinate time to dress and arrive at the starting point. Especially we wanted to avoid TSFM (telugu Speaking faculty member) whose family was famed for late coming.

We extended invitations to Clara, Rajani, Mansoor’s family and Azaz Ahmed’s family. During one of our discussions, Management department’s HOD, Addis Gedafaw evinced interest to accompany us. But almost immediately Mansoor and Ahmed said NO.

They had young kids and did not want them to get diseases. Even though Adnan (Ahmed sir’s son) and Shagufa (Mansoor’s daughter) were Sahithi’s age, I respected their decision. Mansoor later told me that as they were Muslims, they were not keen about visiting churches. He said that he was planning a trip to Harar, the third holiest site for Muslims in the world. That left Clara, Rajani, Addis and a Russian Mathematics teacher named Alex. Alex volunteered by himself and said that he was coming, period. Possibly four more from PEDA campus.

From POLY, invitations were extended to Dr. Naidu, Suresh and his wife, Balakrishna and to Jeevan and his wife. Jeevan and his wife had come to the island monasteries along with us. They enjoyed themselves and we were sure that they would enjoy the five-day trip.  We had invited 6 from POLY campus.

So 4 from our family, 4 from Kable 7, 4 from PEDA campus and 6 from POLY campus, added up to eighteen. Yes, 22 would make it better and the cost would come down but we were quite worried about big numbers. I thought that things were moving smoothly.

The die was cast and the Indian community gossip mills of Bahirdar went into the overdrive. The Indian community was buzzing with curiosity, amazement, hurt and apprehension.

‘How dare Anil plan such an audacious trip? No one earlier has even attempted such an outrageous event? Who would want to go to “dangerous places”. He is risking lives of everyone including his wife and children? Why would he risk the life of his poor mother-in-law? He has lot of money to blow, is it? Why are we not included? How can he be so selfish? He is inviting Ethiopians, Russians but not Indians? Is he trying to curry up (maskafy) his HOD?! After all his contract will come up for renewal’

Rumours were flying thick and fast everywhere. The entire area of Simien mountains was totally lawless. Some explained “Lalibela is full of mosquitoes, waiting to take the blood out of the tourists”. This one in particular sounded very strange. It was as if the mosquitoes of Lalibela were blood sucking bats waiting to suck the blood out of the poor tourists.

Somehow this one got struck like glue. The rallying cry was resounding everywhere. Lalibela is full of mosquitoes waiting to give malaria as the gift for all tourists.  They were battle ready to ambush the audacious group of Indian teachers from Bahirdar who have ventured out into the bad world of travel and tourism, inspite of severe warnings.

Bets were being laid and punters were laying out odds. The odds were stacked against me. The stakes were so high that 3 birr bet on the trip being successful would return 10. And the trip not being successful was at 9:10. The verdict was out. Our trip was doomed to fail. Even though it is quite amusing now, at that time it was quite disheartening. I knew how people, who think differently were searched out and targeted.

A group of Indian elders paid a visit to my house. They were solemnness personified. One could mistake them for a team of United Nations on a peace brokering mission. Such was their earnestness. Their mission was crystal clear. ‘Call off the trip. It is a bad idea. Why do you want to spend so much money? This proposed trip is tearing the Indian community apart’. “Such a trip has never been attempted before” they exclaimed in horror.  

Their earnest argument, holier than thou attitude got me rankled. “Sirs” I said “I understand your anguish. This is not a trip of the Indian community. It is a private trip and I have the right to invite people, I like”. I gently reminded them that the Indian community in Bahirdar already had many sub groups like POLY Faculty group, PEDA Faculty group, Telugu group, Tamil group, North Indian group, Family group, Bachelors group, Vegetarian groups, Non vegetarian group, Boozers group and so on.

Seeing my eloquence on the topic, the Indian Bahirdar Elders got up, and left reluctantly. I burst out in laughter when I saw their stiff disapproving backs. It was rip roaringly funny, but it was the lull before the storm. The Tsunami was about to strike!!!. 

100th Blog posting!!! It is a century, Guys!!! -- Planning a trip – Ethiopian Journey

The first blog post on Ethiopia was on 10^th October 2017 and the 100^th blog post is being posted on 31st of March 2019. The journey to write 100 blog posts has taken me 535 days. Including this post I have written 95,000 words. I average 950 words per post.

Along the way I have picked up a small army of loyal readers who follow my blogs with religious zeal. They read and give constructive feedback. Most of my loyal readers have remained with me in this 1.5 years’ journey of my blog. Throughout the world nearly 20,000 people have read my postings and that, in my view is a ringing endorsement of my humble effort.   

The Indian community in Bahirdar is minuscule and it can be safely be said that anything, I repeat anything becomes NEWS. The tit-bit of news has to be flogged and flogged till the last drop is taken out of the juicy gossip.

Anasuya Aunty’s (Padma’s mother) visit to Ethiopia triggered the wanderlust in our family. We wanted to travel and see the important tourist destinations of Ethiopia. Being prudent, we wanted to maximize on the destinations and wanted our travel to be budget friendly and the duration to be short. Travelling on the dusty metal roads of Ethiopia (in 2003) took a heavy toll on the human endurance and the dusty roads could lead to severe cough and other throat related problems.

Google search threw up some very interesting facts. Ethiopia has nine world heritage sites. A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties.

