Lake Tana monasteries, Tracing the elusive Tracy, Pesky kids, Ethiopian Journey, Blog Post - 57

The next big event was the visit to the Island Monasteries. We were eager to visit, but the price quoted was quite exorbitant. Tourism in Ethiopia was in a very nascent stage and there were huge disparities between what was charged for the locals and the foreigners. In many cases the difference could be shocking. For a museum entry, the locals were charged 2 Birr but the foreigners would be charged 30 or even 50 birr!

Similarly the local Ethiopians paid birr 250 (Rs 1250) for an air ticket from Addis Ababa to Bahirdar but the foreigners paid birr 650 (Rs 3750) for the same ticket. If the same ticket is bought outside Ethiopia it would cost something like 1200 birr (Rs 6000). Foreigners were fair game for over charging in most countries!

The boats that are used for Monastery visits were speed boats which could seat around 10-12 people. They had quite rudimentary seating facility and had a tarpaulin to protect the passengers from the fierce African sun. Life jackets were provided but water and refreshments have to be brought by the passengers’ themselves. The charge for a day’s visit was 900 birr (Rs 4500/-).There was an Australian volunteer worker by name Tracy who was also interested to come along.

Our family (4 of us; me, Padma, Pranav and Sahithi), Tasneem and her daughter Namira, Dr. Neelima Ramakuru, Dr. T. N. Murthy and Dr. Srinivas Inguva were the members of the touring party. The cost came to 100 birr per person and it was a reasonable deal. But I suspect that the enterprising boatman had taken half the fare from the shrewd and battle hardened Indians but charged much more from the unsuspecting Australian.

We would be shown four island monasteries that are closest to Bahirdar town and also be shown the starting point of the Nile River. Ground rules were laid out. No playing of loud music, no wearing of foot wear in the churches, covering the entire body with clothes, no arguments about entry (some island monasteries restricted entry only for men and in others the entry was only for women), No touching of any antiques and religious artifacts unless the priest allowed it, etc.

The journey was quite smooth and after some time it looked as if we were travelling in the sea! The water was muddy, brown and turbulent too! Gliding silently alongside us were the very fragile looking Papyrus, weed boats. I told the other members “The boats are made with a wiry weed called papyrus. It is very light but can carry lot of weight”.

Almost on cue we came across a boat that had as many as 10 to 12 Ethiopians standing nonchalantly, as if they were standing on rock solid hard ground.  And the papyrus boat looked old and dilapidated and wonder of wonders was bound together with the flimsiest of the tree twines.

Also boating on the Lake, were wiry Ethiopians on their grand floating machines– humble thermocol contraceptions that defied all rules of gravity. But the bright eyed fishermen were all smiles and proudly displayed their wares – freshly caught fish!

Eyeing all this with a very expectant look were scores of Pelicans, opportunistic cunning rascals who would scoop in,  take a fish or two in their enormous bills and fly away, caring a hoot to the indignant shouts of the fisherman.

The Jim Carrey in our group, Dr. T. N. Murthy was in his elements. Dr. T. N. Murthy resembled Jim Carrey and had the same amusing way of talking just like him! He would start off in his own peculiar nasal style “Good morning to the Indian, Ethiopian and Australian tourists. We are right now approaching, Nega Island. I request you all to care of your belongings. And, HERE IS the welcome party, waiting for the arrival of the service no 527 approaching the waterway (run way for the island)”. Meanwhile the rag-tag welcome party was full of excitement.

The welcome party had kids of all ages from 2 to 18. They would all be waiting for the tamasha of monumental epic proportion that would unfold the minute the boat approached the landing area. The kids would be jumping and some adventurous ones would even try to jump onto the boat itself.

Some kids would offer to hold hands. The smiling kids had an agenda of their own. They would help the unsuspecting visitors set their feet on solid ground and disarmingly demand “Und Birr (one birr)”.

We were swamped by kids. They wanted to touch Sahithi and Pranav. Piercing shouts of “Mito, Mito (Baby, baby)” would ring out. They wanted to touch, pinch and give a playful slap too. The attention that foreigners get in Ethiopia would get overwhelming and the attention is never ending and would come in wave after wave. Unrelenting and unabating!  

Some, more bolder ones would slide upto us and present their visiting cards. Nothing spectacular; they were small cards made out crudely from cartons or even packing material. They would even use the reverse side of cigarette packs. Their names and Island names would be written on the visiting cards. They expect us to pay them at least one dollar for each visiting card presented. They would shout “give money, one dollar (smart kids, they understood that 1 US $ = 8.50 birr!) give me pen, student, give food”. It was a slug fest with unimaginable light and sound effects.

Meanwhile there would be others who would volunteer to act as tour guides. Woe beside anyone who asked them the fee. They would quote 100 US Dollars without batting an eyelid. Once anyone asks, he or she is done. They would be pestered for the entire duration and I have seen kids arguing even after the boat picked up speed and left the island.

Right now it sounds funny but at that time it was frightening and irritating. Tourists were fair game for any scheme and it was almost taken for granted that they were the major show and their presence was for pure entertainment for the children and the local population