Ethiopia > Traveling through green Ethiopia

The phone rings. Wake-up call. It’s five o’clock in the morning. Outside, it is still dark. Today promises to be a long travel day to Bahir Dar—a journey of almost 600 kilometers. Over the Ethiopian roads and through the mountains, it’s easily a ride of more than twelve hours. When I step into the shower, the large window presents an extra challenge. Now I am standing in the light, looking out at the dark city.

Ethiopia - The green landscape of Ethiopia

I feel a bit uncomfortable. At six o’clock, after breakfast, I set off for Bahir Dar. The luggage is on the roof, leaving plenty of space inside the bus. Jonas, the driver, heads the bus northwest out of the city. I close my eyes for a while. The landscape is rolling and strikingly green. I hadn’t expected it to be so lush, no doubt due to the humid climate. September is the last month of the rainy season. Ethiopia’s high elevation pushes the clouds upward, and showers are common during the rainy period.

Ethiopia - Horse and cart are still widely used for transport

Everywhere, the land is being cultivated. Cows pull simple wooden plows. In the villages I pass, many people are out on the streets. Many houses are made of wood with thatched roofs, or mud walls with corrugated metal roofs. Around half past eight, it’s time for a coffee stop at the edge of a valley. I look deep into the gorge. Currently, there is no electricity, so no coffee can be made. I swap the coffee for a cola. Further along the route, the mountain landscape becomes rougher. I descend to the river through hairpin bends, only to climb the other side via sharp turns. Progress is slow. Children guide the livestock along the road, while women carry large bundles of firewood from the forest. It is a beautiful sight, watching daily life pass by. The journey is long. I am glad for a brief break from the bus for lunch. There are still 230 kilometers to Bahir Dar—time to push through. It is already dark when I see the lights of Bahir Dar in the distance. Jonas drives the bus into the town. The Abay Minch Lodge is just a few kilometers past Bahir Dar. At half past seven in the evening, I get off the bus. I quickly take a refreshing shower in the charming lodge cabin. In the evening, I don’t leave the lodge anymore. I eat at the restaurant.