It’s hard to believe but our family of 5 actually was down at the Land Cruiser and already to go at 5:55 a.m.! I’m sure Mekonnen was amazed. But everything was packed, loaded and all paid for and we left the Remhai at 6 a.m., surely a record of some sorts for us. The morning was nice and cool from the cold front that had blown through the evening prior. As we headed out of Axum there was evidence of rain, a good sign for the farming community. We agreed to drive to Shire (pronounced “sheer-ah”) for breakfast as Mekonnen suggested. This was a good strategy because it got us going early, got us through the lowlands that warm up quickly and into the mountains after breakfast when the sun is rising.
Wanda and I were worried about this day from the very beginning. The guide book made it seem that this would be the hardest day. The Simien Mountains were reputed to have the scariest roads, cliffhangers where in places it was only one lane (who would win between a long distance bus and a Land Cruiser?). So we approached the day with trepidation. But the first 1/3 of the journey out of Axum was through the low flat lands and quite easy. Then came the second 1/3 into the mountains. Yes, they were as stated but as we climbed up and down on this Sunday morning with very little traffic either way, we started to relax. The road was actually better than we expected and the sun was wonderful. As we climbed the temperature dropped from 28C to 14C at one point! So the girls weren’t complaining of heat in the very back, they were actually complaining of feeling cold! As we relaxed the drive became much more fun (for me anyways, I was driving). The Simien Mountains are quite green compared to their counterparts further east. The gravel road is of better quality than their counterparts in the east. There were still hairpin turns and plenty of switchbacks and no one dwelled on looking over the edge of the road to the drop-offs of 100 to 1000 feet or more below, lest one would feel vertigo. The Simien Mountains are beautiful and hard to describe but let me try. They have the feel of the Alpines in Switzerland. Steep green mountains eventually level out on the top into green pastures on the top. Those green pastures of grass are kept short by grazing animals and look like a rolling golf course in cut. It was here that the temperature was as low as 14C.
We stopped in Debark for fuel and began the final 1/3 portion of our journey. Now the gravel/dirt road improved even more and straightened out and we were able to increase our speed. We had all guessed that it would take from 8-10 hours of driving to go from Axum to Gonder. Could it be that we all overshot with our guesses? Sure enough, we rolled into Gonder at 2:30 p.m. which meant 8 ½ hours of driving including stops! Incredible! Wanda and I both said later that this drive, dreaded as the potential worst, turned out to be the best leg of the trip! So we were in a good mood upon arriving (the girls, as usual, weren’t in the same mood as us, they were hungry. Understandably so, since we couldn’t stop for lunch. Actually all bathroom breaks have been ‘al fresco’ as well since public toilets are few and far between and the rare one you find is often a smelly, unsanitary ‘squat pot’. The girls are now quite happy finding a secluded spot outdoors to pee rather than in one of those settings.
So we checked in and rested at the Goha, another government run hotel. Once again, more of the same. The Goha has the best location for a hotel in the city, beautiful view on a hill overlooking Gonder. The restaurant and lounge facilities are impressive. The menu is the usual. The rooms need renovation but are relatively clean (these rooms had a strong musty odor). The weather was sunny and beautiful when we arrived so the girls could explore the grounds a bit. We ate at the unusual hour of 3:30 p.m. and then again at 8 p.m. (typical of the Ethiopian/ European crowd that was there). By then a storm front had moved into the area.
Thunder and lightning and a hard rain fell. It cooled down considerably and for the first time we used the warm clothing we had packed a week ago back in Addis. The girls were tired and went to bed almost of their own accord. Wanda was tired but we both wanted to watch the Euro2008 soccer/football championship match between Germany and Spain. Spain ended up winning 1-0 and we watched it in our room (which made it so easy to turn off the TV and fall instantly asleep).
Day 8 will be a combination tour and travel day. Touring the castle of Gonder and traveling in the afternoon to Bahir Dar. Our biggest travels are over (until the final day from Bahir Dar to Addis).
No comments:
Post a Comment