Ethiopia

[matt2matt2002]

I'm half way through a 4 week tour in Ethiopia at the moment. If anyone wants any information or tips.

Great place. Good food and roads.
The mythical stone throwing children have not yet to appear.

[Username]

I'm half way through a 4 week tour in Ethiopia at the moment. If anyone wants any information or tips.

Great place. Good food and roads.
The mythical stone throwing children have not yet to appear.

How is it? How has it been so far generally? I cant be the only one that likes reading about people doing these sort of things.

[Sweep]

I'd be interested in your list of highlights, with abbreviated reasons. A fair bit of italian influence I know. One particularly interesting place with lots of Italian architecture, though I can't remember the name of it.
I have vague memories that the Foreign Office had alerts on some bits of the country. Did that cause you any issues in planning the trip/where you went?

[matt2matt2002]

Italian influence for sure.
Goodbye is Ciao and spaghetti is common here.
I was fearful of stone throwing and persistent begging but both are minimal.
So many good wishes, thumbs up and positive encouragement.
Most of Ethiopia is higher than Ben Nevis so coupled with the hills and 80°+, it can be tough going.
But scenery is stunning, food good, beer cheap and accommodation plentiful and also cheap.

It's Africa so not everything works all of the time. But good intentions abound.

I'll link my blog here later.
Thanks for your interest.
Matt

[Sweep]

Look forward to your link.

And pics.of places and people.

Don't they have a different new year?

More reasons to drink cheap beer?

[matt2matt2002]

Sweep
Yes. A different calendar by six years I believe and also a different time of day by six hours.
Makes life err..... interesting at times.
But such friendly folk. One down side is the abject poverty around. No one starving but not far off in some cases.
Definitely a case if the haves and have nots.

Church is big out here but haven't seen much evidence of them supporting the poor. But some nice new big churches being built.........

[Bonefishblues]

Church is indeed big out there. Aiui it's one of the cradles of Christianity.

[Cyril Haearn]

What language is used, do you get by with English, Italian, Latin?

[matt2matt2002]

English spoken widely.
Local languages vary across the country.
But Caoi is goodbye do an Italian influence.
And Salam, for hello, had an Arabic ring.
And plenty of pasta/spaghetti - Italian influence again.