Castles and Churches of Gonder/Gondor/Gondar - North Ethiopia
The drive from Bahirdar to Gonder was another page out of the Bible, minus the asphalt road and umbrellas people carry to shade themselves from the sun. Streams of people walking along the road, carrying staffs, balancing firewood and utensils on their heads, dressed in white with beige shawls, many barefoot. They were tending goats, sheep, cattle, leading their flocks to water, tilling the fields with oxen and a yoke. A never dull ride. Johnny will be our driver until Axum and we'll have other Green Land free-lance guides at each place.
The International Hotel in Gonder ...View image...had a terrace overlooking a street with more intriguing sights. This seemed to be "the" spot for coffee and beer each evening for the locals. And we sat drinking the local beer ...View image...for hours, watching the mechanic change tires on a truck with the Gonder people coming and going to kibitz on the side, colorful pony carts used as taxis. A women with her little donkey. There was always something interesting to look at.
Gonder has earned the name of "Africa's Camelot." Complexes loaded with classical old stone castles and palaces, and Emperor Fasiladas made Gonder his capital in 1636. The entire area is surrounded by fertile land and once was at the crossroads of three major caravan routes with a population of 70,000. To the southwest, gold, civet, ivory and slaves; to the northeast, access to the Red Sea; and to the northwest, Sudan and Egypt.
One of the local scams is a children's "sob story." They need help...they need notebooks...a parent is dying, etc. We were never approached but all of our Green Land guides kept reiterating not to give anything to any of them. If you want, buy Peace of Mind food tokens (available at hotels and restaurants) and give to them for food.
Time for sightseeing with new guide, Abelea Teafa, e-mail: abebsemientrek@yahoo.com. He also leads treks into the Simien Mountains... Some fast facts from Abelea.
- There are 53 African countries at last count.
- Ethiopia is Christian surrounded by Muslim countries. The Orthodox Christians follow strict dietary laws and don't eat Pork.
- The Ethiopian flag has the colors of the rainbow in it.
- There are 55,000 Diversity Visas issued by the United States every year with the great majority given to Africans.
- Fast-growing Eucalyptus trees are used for construction. Almost a pest in most countries because they lower the water table.
- Very few people smoke in Ethiopia.
- We'd have to get use to excessive fees for using a video, ranging from $10 in Gonder up to $25 in Lalibela.
The Dere Birhan Sellasie Church (light of Trinity) is one of Ethiopia's most colorful and famous churches with wonderful murals on the walls and the over 104 winged cherubs painted on the ceiling. Each cherub has a different expression. Dere Birhan epitomizes the ultimate in Ethiopian art. A large stone wall surrounded the compound and had 12 rounded towers, representing the 12 apostles. ...View image... Dere Birhan was our Gonder highlight. ...View image...
The Royal Enclosure contained many sights within its walls. Fasiladas' Palace has been almost completely restored with UNESCO's aid and, therefore, wasn't as interesting as the Dere Birhan Sellasie Church to us. ...View image... A two-story palace built of solid basalt stones. ...View image... Other buildings in this compound included the library of Emperor Yohannes I, reception and banquet halls and the royal palace of the king's wife. ... View image... My favorite parts were the old sauna and stables (watch the video).
Then to Fasiladas' Bath. A large sunken pool overlooked by a small building where a huge religious celebration is held on Ephiphany in January. It was shades of Cambodia's Ta Prohm, with lots of tree roots, supporting and eating through sections of the stone wall surrounding the pool. The pool was built at this location because it was closer to a water source, the river.
Sightseeing didn't take more than half a day and we spent the remaining time:
- Using the internet...slower than molasses;
- Sitting on the terrace; ...View image...
and
- Watching Kites, Vultures, Hornbills, Eagles and Egrets circling in the sky and coming in for a landing around 7:00 pm to roost in the trees surrounding the hotel. Squawking and squabbling over the branches, it was fascinating and I loved it.
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