A glance at the guide book on the Danakil Depression in north eastern Ethiopia, with its tales regarding former castrations of unwelcome tourists by locals and recent killings of tourists by Eritreans, persuaded us that it would not be advisable to attempt to do this trip on our own. In addition, permits and obligatory security arrangements are complicated, involving police, army personnel and Afar tribesmen, all armed. By Karin Theron Continue reading The Danakil Depression Part One
Category Archives: Ethiopia
Discovering the Ethiopian highlands
From Addis Ababa we headed north towards Lalibela, passing at first through bright green pastures dotted with beautiful stone houses, most of which had a high stack of hay nestling next to them. We have learned that this hay is in actual fact tef, an Ethiopian grain which is fermented to prepare their staple carbohydrate, injera. By Karin Theron
With its 91 million people, Ethiopia is one of the most highly populated countries in Africa. The rural areas are a continuous, terraced farmland; most of the people operating at subsistence level, using terraces that have perhaps been there for thousands of years, cultivating even the steepest slopes. We think that the extent of undeveloped countryside is why we have seen the most amazing bird life throughout. Continue reading Discovering the Ethiopian highlands
Ethiopia’s spectacular caves and an ancient city
We awoke at minus two degrees, camped at over 4000m in the quarry on the Sanetti Plateau, freezing, with the wind chill factor making it worse. Mist was coming in as we cooked up coffee and a hasty breakfast, breaking up camp as quickly as possible. Everything was wet and grimy, the steel awning poles draining most of the heat from our hands, the remainder going when we had to wash off the filth. However, with sleet falling, we knew it would have been much worse had it rained. By Karin Theron Continue reading Ethiopia’s spectacular caves and an ancient city