The Gelada Baboons of North Ethiopia
We were here to see the Gelada Baboons. Troops of Geladas are endemic to this area and they spend the night perched down in a rock canyon. Henock (our guide in the South) has guided for BBC and National Geographic and said on one photographic shoot, they taught him how to rappel down into the canyon every morning. The Gelada like this one particular area because Leopards, their only predator, can't get to them. In the morning, they start making their way up the escarpment, digging up roots to eat. Later in the day, they take the same route back down to sleep. There are 6,000 Gelada Baboons in the park. Males can weigh 50 kilos/110 lbs. and have up to 5 harems with a total of 300 in each group. They are referred to as "Bleeding Heart Baboons" because of the bright patch of skin on the males' chest. It is hourglass-shaped, and a bright red, surrounded by white hair.
A fast stop at Park Headquarters for a local guide and another man carrying an AK-47 for security purposes. ...View image...Around 12,000 Amhara locals live in and around the park and the villagers despise the Geladas. Their livestock competes with the baboons for the meager amounts of grass in this semi-arid region. The car bumped and rattled its way into the park and there they were. Troops of Geladas ignore the people and just go about their business of digging up roots and making their way up the mountain. Beautiful lion-like baboons with all that fur and tufty tails. Part of our itinerary included a long hike in the mountains but once again, ex-Marine's knee was acting up. A short walk and then into Debark.
I wish there had been a photo taken of my face when I saw the Simien Park Hotel, the best in town! ...View image...Basic, basic, basic...and no one told us there is no electricity during the night. It wouldn't have been a problem but to use our "basic" toilet, you had to navigate in the dark down one step, avoiding the bucket of water to flush waste down. ...View image... Not easy and since we stupidly left the torch/flashlight packed, I improvised. Thank goodness for my little Indiglo alarm clock. Held down the button and used it as a flashlight! Green Land is in the process of building a new hotel and, of course, you can always camp in the Simien Mountains.
One little boy had an enterprising business at the Simien Park Hotel polishing shoes. Not just ordinary shoes but cleaning sneakers/running shoes to perfection. When people can only afford one pair of shoes, they take the very best care of them. He scrubbed away with soap and water. Carefully undid the shoelaces and manicured them. What a job and he wanted, in the worst way to clean our "used and abused" running shoes. Didn't have the heart to tell him that we were going to leave them behind for someone to use at the end of this trip.
In Debark itself, we were the only two Ferengis (foreigners) walking along the street. Everyone wanted to say hello, especially the children. ...View image... This was the highlight of Debark itself and seeing the Geladas was worth any inconvenience.
