Ethiopia will be an adventure to America travelers no matter what, but it all depends on how you like your adventure whether Ethiopia is your cup of tea. The adventure of history and culture is different from the adventure of ziplining and bungee jumping. Ethiopia has both kinds of adventure and a great deal more.
The Jupiter Hotel in Addis Ababa is a fine hotel in the model of fine hotels the world over. It has a sparkling lobby with high ceilings and giant pillars, monumental architecture, tastefully selected paintings in the hallways, and most of the things you find in fine hotels around the world. But an American might be a little jarred to find the hot water is not as hot as he's accustomed to.
A cold shower? That's a little more adventure than some people are up to.
It's not the Ritz Carlton in Chicago. It's in a third world country and deals with very different conditions. In comparison to the Ritz, an American might think the hotel could use a little refurbishment, a bit of paint here and there. The Wi-Fiis free, but a little sketchy. However, it's comfortable and luxurious in its own way. The food is great. The service is over the top, with truly kind people who would do anything for you. And where else could you have an Ethiopian jazz band playing till 3 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays?
What is the point of traveling far from the U.S. and being disappointed when standards are different? The difference is at the core of what makes travel exciting and stimulating.
On the other hand, I've seen plenty of people pay top dollar to go on Antarctic and Arctic expeditions with the top luxury providers and take a dip in polar waters just for the bragging rights. I've plunged in Antarctic waters myself, but I'm a wimp when it comes to cold showers. Adventure is what you make it.
This trip I'm on, sponsored by the Ethiopian government and NTA, the travel association of North American tour operators and their allies, has an astonishing amount of adventure packed into 10 days. We will be experiencing a different hotel and destination every day. We will be taking seven flights to cover a good basic course of Ethiopia 101.
I hated to leave Addis Ababa after only one night. As I lay awake at 4 a.m. my first night in Ethiopia trying to rest but seriously off rhythm with the local time, I could hear the city's nightlife still pumping out my window. And it was a Wednesday night. There was far too much to experience in Addis Ababa to leave so soon. But there was much to see and do.
After one night in Addis Ababa we flew to Bahir Dar in northwest Ethiopia. The flight was only 40 minutes. The weather was heavenly, sunny and cool, when we climbed out of the plane on the runway. We drove along a highway teaming with frenetic activity, with crowds of people, cows and goats, walking and carrying bundles and packages. When we arrived at the Kuriftu Resort Hotel we were greeted with an effusive welcome and a coffee ceremony with rich Ethiopian coffee and incense burning.
Kuriftu is a glorious enclave on the shore of Lake Tana with buildings constructed with organic thatched and stone architecture. But we didn't have much time to look around. We took off from a dock on the property and headed across Lake Tana to Zeghe Peninsula, where there is a monastery and an ancient church with its interior walls covered with paintings protraying Biblical scenes and other ancient stories.
The crowded images of battles and beheadings, Hell, devils and angels were visually rich and intriguing and provided food for thought for a long time to come. Equally as interesting were the craftspeople selling their wares along the route. The living culture always has a vibrance unequaled by any historical artifact or museum piece to me.
We saw the area where the Blue Nile originates long before it joins the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan, before the combined Nile flows into Egypt and the Mediterranean. We topped off the day's activities with a drive and then a 40-minute hike to a place where we could get a good view of Blue Nile Falls, a spectacular scene of massive power and energy that deserves a lot more attention than it gets. It deserves to be considered along with Victoria, Iguazu and Niagara.
Yohannes Zeleke, the archaeologist and expert on all things Ethiopian who is traveling with us, said that the force of the falls is what drives the Nile to the Mediterranean. The other branch of the river, White Nile, which originates in Uganda, is relatively slow moving.
It's hard to describe the feeling of standing in the presence of the monumental natural force of the Blue Nile Falls. It was broken into four major sections, all gushing with colossal force over a giant rift across the landscape, an inconceivable volume of water smashing over giant jutting boulders as it descends the cliff, splashing into turbulent, muddy pools and rushing downriver as treacherous rapids. Yohannes said he had rafted the rapids, but it's a bit much. Other places are better for rafting.
There was nothing to say, nothing to do but watch it for a while, a few moments of its millions of years of continuous motion, and then to turn and hike back to our van and head back to the hotel.
We had a great dinner at the hotel with an Ethiopian song and dance performance before calling it a day. And the water in the shower at Kuriftu is blazing hot, just the way you want it.
Tomorrow is another day and another series of adventures in Ethiopia.
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