Ethiopia - heading oop north

Mosquito paranoia
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The Ethiopian Tourism Commission's slogan runs '13 months of sunshine', and sure enough it had tipped it down for the three days we had been in Addis. Weary of the rain, falling asleep to the strains of Enrique Iglesias, and getting increasingly worried by the 'assorted fisting food' we kept seeing in the local restaurants' menus, we decided to head up north to a town called Bahar Dar

We were to travel the 600km in a 4WD - and as long as Becs didn't get chucked out of the vehicle for continually spitting out 'bloody gas guzzlers', the journey would take us 10 hours.

Pelicans on Lake Tana
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Although very dry at the moment (we're at the end of the 'long dry' here and the 'short rains' haven't quite started) the landscape is spectacular. As soon as we left Addis we were catapulted into the East Africa of the mind, with traditional round mud/wood huts with their thatched roofs, and brightly dressed villagers hauling water and tending their animals. No flies, no swollen bellies - Ethiopia is not riddled with the images the media feed us although life is clearly a struggle.

We took to Bahar Dar immediately, which is a town of similar size to Canterbury but not heaving with chavs! It sits on the edge of Ethiopia's largest lake - Lake Tana. Thanks to a British declaration in the time of our great empire the Ethiopians can not use the water for irrigation, only for drinking and fishing. The next season's planting is in danger this year due to lack of rain but the lake must remain unused. Rule Brittania eh!

Chris getting patriotic with a pint of St George
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Apart from its untapped potential, the lake's main attractions are the 14th - 16th century monasteries which lie around the lake and on its many islands, and to which we visited on a day trip.

The monasteries were certainly incredible, but more incredible was Bec's continued ability to disregard local customs. Stepping worst foot forward as ever, she obligingly donated a packet of biscuits to a local boy and tipped him 5 birr (about 30p) for showing us the sites. Problema? Well the boy happened to be a novice monk who was not only in the middle of his 55 day fast but must also NEVER accept money. Am hoping he didn't have to say too many Hail Mary's that night.

Chris continues through Ethiopia in a state of almost permanent concussion. Although we are yet to see any neuro-psychotic reaction to his anti-malarials (however turning up at the wedding could be put down to that) he does seem to have lost all sense of balance and spatial awareness. Getting off the boat after our monastery trip he smashed into the steel covering and nearly fell into the lake. Sometime later when leaving a shop he managed to walk straight into the sizeable and unmissable shop awning, causing the awning to collapse and the shop keeper to rush out to his (and his shop's) rescue. Although not yet tanning he is coloured from his physical encounters.

Off to Gondar next which is, coincidentally, on the way to Shire. Hoping to find some Ethiopian hobbits