Ethiopia

For those of my generation, Ethiopia is synonymous with the horrendous famines during the 1980s, prompting Bob Geldof to beginning what was later to become a more global trend of rock stars promoting global cause, e.g. Sting and Bono. Of course the reputed smelly front man of The Boomtown Rats was not the first “celebrity” to show a social conscious – ex-Beatle George Harrison gave concerts to assist mass flooding in Bangladesh several years earlier.

Yes, poverty is still on the cards in Ethiopia, as indeed fighting with their much-hated Eritrean neighbours, but it offers so much more too. Christian churches built into the rock more than thousand years ago are still actively used for worship today are dotted around Lalibela. Ancient tombs and obelisks, 17th century castles and even burnt out Soviet tanks can also be found scattered in huge swathes of wilderness.

Travel is arduous and uncomfortable on local buses and unsealed roads, and i am sure i am going to be experiencing not dissimilar journeys to the ones endured in Mozambique, Nonetheless, there are some chilled out spots scattered around, coffee is worshipped and it’s as cheap as chips.

The illustrious Dr. Gloves will be joining me for a few weeks in January and with his keen sociological interests is keen to get to the tribal parts in the more remote areas of the south.

Boltie and Kim were hoping to also join me through the country, but have been side-tracked by work in Sierra Leone. However a recent email from Brother Josef from my Namibian/Zambian leg of my African travels is keen to hook up again., be it Egypt, Sudan or Ethiopia.

All in all i’m sure we are in for an interesting six weeks.