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| Lake Tana, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia |
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| Blue Nile Waterfalls, Ethiopia |
Bahir Dar is a very pleasant town with tropical atmosphere. It lies at 1800 metres altitude, has many palms, tropical flowers, fig trees and other gigantic trees.
I stayed at the same hotel as 10 years ago - the Ghion. The rooms are a little bit tired and the beds strongly remind of hammocks, but the location is a dream. The hotels is just at the shores of lake Tana, and there is a beautiful garden with gigantic trees, many Canna flowers, a restaurant, in the evening campfires and a nice manager, who looks very much after the concerns of his guests. Whether Ethiopian music, a tear in the trousers, Internet or the reservation of a tour - Bisrat looks after everything.
From Bahir Dar it is possible to do some nice daytrips. One day, I spent at the Nile Falls. Though the rainy season has already started, it takes some time till the water comes all the way to the falls. So, this waterfall was not really spectacular, but it was a very nice trip nevertheless.
Around Bahir Dar, there are quite a few old monasteries. Many of them are situated on islands. Inside they are painted with all kinds of saint's pictures. Quite often Holy Georg, how he kills the dragon.
Natural colours were used, many pictures were restored, others left in the old style to see the difference.
10 years ago, I had quite some problems with Ethiopian children. Rather irritating was their shouting of "you, you, you" and "Farangii (White)". This has clearly become better. In the big towns anyway, but the direct comparison I had at the waterfalls. 10 years ago, it was especially bad there, now it was okay. I was told, that they teach now at school, who to treat foreigners. And there are programmes on radio and TV.
No stone throwers so far - at least up to now. 10 years ago this has happened to me in three weeks three times and this is no pleasant experience...
But as said - toi, toi, toi, hopefully, it will stay like this!
