Simien National Park Gonder

Leaving Axum after more time than I really needed there, I struck up a conversation with four Americans on my flight to Gondar, a town of around a quarter-million that was also a great dynastic capital and now serves as the gateway to the Simien Mountains National Park. Andy, Yodit and Egla, three Ethiopian Americans living in DC, pointed out to …

... to walk right through huge groups of them on my own (well...with the scout lurking in the distance).  After the Park, we drove to the city of Gonder, passing a number of road turnoffs headed to Sudan.  I was in a bit of shock when we arrived ...

... (but women are not allowed in!!) From Aksum we drove up and down numerous mountains to the Simien National Park. Once again, stopping the night enroute. It was amazing how the landscape changed so dramatically. In ...