The travellers have returned to Addis which means warm showers, busy streets and importantly internet access!

We have just had the most amazing week in the north of the country. Tourism is a pretty new concept here (as our destinations have been war zones as recently as 15 years ago) and that is a mixed blessing. It means that there are few facilities but at the same time we got many attractions all to ourselves (we had to laugh when we got a bit cross that we had to share a church with some other faranjis one day).

Bahar dar
Attractions: Blue Nile Falls, monasteries on Lake Tana

Ethiopian airports are very special places, seven people do the job of one person, there are frequent power failures (meaning luggage cannot be scanned and must be manually searched) and everyone has to check in 2 hours before the flight. Planes rarely run on time.

Anyway, once we managed to arrive in Bahar dar (2hrs late) we checked into the very crappy Papyrus Hotel. It's main attraction was supposed to be the huge swimming pool in the middle of the central courtyard. It was empty (except for some green sludge).

We checked out the town and met some local lads (faranji fever gets even more intense outside Addis and can be quite exhausting). One took us mountain bike riding up the hill outside town to Haillie Selassie's 1960s palace. The path took took us through villages, the requisite number of cow herds, across the Nile River and up the hill. Getting a bit tired on the way up, there were only too many boys willing to run behind me pushing me up the mountain. Very funny.

The mountain, it seems was not the main attraction, we were informed that we had to go down the other side and have a ride in a papyrus boat. These boats are flimsy and look like they might sink at any time.

Of course we got in and the ride began. "See the hippos?" the 'guide' (read local teenager) said.

They were pretty hard to miss.

He happily started paddling the boat in their direction. Tyson and I started to get nervous. Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animals. Closer and closer still. These hippos are not dangerous. The boy said.

We were unconvinced.

What started as about three hippos grew to ten as they lifted their heads out of the water one by one. Then one by one they ducked...the only thing worse than looking at a bunch of huge dangerous animals nearby is knowing that they are there and not being able to see them!

Then a head popped up, it was much closer. It disappeared, then emerged closer still.

Tyson and I, while being brave are not entirely stupid. We made it very clear that the boat ride was over and that we wanted to be back on land now. Being chased by massive hippos, while making a great anecdote is a bit too frightening. I don't care what sort of assurances the local lads give!

Next day. A boat ride through beautiful Lake Tana to the island monasteries. 13th century churches full of unique (almost comic book) paintings of bible stories, housing amazing antiquities (1000 year old goat skin books that the locals are only too happy to flick through and show you). Part of you feels that these old books crosses and crowns should be in a museum until you understand that these things are used daily for masses and are very important to the local comunity. Sometimes you really do feel like you are in the middle ages here.

Blue Nile falls are not much to speak of. While once a powerful and beautiful site, now 90% of the falls are diverted through hydroelectric power generators leaving not much more than a trickle. Good for locals not so good for tourists.

That night saw the "Tyson and Louse Bahar Dar inaugral pub crawl". The night saw frosty beers on tap for about 15c each, Tyson claiming his name was Barry and that Peterborough is the most important city in Australia, running races with the local kids, getting kicked out of a brothel ("Tyson, I just went to the 'toilet' out the back and I think this is a brothel". A quick scan at the room and all of the scowling faces made it pretty clear.."would you like us to leave?", we asked "yes," came the reply "what I mean is we can go"..."yes, Leave") and walking home chewing on some sugar cane bought off the street.

Gonder
Home of 16th century castles and a town that can only be described as Italian Fascist Art Deco. Cool town but you couldn't walk down the street without 400 people wanting money, pens, T-shirts, food, or anything else that you were willing to give. Bloody annoying. The best thing about visiting the ruins was the peace and quiet.

Axum

Attractions: Home of the Ark of the Covenant, ancient tombs (many of which remain unexplored) and the palace of the Queen of Sheba.

