Lammergeyer Hotel Gonder

... animals etc (like Mount Athos). Mary and Joseph and the BJ actually went as far as Lake Tana when they fled to Egypt (this is a fact known only to Ethiopians). <br><br>We went by boat to see the outlet of the Blue Nile (it flows south out of Lake Tana and eventually to Khartoum where it joins the White Nile). This was originally "discovered" by James Bruce, the famous Scottish explorer. We also went to see the Blue Nile Falls at Tis Abay ...

My journey across Ethiopia continues. Another part of this beatiful country could be discovered, even if I have discovered places, I didn't want to see... It was a lot talked about people throwing things at travelers. Here my experiences along the highway to Gonder: <br><br>Number of items thrown at me: <br><br>4 stones (1 at helmet) <br>1 stick (wood) <br>1 peace of sugarcane (yummie) <br>1 thong (the other was still in use) <br>1 widow (thankfully refused) <br><br>To round this ...

... it wouldn't be so dusty. When the bus finally arrives, it's dark already, and guess what? All the lights are out. Welcome to Gonder, same as Harar. So I check-in in darkness, a candle supplied for each room, and then proceed to check out the town. Self-proclaimed guides swarm me like flies on ****, I playing the turdly role. Since the role has been thrust upon me, I go into character and blow them off wholesale, not even feeling guilty ...

... d told him we had no money to pay him - paying for part of our trip down South with much of our US dollars had nearly wiped us out of any extra cash, and it had become clear to us very quickly that credit cards and ATM cards are typically useless outside the capital. But, Johannes assured us that we'd be able to get money from a bank in town that accepted Visa cards. After bumping along on the road for a while (and one flat tire later), we ...

... the emergency department as it becomes the point of call for any and all medical or surgical emergencies - so I can see LOTS! On my first Sunday off Debs and I went to the royal enclosure at Gonder. This is a large area with loads of different castles built by the various emperors of Ethiopia's past, as until recent times Gonder was the capital because of its strategic importance. They are all in varying states of ruins but one is ...

... Africa is: new and well designed buildings going up everywhere, all major European and Japanese vehicle manufacturers well represented with glittering premises and lots of industrial activity going on. Then it was off towards the Ethiopian border on brand-new tar-seal through large fields of sorghum and villages of traditional ...

... This road was built by the Italians and clings precariously on to the mountain with deep gorges and ragged peaks on all sides. It is beautiful and we wouldn't have wanted to leave Ethiopia without having seen these incredible scenic highlands. At Debark which is the base for trekking in the Simien Mountains we saw the endemic Gelada baboons, quietly munching on grassroots, their main staple food. Another 80 kilometers of badly corrugated road took us into Gondar. This town has a ...

... very strict and they are totally terrified of their seniors, to the point that they fall to pieces when presenting on ward rounds and don't like to leave the hospital for any form of recreation for fear of being seen. All the interns are walking encyclopedias of medicine and surgery. Their knowledge is greater than perhaps any student I know in the UK which is mainly a result of the volume of patients they see as both students and doctors - but they ...

... scale for our luggage did not work, and it took about 5 guys standing around doing nothing to help the machine continue not working. Finally they just let it pass. When we received our boarding passes, it was with much delight to see that they were completely blank! I'm sure they recycle them from flight to flight. While waiting for the plane it was entertaining to notice that there were no lights on (not that they were needed ...

... they are celebrating their millenium! Their time is also different (other than the obvious time change) - they are about 6 hours ahead, and they celebrate their new year on Sepetmeber 11th! Everything has double dates and times so they can do business in the west. Interesting how they are so well eductated about the West, but we are little educated about them... Again, these people are amazing me. A society where ...