Bahir Dar Local Customs

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Going to Ethiopia during the heavy rainy season (from June to September) means to have a shower almost everyday. When it rains, IT REALLY RAINS. In Bahir Dar usually it started raining by 7.00 -8.00 pm so it was never a problem for our day tours. But it was also in Bahir Dar where storm and rain were heavier (see the pictures), being the air incredibly humid with regard to other places that we visited. Just to give you an example, simple cotton underclothes took 3 days to dry inside the room. So when you leave the hotel, especially at dinner time, keep a light raincoat always with you, for sure you will need it!

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This is a bit of a sad tip. Many of the lake Monasteries have fantastic murals that are easily over 1000 years old. The Church and Government just do not have the financial resources and skills available to restore these priceless artefacts. In some cases they do not even have the knowledge or ability to keep the steady creep of time from completely destroying these objects of art and worship. Worst still are some of the new bits of art or clumsy restoration with modern bright paints.

I actually took this photo here in Bahir Dar, so I better explain. In Ethiopia, holding your right elbow with your left hand as you shake some else’s hand is a great form of respect. Over time the left hand has mad its way forward and some times you will see the left hand as far forward as the right wrist. You will also sometimes see this as you are offered the bill in a restaurant if you have been very pleasant with the servers or they expect a good tip. If you are not seeing this, especially outside of Addis Ababa, you may want to review your manners. If you go to someone’s home for a meal, please do this. It really shows respect to your host(s). And take some Bunha! That’s coffee. It is THE gift to take!

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After you have finished your meal you may, out of habit, place your napkin on your plate. Do not do it here! If there is any food left, the restaurant will give this to poor people after they close. If you put the napkin on it – they won’t. It is a really hard habit to break, but please remember to leave your napkin on the table when you finish.

During the visit to Azuwa Maryam monastery we attended a coffee ceremony in the nearby village. Though it was not a 100% touristic thing, they accepted a tip afterwards. But in fact the coffee ceremony is something that every ethiopian will do as welcome etiquette when they invite you to their houses.
It takes about 15 minutes, while they take the grains, roast them, make them powder, boil the water with the powder and serve it in little cups with sugar. You have to drink 2 of those little cups and comment loudly how delicious the coffee is.

On our way to Bahir Dar we had our lunchbreak at a stream, where this woman was washing her clothes.
Everywhere at the streams you see people gathering at midday and in the early afternoon, washing clothes, refreshing theirselves in the cold water or just sitting in the shade of a tree during the hottest time of the day.

During this lunchbreak also two dusty men came to the stream. They undressed theirselves and after a refreshing swim, they started to wash their pulled out shirts and pants. Their clothes dried very quickly in the burning sun during their siesta time.

On our way from Dejen to Bahir Dar we met a lot of kids, who liked to be photographed, preferably one by one, like this young girl. Looking at theirselves or their family & friends at the screen of the digital camera causes a lot of excitement and laughter.

The girl was wearing a green dress. It's the colour of hope. In northern Ethiopia you will see a lot of people in green clothes. So it's also a custom to wrap a present in green paper.

The girl is also wearing a cross and amulet around her neck and has a tattoo on her chin.

On our way from Dejen to Bahir Dar we met these friendly local people, walking along the road. The two men were wearing their tradiotnal dula and gabi.

The dula is the wooden staff and travelling companion of almost every Amharic man. The staff serves a variety of purposes, like to carry loads to the market, to lean on during the very long church services and for defending oneself, against unfriendly dogs for example.

The gabi is a coloured thicker cloth or toga than the regular shamma (the white light cotton cloth, you see everywhere in Ethiopia) The gabi is worn by men. Spun around the left arm, it is a shield, while he is fighting with the dula in the right hand.