The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity. Most tourists would be over the moon to visit even one or two world heritage sites in their visit. The nine world heritage sites of Ethiopia are given below. The year in the brackets indicate the year in which UNESCO officially granted the place the status of a world heritage site.

Rock Hewn Churches Lalibela (1978):  The site contains 12 medieval rock hewn churches from the 13th century.  They are touted as the 8th wonder of the world. The churches are cut out of sheer rock and in many cases it’s still a puzzle where the rock debris have been deposited.

There are no man made mounds or small mountains which would have been formed due to deposition of the debris. It is said that gods themselves have built these beautiful churches. A visit to the Lalibela churches is on the top most on the bucket list of all the devout orthodox Christians of Ethiopia. Lalibela is 310 kilometres away from Bahirdar.

Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar region (1979): The fortress of Fasil Ghebbi was the residence of Ethiopian emperors during the 16th and 17th century. The city remains, which features buildings with Hindu and Arab influences, were later remodeled with Baroque style architecture by Jesuit missionaries.

Bahirdar was situated on one side of Lake Tana whereas Gondar is situated on the other side.  Gondar was one of the most well developed cities in Ethiopia and had a Government Medical College. Gondar boasted of the second largest expatriate Indian population after, Addis Ababa. It is 175 kilometres away from Bahirdar.

Simien National Park (1978):  The eroded Ethiopian plateau comprises of jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices dropping about 1500 metres (4900 feet).  Simien National park nestling in the Simien mountains present some of the most spectacular views in entire Ethiopia. Simien mountains boast of the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Dashen standing tall at 4550 meters above sea level. The jagged mountain peaks are so awe inspiring that they are christened ‘the chess set of the Gods’. Lalibela is 315 kilometres away from Bahirdar.

Tiya (1980):  The archaeological site contains 36 monuments which includes 32 carved stelae covered with symbols hard to decrypt.  Tiya is an archaeological site in central Ethiopia. It is located in the Gurage Zone of the Souhern Nations, Nationalities and peoples, south of Addis Ababa and is 570 kilometres away from Bahirdar.

Aksum (1980): The ruins of the city of Aksum, near Mekele, Northern Ethiopia, dates from the 1st to 13th century and marks the heart of the ancient Ethiopia and what was termed as the most powerful state between Eastern Roman empire and Persia. 

Aksum has monolithic obelisks, giant Stelae, royal tombs and ruins of former castles. The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, Aksum is supposed to be the resting place of the Auk of the covenant which originally held the ten commandments that all Christians consider very holy. Aksum is 525 kilometres away from Bahirdar.

Lower Valley of Awash (1980): Paleontological findings from lower Valley of Awash gave the world, Lucy. Lucy, the 3.2-million-year old female fossil is the evidence of the oldest living human being. Lucy in that sense is our mother and all the citizens of the world are her children. Lower Valley of Awash is 380 Km away from Bahirdar, in the west of Afar depression.

Lower Valley of Omo (1980):  The prehistoric site near lake Turkana is the location of many hominid fossil findings, such as Homo Gracilis. Also found are tools made from quartzite, the oldest of which dates back to 2.4 million years old.  Lower Valley of Omo is 554 kilometres away from Bahirdar.

Hara Jugol, the fortified historic town (2006): The city of Harar is on a plateau and is surrounded by gorges and Savannah. It contains 82 mosques, 102 shrines and unique interior design in the townhouses.  Harar is said to be the fourth holiest city of Islam.  The colorful walled city of Harar also boasts of another world famous personality, The Hynea feeding man. The Hynea man feeds hyenas from his mouth.  Harar is 1100 kilometres from Bahirdar and is near Dire Dawa one of the most popular cites of Ethiopia.

Konso Cultural Landscape (2011): The site features 55 Kms (34 miles) of stone walled and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands of Ethiopia. The Konso, a Cushitic speaking people of southwest Ethiopia, are known for their distinctive religious and cultural traditions including their unique funerary rituals involving elaborate music and dance. Konso culture is also famous for its carved wood statues called wagas, which memorialize important people in the community. Konso Cultural landscape is situated 1000 kilometres from Bahirdar.

Apart from the above, there are many other sites waiting UNESCOs nod to be world heritage sites. Even though not on the list the Island monasteries of Lake Tana and the Danakil Depression in Afar region are places that should have automatically be featured on the list.

The islands of lake Tana have some of the most original churches/monasteries in the world and are home to antique Christian paintings, books, and artefacts. They are not museums. They are living churches where faithfuls worship god on a daily basis. Their inhospitable locations have meant that they have been insular to change and have the look and feel of churches of the 10th and 11th century. Visiting them is like being transported back in a time machine. A visit to the paradise lost!

The Danakil Depression is a plain, 200 by 50 km (124 by 31 mi), lying in the north of the Afar region  of Ethiopia, near Eritrea. It is about 125 m (410 ft.) below sea level.

The Danakil Depression is the hottest place on Earth in terms of year-round average temperatures. It is also one of the lowest places on the planet  (100 m below sea level), and is without rain for most of the year. Visiting the hottest place in the world could be an exciting thing in itself. Danakil is also home to two active volcanoes.   

With so many world heritage sites all around us, we were in a quandary. Spoilt for choice!!! We did not know which ones to pick.