Salient Sales Girl, Ray Ban Donning Priests And Talla Tasting Tracy – Ethiopian Journey – Blog Post no - 58

Lining the path way to the summit of the island were many small impromptu shops selling souvenirs of quite dubious lineage. Spotting a small girl with a handmade leather painting, I asked “Sintenum (how much?)”. She responded “100 US dollars (850 Birr)”. I said no but the dye was cast. The girl attached herself to me just like a barnacle attaches itself to the hapless whale.

The islands were a sight to behold. The islands all sloped upwards and typically a rough and ready path would be present leading upto the highest point. The highest point would always house the church. The churches were very humble circular structures.

They looked like huts but housed magnificent bibles, crosses and leather paintings. Some of the churches had spectacular mural and paintings that were unique in themselves. Most of the churches were 700 to 800 years old and are quite sacred for the faithful. Legend says that these churches actually housed the Auk of the covenant before it was shifted to its safe haven in Axum, Northern Ethoipia.

Entry for some of the churches was only for men. The priests were monks who follow a very strict regime. The women in our party cooled their heels at the waterfront whereas all the men climbed up the rock hewn rocky path and reached the summit. Similarly in the women only islands we men folk cooled our heals and the women in our party went up to the church.

The monasteries were living villages and had a healthy population of Ethiopians who survived on growing teff (the smallest grain in the world), maize, very delicious coffee and obviously on tourism. 

For any health related emergency they had to go over to Bahirdar. They led simple lives and some of the islands had very basic solar powered electric power. It was a quaint old way of living. It was like being thrown back into the eighteen century!

The imagery in the churches was refreshingly different and even Jesus as depicted in Orthodox Ethoipia Christianity  appears very different from the typical fair skinned Anglo Saxon and the western Jesus that we often have been brought up on. Ethiopian Jesus is dark and has very distinct African Asian features. 

Even the crosses look very different from the crosses that we are familiar with.

The priests are a smiling cheerful lot. They took lot of pride in their work. They would explain in Amharic about their church. They could read, write and speak Geez, the ancient language of the Ethiopians. Geez is considered sacred just like Sanskrit. Geez is the language of the gods and it is a Semitic language and has very close linkage with Hebrew the official language of the Jews (Hebrew is the official language of Israel).

With very little encouragement the centuries old bibles and the artifacts would be displayed to the thunder struck tourists. The simple yet very dignified priests would be beaming with pride and inevitable there would be requests for snaps. We looked on in astonishment as the priests took out their Ray ban eye glasses, wore them jauntily and posed with their precious crosses and age old bibles.

The scene was little too much to bear! Simple and very dignified priests wearing Ray ban glasses! Common sense kicked me in the shins like an indignant donkey. “You Idiot” my inner voice implored “Look at it with common sense. The blinding light of the cameras would temporary blind the priest who live in churches that are quite dim lit. So to protect their eyes the priests wear Ray ban glasses and it is not to look fashionable”. Even with all the reasoning the simple priests with their hep and fashionable Ray ban glasses made an inedible impression in my mind. That is one sight that I can never erase from my mind!

We were admiring scenery and the sales girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gave out an earth shattering cry “Mister, 75 dollars”. I jumped out of my skin when it happened for the first time.

The sales girl hounded me just like Shylock hounded Antonio in the Shakespearean drama The Merchant of Venice. I was continuously trying to ignore her but the process was wearing me down. She had the most disgusted expression as we were boarding the boat. Her expression said it all, “you too, Brutus!” It was the ultimate betrayal. “Mister” she challenged me “your price, your price” she was wailing like a demented banshee.

Meanwhile Jim Carrey had a glum expression on his face. “What happened?” I enquired “No trace of Tracy, she simply disappeared”. A hunt to find the missing Tracy was launched. After some time the entire island was buzzing with activity. All were searching merrily. I was damn sure that most of the urchins did not have a clue as to what they were searching. But there was boisterous activity and lots of shouting going on! It was a scene out of the movie “gods must be crazy!”

We gave a sign of relief as we spotted Tracy. She was hale and healthy. Apparently she had gone to taste Talla the locally brewed, mildly intoxicating Ethiopian drink. Apparently she did not like it and gave it to our boat driver. “It tasted like hot beer” was her crisp answer when queried about Talla’s taste.

To be honest I was scared of the leather parchment sales girl. I was sure that she would appear that night in our bedroom and scream into my ear “Mister, your final price”. My defenses were shattered. Just to put an end to her continuously badgering, I said “20 birr!” with a quivering voice and a silent prayer. She exploded into a scornful laugh “give me 20 dollars”. As the boat revved up, I gained some guts and became brave “20 birr, 20 birr, Bukka, Bukka (enough, enough)”.

In sheer disgust she threw the leather painting on my face and said “Give, give”. She looked just like a short tempered queen dolling out some largesse to her humble pheasants and countrymen. I thrust the 20 birr into her hand. She gave me a withering look and ran away muttering something ominously under her breath.

I slumped into the seat. The exchange was energy sapping. Addis had a good laugh when I showed her the leather painting. It was worth 10 birr at the maximum! The small kid took me for a ride but I am sure that the cute kids made much more money out of fair skinned foreigners who were not as stone hearted as me.