Shashemane

 

Spare a thought and perhaps even a donation to my Rasta Malawi Bro – Lij Fire, who was recently arrested and jailed for procession of his meditational herb. Whilst i am pleased to report he has now been released, he is penniless. Lij Fire is truly a Servant to humanity.

Lij Fire gave me a full itinerary for my Ethiopia (read Zion) visit. Shashemane was a must, doesn’t make it on the typical travellist circuit, and is home to an international Rasta community. The land (5,000 hectares) was donated to Rastafarians by Haile Selassie after World War 2, and i meet some of the 12 Tribes including Jamaican and other Caribbean islanders, English (both from Birmingham) and even French! They rub shoulders in peace with both Ethiopian Muslim and Christian communities.

Bob Marley visited Ethiopia and requested his body be buried in here in Shashemane, Indeed in 2005 Rita, Bob’s widow tried to get the Jamaican government to arrange this, but was refused. Too much of a cash cow for Jamaica maybe?

I imagined the central streets of Shashemane filled with Reggae bars blasting out Marley tunes, but the central part of town bears no immediate witness to this. The central part of town is a bit of a dump to be honest.

The international Rasta community are centred around neighbouring Melka Uda. As i head towards the suburb, i am inundated with “guides”. It’s a good idea for i would have found very little on my own. The difficulty is trying to just take one – they all try to “jump on the bandwagon.”.

 

the true Nazarite Way - a guilt-free download!

 

an international Ethiopean community

There are a lot of “Rasta cowboys” trying to sell you tourist price “medicine”. I fill an ounce “Ziploc style” bag of high quality fresh buds for my Christmas present to myself for Birr50. Compressed marijuana and hashish are also readily available, but unfortunately i couldn’t get any free samples.

I am taken first to the Rasta temple which lack much aesthetics. And i am guided round by the Rasta “caretaker” into the back room where tribal meetings take place. This is also a small “museum” including photographs and magazine and newspaper articles. It’s vaguely interesting and then asked to make a “donation”. I was thinking of Birr10 – it’s not much more than a room after all, but up it to Birr20 – the same i paid with my student card to visit the National Museum in Addis. The “caretaker” is scathing – “that’s not even one pound in your country!” and is even unhappier when i report that i am not in England at the moment. It’s the end of the smiling face of Rastafarianism.

 

outside the Rasta temple

Pasta – my guide then introduces me to Ras Hailu Tefari who developed both Banana Art and Rastafarian Museum. Originally from St Vincent, Ras Hailu Tefari studied Art in Harrow, before heading to Zion in 1994. He produces incredible collages using banana trees as his medium. The colours are incredible and his customers include Ronald Reagan and the current president of Zambia. He gives no hard sell at all, but i can’t resist a greetings card for Birr10. He has also collected some of Haile Sellasie’s medals and other memorabilia. He charges a Birr15 entry fee.

I skip out a visit to the Black Lion Museum and we head up to Zion Train Lodge for coffee, but also offering bungalows, family huts and rooms. Run by French Rasta Alex, they offer organic predominantly vegetarian food and have small stables behind where you can rent horses. It looks peaceful and quiet but not cheap.

The surrounding fields and countryside are extremely picturesque, but is this the Chosen Land? After all, this is the land of huge Biblical importance given to Rastafarians by Jah himself.

 

 

outside of the town the scenery is beautiful

Despite the high-grade “medicinal herbs”, long term residents, whist not unhappy, don’t look or sound like have found Nirvana here. With plenty of local cowboys “bigging up” Jah with easy Rasta platitudes in American accents it can’t help either. I’m part of the problem – a camera touting blogger. Many have overstayed their visa (there is no religious exemption on this issue as yet), and many seem “stuck here”. Security walls built plusher homes are laced with broken glass and i’m warned repeatedly to conceal my camera.

Some 12kms from Seshamane lies Wando Genet. A bus takes you close from the bus station for Birr6 and if you can find a bajaj waiting, it will take you to the hot springs for Birr8. The hot springs are based inside the Sellasie designed Shebelle Hotel. It costs Birr12 entrance and a further Birr20 to use the facilities. Massages and lockers are available.

 

once the home of Haile Selasse

 

the hot springs burst forth

 

the source of the hot springs

I base myself at the Dome Hotel with a clean ensuite bathroom for Birr80. It’s next to the bus station and does good local food. The South Rift Valley Hotel is three times as expensive, but more more “executive” - they have a lovely cool cafe set in a green garden.

Electricity is erratic.

Further afield from the town is Langano Lake which has one of the safest swimming opportunities in Ethiopia and Awasa – a university town with a large fish market.