Axum is hot and dry, kind of like Whyalla but with better footpaths. It's full of people who are really excited to talk to you but who don't necessarily want anything (a very pleasant change from Gonder).

First stop. The northern Axum stelae field.
This field is one of a few around town, but this is the most famous (I'm sure a google search would provide more details for those interested souls). The steles tower above the field and cover ancient tombs (around the 5th century AD). We were the only people in the field and wandered around and into the open tombs. Armed with torches were headed below ground feeling like true explorers.

Further up the hill (which of course we ascended in the heat of the day) we got to two very special tombs of old Axumite Kings, which the local guardian showed us very exctedly with (he had a whole 5 words of english). As I ducked to get through to another room Tyson said "look out for the bats"..."where?"..."they are flying over your head". I kept my cool like the true Tomb Raider i am! (Tyson got quite excited when i referred to myself as Tomb Raider. I had better by a lycra bodysuit!)

Just near here is the church of St Mary of Zion. The grounds (in most of which women aren't allowed) include the new and old churches and a small chapel. The chapel is of major significance to the Ethipian people as it houses the Ark of the Covenant. That's right, the Catholics, protestants and jews don't know where it is, but the Ethiopians claimed to have stolen it from Jerusalem in about the time of King Solomon and it resides in Axum. One monk reputedly guards the Ark and once appointed stays in the chapel with it until he dies. He is the only person who can look at the tablets without bursting into flames. The current guardian has been there for around 25 years.

The other side of town boasts another stelae field and the ruins of what locals believe was the palace of the Queen of Sheba though the ruins are 1500 years younger than she. The high point of our visit here was the old guard and his AK-47. He was happy to have his photo taken with Tyson, giving Tyson his gun to hold. I was then passed the gun to feel its weight. I had never held a gun before so to be given a kalashnikov and shown the loaded magazine was quite an experience. I did a bit of weightlifting with it which the guard thought was quite a lark. He was more than happy when we gave him 6 birr of the experience (around $1).

Lallibella
Attractions: Rock hewn churches (think Petra)
Lallibella was certainly a high point of the trip. It is a small medieval town of about 8,000 people. It is a place of pilgrimage for Ethiopians and known as "new Jerusalem" and "the holy land". The churches here defy understanding. These quite large churches have been chiselled entirely out of rock and stand today largely as they did in the 13th century. The most amazing part though is that they are still in use.

We set off to see the churches at around 7am on Sunday (just in time for mass). What we saw stands as one of the single most amazing experiences of my life. Approaching the main church we heard chanting and were treated to not only an amazing structure, but it was completely surrounded by people cloaked in white chanting and praying. All we could do is stop and take it all in. The rock outside the church, once full of tombs now house monks and hermits who live in holes in the rock, some no larger than 6 feet deep by 2 feet wide.

Inside we (and our new Norwegian friends Svein, Mia and Marit) were the only visitors and passed without anyone really noticing. The drums and chanting continued as it has for hundreds of years. Mia whispered to me "I feel like we are moving among ghosts" and as we looked across the white bodies in the darkened church which smelled of age and frankinsence, it was a good explaination.

There are 11 churches in the town and each one is amazing in itself. This is a place of legends and we couldn't help but imagine a cracking Indiana Jones movie set among the tunnels, bridges castles and caves of this amazing place.

We met some really great travellers here too. There are so few faranjis who get to see these amazing sights. We all felt so lucky and awed.

We were sad to leave yesterday, but at the same time, we're bound for Cairo this afternoon. We are both really excited about the next chapter of our adventure (although this time we'll be dealing with bus loads of fellow tourists and a less gentle street environment!).

Oh, one more thing I meant to include in the facts about Ethipia post, it's seven years ago here! It's still 1997 as they have a 13 month Julian style calendar. It's also six hours ago, or maybe I'm six hours behind because for them the day starts at our 6am. I always ask for European time!

So, stay tuned for Cairo Chaos, more facts and figures, and another edition of "Ohmygod!".