Like a tale from Lord of the Rings I ventured to the Simien Mountains this past weekend for 2 days of trekking. An early morning flight that was changed both in time and route took me from Addis Ababa to the far north of Ethiopia to the ancient town of Axum and then back south-west to Gonder. From Gonder a 4 hr drive back towards Axum to the town of Debark and then another hour into the Simien Mountains National park to the Simien Lodge. The highest Lodge in Africa at 10,300 feet comprises about 20 Tukuls or thatched roof style huts with modern internal fit outs.
The drive to the Simiens took the main road north which has been under construction by the Chinese government already for 3 years and probably will take another 3-6 years to complete. The scenery was beautiful. A flat tyre in a town attracted locals aroun us ferenjes. Arriving late at 3.30 pm we picked up a guide and scout in Debark and after arrival at the lodge took a 2 hr walk around the hills of the lodge. Baboons were everywhere - like a scene from Planet of the Apes we could see them play and with a number of tourists getting up relatively close. As well local kids offering small baskets and hats made by hand. These kids some with no shoes and rags on their back and filthy dirty were trying to make a birr or two to support their families.
Saturday morning rose to the sound of quiet and a few birds, breakfast in the lodge and by 8.30 am started on what was to be a 4 hr, 16 km walk along the escarpment with guide and armed scout, and parallel to the gravel road that headed into the park for at least 110 km to the next town. Walking along the escarpment I saw birds, baboons, cattle, goats and sheep as well people, mostly kids and occasional a few houses that constituted some human habitation. Trucks packed with as many as 80 people passed along the road in both directions, but going to and or coming from villages inside the park. The beauty was indescribable of the view from the escarpment and can only compare it to the valleys in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney, Australia.
Up and down the hils we went, struggling to much with the climb itself but lack of oxygen at 10-11,000 feet. Stoping every 5-10 min or every 20 meters it seemed I was still not fit. Water and some small food to eat along the way. By 1 pm we had stopped and waited for our driver to come from the Lodge. He took us a further 10 min along the road, passing a camp site and then 15 min walk to high cliffs from which water fell, much like Yosemite in the US.
We then drove back about 35 min to the Lodge, just as fog started to roll in blocking all the views we had seen in the morning.
The back to the Lodge and the following day the drive back to Gonder. In Gonder a guided tour to view the 16th century castles or what remained following their partial destruction by British bombing Italian forces in WWII.
A
No comments:
Post a Comment