“You have got to be kidding — Ethiopia?”

Not an atypical reaction, when one suggests that the perennially blighted African nation might — just might — be a vacation destination worth considering for that next adventure holiday.  And in my case, I have to admit that what got me on the plane wasn’t so much the tourism aspect as the chance to visit a longtime friend stationed there by his humanitarian outfit. But I must warn you, do take heed of this information before taking this trip.

“But it’s one big disaster site!” added the female friend to whom I’d made the suggestion.  Given the stories that make their way out of Ethiopia in the course of any given year, I couldn’t fault her for feeling that way about the place.

But how incomplete such a one-sided image turns out to be.  Stand amidst the central market throngs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, and you’ll experience much more in the way of lively culture than you expect, conditioned by all those dire press accounts.  Stalls displaying all that is exotic, in a continent renowned for its ability to stir the imagination, stretch on in every direction.  People from all of eastern Africa’s ethnic groups mix with merchants in a morning ritual as old as civilization.  Who could not find the scene enthralling — not to mention National Geographic-level photogenic?  Even avenues far removed from the market offer colorful vistas into African life that seem to positively insist on photographic capture.

The ancient Ethiopian hill town of Harer far to the east is not only tied to the very origin of coffee but is also immortalized in the diaries of famed nineteenth century British adventurer Sir Richard Burton.  Once a forbidden principality, its narrow lanes, fiercely Islamic traditions, and great distance from all that suggests the modern world are lingering trademarks.  Here you can stand in the streets and witness donkey caravans unloading cargo from distant villages beyond the reach of even dirt roads.  Khat, the mildly narcotic plant whose green leaves are addictively chewed by much of the population is sold openly in local markets.  At night, just beyond the city walls, you hear the sound of jackals in the moonlight.

Dire Dawa, a desert town just a few hours to the north, sits on the edge of the vast Danakil Desert and cradles its own legacy of centuries of caravan trade from the arid Horn of Africa region.  A walk through its market provides a glimpse of clashing cultures blending Africa and the Middle East.

Lake Tana, a major source of the waters that go on to form the Nile River, sits in the country’s northeast highlands.  Located in a more fertile region enjoying far more rainfall, the lake is bordered by small fishing villages home to the predominant Ethiopian Christian culture that dates back almost two millennia.  From the towns at the southeastern shore of the lake a short trek south following the river takes you past crocodile habitats, farming villages and the Blue Nile Falls, a cascade of awesome size and grandeur.

Yes, disasters and their aftermath may be regular enough visitors to Ethiopia; but they vie with much else that continues to draw travelers to this ancient and fascinating land.

Topics: Nick Yates on Travel |

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