Bahir Dar Things to Do

2 more images

Once you are face to face with the falls go down again to have another side view from below. It is a muddy path but there is a pleasant corner at the end where you can sit on the rocks, admire the falls and take more pictures without getting another shower (picture 1).
It was during this excursion to Tis Isat when I understood the meaning of the Ethiopian proverb on my homepage “The foot that is restless will tread on a turd”: all the path from the village to the falls is full of mud, mud and sometimes slippery stones to avoid mud . . . or to fall on it (picture 2). That’s why I decided to take long stick and a young + handsome valet to help me along the way, crossing the small streams and jumping on the stones. He was expensive (I had to pay also for the rent of the stick!) but turned to be also a good company and told me nice stories. However, some younger tourists were luckier than me ;-) (picture 3)

Going back to the main point, you can watch the falls for the last time taking a cup of coffee under the shadow of a tree.

4 more images

Once Lake Tana is left behind, the Blue Nile travels between papyrus and cultivated fields for 32 km to fall 45 m down on the Tis Isat falls. Tis Isat (smoke of water in Amharic) was described on my guidebook as a “melange of mists and rainbows” and it is really how I saw it. It seems that falls are more impressive during this period (rainy season, between June and September) even if the colour of water is more brown than blue because of the mud.
Once you arrive to Tis Isat village there is an admission ticket to pay at the Tourist Office. There you can also arrange a guide but it is not really necessary as you will always be surrounded by children showing you the way and eventually selling some souvenirs.
From the Tourist Office there are two possible paths: the so called eastern path, the shortest path, which crosses a beautiful 17th century Portuguese Bridge. If you take this path you will have a nice front view of the falls but from a certain distance.
We decided instead to take the less steep but more adventurous western route, which starts at 50m of the ticket office. After 1-2 km of walk you have to cross the Nile’s banks by motorboat (picture 2) and then follow the river above the falls crossing beautiful green landscapes with chatt fields (picture 3) to meet the falls for the first time from the side. Views from here are gorgeous! But if you want still more impressive shots go down (picture 4) for a front view and feel that “smoke of water”, that “melange of mists and rainbows” on your skin. This is the main viewpoint (picture 5).
Tis Isat was without any doubt one of the highlights of my Ethiopian trip.

2 more images

During my recovering walks in Bahir Dar we tried to reach the Blue Nile Outlets also by foot. We took a taxi in the city centre direction to Weyto Village, stopped after the bridge and went down to the shore. There, some villagers welcomed us and played the spontaneous guides along the shore (not necessary but unavoidable . . .) for few coins. Well, at the end it was not possible to reach exactly the Nile Outlets by foot but we were able to see some nice papyrus canoes (tankwas) which look exactly as the ancient papyrus canoes depicted on the Egyptian walls (picture 3). Not far from them, there were also two smiling hippos. Have you seen the main picture?: yes, OK . . . hippos are vegetarian but . . . I would not like to be on those boats so close to them!

NB: if you like walking a lot you can avoid the taxi and go there by foot, it is not too far from the city centre. It's just that I was too exhausted!

1 more image

On the skirts of Mount Gishe there is a small stream called Gilgel Abay (Small River in Ahmaric). The Ethiopian tradition considers this stream as the source of the Abay Wenz (Big River) or Blue Nile River and a small church built nearby testified that. The birth of the Blue Nile was until only few years ago almost unknown by Europeans. Although it was described for the first time by a Spanish Jesuit in 1613 and later by a Scottish explorer in 1770, people did not believe them. Being forgotten during years, the Blue Nile was charted for the first time by Robert E. Cheesman,v British consul in Gojjam. That happened in the thirties (yes, 1930!), when almost all the world already appeared on the map.
Ethiopian tradition and Scientific Community usually don’t go together and nowadays scientists consider Lake Tana as the outlet of the Blue Nile. From there, the Nile River -generally regarded as the longest river in the world- starts its journey, 5223 km, crossing three different countries until the Mediterranean Sea.
Usually the Lake Tana Churches tour includes the visit of the Blue Nile Outlets. If you are lucky, it is a good occasion to see one hippo or two.

