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No matter where you go, it takes a day

By on 3. August 2011 in Rwanda
3-13. August-Rwanda

Map of Rwanda

Exactly 24 hours after leaving Vienna, I touched down in Kigali. A couple of hours at Istanbul Airport and a very short nap at an Entebbe hotel broke up the lengthy trip.

Nobody would have guessed the Boeing B737-800 leaving Istanbul was Entebbe-bound. About 99% of all passengers on the 4.500km long journey were Europeans - strong evidence that Uganda is becoming a prime tourist destination in Eastern Africa. Very different was the flight Entebbe-Kigali. I was the only non-African on this tiny plane. But being a woman I fit right in: the others were attending the Conference on Women Entrepreneurship in Kigali, at the very expensive Serena Hotel - as they cheerfully shared with me.

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Travel Guide To Ethiopia

By on 27. April 2011 in Ethiopia

The Northern Historical Circuit – Our itinerary

Bet Giyorgis Rock-Hewn Church, Lalibela

Bet Giyorgis Rock-Hewn Church, Lalibela

We have visited Ethiopia twice. The detailed account of our trip to the Lower Omo Valley and the Danakil Depression over the Christmas holidays 2010 – 2011 has been published on our website, on the website of the Lonely Planet & of the Bradt Guide and received a lot of attention. Continue Reading →

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Ethiopia: Historical Route – A Selection Of 26 Pictures

By on 25. April 2011 in Africa – Photos, Ethiopia, Ethiopia – Photos
Bet Giyorgis Rock-Hewn Church, Lalibela

Bet Giyorgis Rock-Hewn Church, Lalibela

Discovering Ethiopia’s great history – Over Easter 2011, we followed what has become known as the “Northern Historical Circuit”. This term subsumes unparalleled highlights: Bahir Dar and the Monasteries of Lake Tana, the Royal Palaces of Gonder, the Stelae in Axum & the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela – Here you find a selection of 26 pictures from Ethiopia Continue Reading →

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Ethiopia – Budget Guide

By on 25. April 2011 in Ethiopia, Travel Budget
Fasilida's Casstle, Fasil Ghebbi, the Royal Enclosure, Gonder, Ethiopia

Fasilida’s Casstle, Fasil Ghebbi, the Royal Enclosure, Gonder, Ethiopia

We visited Ethiopia twice in 2010-2011. Both times we travelled during the busy season (Christmas and Easter) and spent about two weeks in the country each time. This is not our preferred time and tempo. Nevertheless we felt a lot less rushed than most other tourists. Especially large groups on buses go at a merciless pace! Continue Reading →

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Addis Ababa From Different Angles

By on 24. April 2011 in Ethiopia
In Addis Abeba

In Addis Abeba

Our 15 hours in Addis was packed with an incredible amount of activities and experiences. At least one hour was killed by fighting with a cab driver, who we thought was overcharging us. We had agreed on a price, then a girl joined us and she was also expected to pay the same price. Only when the police did not seem interested in the story of the driver did the matter slowly settle. Continue Reading →

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Wordly Lalibela

By on 23. April 2011 in Ethiopia
Women using Umbrellas against the sun, Lalibela, Ethiopia

Women using Umbrellas against the sun, Lalibela, Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s most visited tourist destination, we expected Lalibela to be a pretty developed place. Wrong again! We were taken aback by the squalor and slum like dwellings that line the road up to the “city center”. Only the two mile road that connects the hotels down the hill up to the “town center” is paved with large cobble stones. Everywhere else, only muddy trails! Between the wooden shacks, you find a few stalls selling textiles and men sewing raggedy clothes on ancient Singer machines. Children enjoy chasing each other around the ditches running along the road. Continue Reading →

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Lalibela’s Friday Market

By on 23. April 2011 in Ethiopia
Market in Lalibela, Ethiopia

Market in Lalibela, Ethiopia

Lalibela’s Friday market offered a nice break from churches spotting. Cramped with stalls selling vegetables, fruits and clothes – it was huge. Nearly everyone was selling red onions, some merchants only a handful, some seating next to a small hill, some skillfully stacking them, others just spilling them on the ground. Continue Reading →

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Lalibela – Ethiopia’s Jerusalem

By on 22. April 2011 in Ethiopia
Bet Giyorgis Rock-Hewn Church, Lalibela, Ethiopia

Bet Giyorgis Rock-Hewn Church, Lalibela, Ethiopia

Our dream image of Lalibela on Easter Sunday? Swaying among white-clad worshippers and chanting priests. Reality hit hard! Worshippers, having fasted for three days, covered every inch of the churches’ floor, sleeping off their hunger and thirst. Wrapped into their large white shawls they looked like corpses. So Sunday evening there was no way to get in. The churches may look huge from the outside, the inside is very compartmentalized and some parts are strictly reserved for priests. Continue Reading →

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Following The Cattle Via The Mill

By on 21. April 2011 in Ethiopia
Cattle Market, Aksum, Ethiopia

Cattle Market, Aksum, Ethiopia

Endless caravans of farmers with their goats, cows, sheep and what not were passing by the Queen of Sheba Pool. Some walking with only one animal, others had small herds. To control the goats more easily, many were tied together around one leg, making them to move rather awkwardly. We quickly figured that it must cattle market day and joined the procession. Continue Reading →

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