Bahir Dar, Lake Tana
Door: Jeroen
10 Oktober 2006 | Ethiopië, Bahir Dar
Oktober 10th
This is paradise. Our camping/hotel is right at the lake. We are here for two full days. Today we made a bicycle trip to Haile Selassi's palace. It's closed for public and we don't see the palace (there is a guard with a gun who won't allow us to see through the gate even!), but from the hill the view is great. We go to the place from where you can see Hippo's but today they are not there. It doesn't matter, we enjoy the bike ride anyway. The afternoon is for coffee at the lake. Tomorrow early we will visit the waterfalls and again relax in the afternoon. Dani is servicing his truck, so we will be ready for the long drive to Addis Abeba. After Addis I will probably continue alone again. I will have to cover 2600 km in two weeks to make it to Dar es Salaam overland before the end of oktober.
The trip through the mountains was fantastic. We left Gonder after two nights. We drove north to Debark. Here you can turn east to go the Simen mountain park. We don't go there but choose to continue north and drive around the park. As we leave Debark the most beautiful landscape unfolds. The altitude is between 2200 and 3100 meters mostly. Around us peaks up to 3600-3800 meters with the highest one the Ras Dashen summit of 4620 meters.
We see some Russian jeeps not far from the place where we spend the first night. We get some 15 spectators as we make camp, but at nightfall they go home. We eat soup and later make a small fire, drinking schnapps!
The next day I count ten Russian tanks, a gun, some jeeps and parts of trucks. These are remnants of the civil war when Meningistu is being chased away.
The landscape is gorgeous. Birds, flowers and butterflies everywhere, and incredible views. Up in the north, close to the Eritrean border we start seeing camels and blossoming cacti. The land is dryer here, many riverbeds and falls are dry. We are late and the place we pick to sleep is surrounded by houses. The next morning Uschi takes of by bike and after some 50 km we overtake her and pick her up again.
Most we do is driving, we stop for a drink or a lunch in a restaurant, at evening we find a hotel with a yard where we can use the showers and toilets, but most days we camp outside. The truck is equipped with all we need. A fridge, a kitchen and even a shower is on board. Plus a professional cook! The last 300 km from Weldiya to the lake, the road is really bad. We are all shaken up, but it sure was worth it!
This is paradise. Our camping/hotel is right at the lake. We are here for two full days. Today we made a bicycle trip to Haile Selassi's palace. It's closed for public and we don't see the palace (there is a guard with a gun who won't allow us to see through the gate even!), but from the hill the view is great. We go to the place from where you can see Hippo's but today they are not there. It doesn't matter, we enjoy the bike ride anyway. The afternoon is for coffee at the lake. Tomorrow early we will visit the waterfalls and again relax in the afternoon. Dani is servicing his truck, so we will be ready for the long drive to Addis Abeba. After Addis I will probably continue alone again. I will have to cover 2600 km in two weeks to make it to Dar es Salaam overland before the end of oktober.
The trip through the mountains was fantastic. We left Gonder after two nights. We drove north to Debark. Here you can turn east to go the Simen mountain park. We don't go there but choose to continue north and drive around the park. As we leave Debark the most beautiful landscape unfolds. The altitude is between 2200 and 3100 meters mostly. Around us peaks up to 3600-3800 meters with the highest one the Ras Dashen summit of 4620 meters.
We see some Russian jeeps not far from the place where we spend the first night. We get some 15 spectators as we make camp, but at nightfall they go home. We eat soup and later make a small fire, drinking schnapps!
The next day I count ten Russian tanks, a gun, some jeeps and parts of trucks. These are remnants of the civil war when Meningistu is being chased away.
The landscape is gorgeous. Birds, flowers and butterflies everywhere, and incredible views. Up in the north, close to the Eritrean border we start seeing camels and blossoming cacti. The land is dryer here, many riverbeds and falls are dry. We are late and the place we pick to sleep is surrounded by houses. The next morning Uschi takes of by bike and after some 50 km we overtake her and pick her up again.
Most we do is driving, we stop for a drink or a lunch in a restaurant, at evening we find a hotel with a yard where we can use the showers and toilets, but most days we camp outside. The truck is equipped with all we need. A fridge, a kitchen and even a shower is on board. Plus a professional cook! The last 300 km from Weldiya to the lake, the road is really bad. We are all shaken up, but it sure was worth it!
-
12 Oktober 2006 - 20:24
Pim:
(zucht)......I envy you :-) hihi
Really good 2 see/hear you get what you expected and live this super experience.
good luck for all that comes on your path.
Grtzzzz Pim
Reageer op dit reisverslag
Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