4 more images

Founded by Empress Mentewwab in 1747 on Zegue Peninsula, this is the most famous (and visited) church and also my favourite one.

To visit this church, a local guide is compulsory and he will come to offer you his services as soon as you go out of the boat. To get the church you will have to walk for a while along a path crossing exuberant vegetation but full of souvenir stalls. Unfortunately they offer nothing interesting dispersing also the charm of the walk.
The church forms part of a small complex with some huts -I suppose for the monks- and a museum displaying 16th and 17th century crosses and crowns. It is built of stone and it has a round form, which can be considered as an adaptation of the local hut (picture 2). Inside, it is decorated which beautiful paintings on its walls.
Paintings show you the life of Christ, Mary and different saints (picture 3). But they also show you the consequences of being a bad guy (picture 4). Especially beautiful are the equestrian saints being this picture one of the most represented images about Ethiopia (main picture). But common people could also appear on the paintings: a small donation for the Church and they could have their face represented on the walls for the eternity (picture 5).

2 more images

Tana churches hide ancient paintings created with a style that came from Byzantium and has not changed since then. Designs remind the parishioners the truth of their faith. The colour is as important as the shape having both the purpose to catch the observer’s mind and spirit. Topics are always the same: the Virgin (very venerated in Ethiopia), the Trinity, the saints’ life and Saint George killing the dragon.
If you enlarge the second picture, you will see two kinds of design for people: good people (saints, etc) have round face with almond eyes and serene expressions; bad people have long face with ugly expressions and almost all the times are seen from the side (a profile nose and only one eye).
You can spend hours and hours admiring these paintings, walls are a kind of comic strip telling you lots of stories. In fact it was the only way for illiterate people to know about the Holy Scriptures. If you like photography don’t forget to bring your tripod as the light is faint. If it happens to you to visit the churches during a power failure, which IS NOT very rare, then there is not hope for good pictures :-(

3 more images

Lake Tana, with its 3.600 m2, is the second largest lake in Africa only beaten by Victoria Lake. Papyrus and fishermen boats cover its shores and it is the habitat of lots of species, from colourful birds to big hippos. But Lake Tana is not only interesting for its natural beauties: its more than twenty islands were also the spiritual retirement of orthodox monks.Between 16th and 17th centuries many monasteries and churches were built in Lake Tana. The oldest of these forty or so churches have their origins in the fourteenth century. They reflect the native building tradition in their round shape, materials and building techniques. Simple architectures without any interest but covered with wonderful paintings with religious scenes, being these murals the highlight of a boat trip on Lake Tana.
Although you could spend days and days visiting churches I think (and I almost don’t believe what I am going to say) that after visiting two or three, all of them will look to you the same. So if your time in Ethiopia is tight, a half a day /one day trip will be more than enough.
We booked our half day trip in Ghion Hotel the day before. It included the visit of Debre Maryam, Intos Exesus Maryam, Kebran Gebriel (men only), Azuwa Maryam, Ura Kidane Meret + the Nile outlets.It was a very complete tour but after seeing three churches we said to our boatman that it was enough. Note that “the trip” means the “transportation by boat to the different islands”. Once you step onto them, you will have to pay an admission ticket to visit the different churches (50 Birr each).

1 more image

Ethiopian Orthodox churches follow the same patterns since the 16th century. They have circular, hexagonal or octagonal shape and are surrounded by a covered veranda (picture 2). They usually have three doors –at west, north and south- while the eastern side is sacred and closed. Around the churches there is always a wide open space where people can pray and attend to ceremonies, usually with benches and exuberant vegetation. Big trees offer shady corners for the hottest months. The interior is reserved for the pure ones and the sancta sanctorum (the innermost part) at the centre of the building is open only to clergy. Inside it is kept the tabot, a replica of the Tables of the Law given to Moses, on a kind of wooden box.