American World Traveler Spring 2018 Issue

8
Eternal Ethiopia
Article and photography by Michael Morcos
Ethiopia has been on my bucket list for
as long as I can remember. Twelve
African countries later, it was finally
time. As I would find out, it has a lot of similarities
to other African countries with the
abundance of wildlife, indigenous culture and
stunning landscapes. But what makes it stand
out is that the country can trace its longrecorded
history back millennia.
On this trip we would visit the capital of Addis
and the northern region to discover the major
sites in Bahar Dar, Gondar, Axum and lastly,
wonderful Lalibela.
Addis Ababa
As it is the diplomatic capital headquarters of
the African Union, Addis is a very important
place in Africa. We started our day by visiting
the Entoto panoramic view of the city, where it’s
magnificence was amplified by the contrast of
its proximity to the countryside. This was clearly
demonstrated by the many farmers with their
donkeys collecting firewood from the forest.
The city is filled with artifacts and buildings
that reflect its true age. We visited the Holy
Trinity Cathedral Church, a beautifully decorated
building and we arrived just as a mass
was in progress. The priest and parishioners
welcomed us and we were able to move
around freely, taking pictures and enjoying this
very unique experience. The building is also
home to the remains of Haile Selassie, the
long-time influential president of the country,
who had also commissioned the building of
the church.
More celebrated remains await at the national
museum, where we would find the bones of
the world famous ‘Lucy’ that date back millions
of years. Seeing it was very moving, as
she had walked this land when the world was
new.
Continuing our tour, we would visit Ethiopia's
first hotel built in 1898, the Taitu. We were
treated to some of the best coffee we have
ever tasted. Before we got to drink it, we were
treated to a wonderful coffee ceremony where
the raw beans were roasted on a charcoal and
then brewed to perfection. You really cannot
get fresher tasting coffee.
Bahar Dar
In Bahar Dar we would take a boat onto Lake
Tana (Africa’s second largest lake) to visit an
island monastery. Along the way we passed a
fisherman in a primitive looking canoe made
of reeds with his catch, a humongous catfish.
Also in this lake, and very close to town, was
something unimaginable and very dangerous.
There was a large family of wild hippos that
would occasionally surface to get some air
then going back under water to graze on the
aqua vegetation. They don’t look it, but hippos
kill many more people than most African
predators!
On the island, we would hike to visit the 14th
century monasteries of Azwa Maryam. What a
site this was, and we felt like we were transported
centuries back to a simpler time. This
Orthodox Church was completly and vibrantly
painted from top to bottom with religious sto-