Metemma to Gondar, Day 302

Fasiladas' Baths, Gondar, Ethiopia, Africa


Christi and I spend a very uncomfortable night in a hovel in Metemma on the Ethiopian side of the border with Sudan.  Our ‘cave’ is just big enough to hold a double bed. There is no other furniture – there would be nowhere to put it. Sadly there is no fan or air-conditioning either and it is a hot, sticky night. We do have a single overhead electric light in the room, which is run by a generator that goes off at 10 pm. The toilet and shower are in a separate block. They are easy to find, though, just follow the pungent aroma. It’s not much of a hotel, but it is cheap (50 Ethiopian Birr [US$5]), and it was only for one night as we move on to Gondar this morning. I try to convince Christi that nights like these make us appreciate our occasional forays into luxury even more. The sour look she gives me makes me think she does not entirely agree with that assumption.


I do have a confession to make at this point. Christi and I have visited Ethiopia before, so for once we do know what we are letting ourselves in for. Our previous visit was with the Overlanding company Dragoman, so the emphasis then was on cheap adventure. This time we intend to double up on the comfort and hope to retain elements of the adventure. We begin by taking a minibus from Metemma to Gondar. Our guidebook says this will take 6 hours on a bumpy road, but our book is out of date in this respect because within the last few months a new sealed road has been completed and journey times have been slashed to 2-3 hours.


As usual we are mobbed at the bus station in Gondar, but we ignore everyone and make our way to the Queen Taitu hotel, which boasts large rooms, satellite TV (sort of), hot water (eventually) and an ensuite bathroom for 150 Birr (US$11).  Sadly the bathroom is Cuenca-pongy and the main office controls which satellite station we watch (we choose BBC World on their behalf).


At 7,000 feet above sea level, Gondar is refreshingly cool after the brutal heat of Sudan and the sticky night in Metemma. The city is known as the “Camelot of Africa” due to the presence of several royal castles (which we’ll visit another day). The hilly streets of Gondar and the sudden altitude leaves Christi and I gasping  for breath, but it’s a fairly laid-back town to explore. We are returning to Ethiopia for one major reason and that is to visit the Omo Valley. We will talk more about this in the future, but it’s never too early to plan how we’re going to get around this remote part of southern Ethiopia (which makes it remote period).  I  have actually set aside a separate pot of cash to throw at the problem and we make tentative inquiries at Ethiopia from Explore Abyssinia Travel. The agent is positively salivating at the prospect of organizing a private tour on our behalf. For once going in a group isn’t even an option because there are so few tourists in Ethiopia. Our previous attempt to visit the Omo Valley was a disaster, so we are going to check out several options (and prices) before committing to a particular program. The agent is not happy to hear this.


We end the day at Fasiladas’ Baths. Named after the famous 17th century Ethiopian Emperor, Fasiladas is credited with founding the city of Gondar in 1636 and establishing it as Ethiopia’s capital. He later built these public baths to celebrate the festival of Timkat. Timkat is  the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s celebration of the Epiphany (that is the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River). Fasiladas’ Baths features a two-story brick building surrounded by a moat. During the festival of Timkat, models of the Ark of the Covenant are paraded around Gondar and the procession ends at the Baths. The moat is specially filled for the occasion and after the priests bless the water the local jump in and a party atmosphere takes over. The festival of Timkat occurs in January, but Christi and I visit in June, which probably explains why the place is deserted. The Baths are also in the midst of being renovated. This 3-year project is now into its sixth year and appears no closer to being finished. Much of the stone structure is encased in rickety wooden scaffolding and it appears to be women who are doing most of the heavy lifting.  The most appealing aspect of the site is the Ta-Prohm-like invasion of tree roots over the walls surrounding the complex.


I take a moment for quiet reflection and then, when no-one is looking, pray that this time our travels in Ethiopia are more successful. I don’t receive an immediate response, but I’m pretty sure the guy upstairs has our backs.


Fasiladas' Baths, Gondar, Ethiopia, Africa Workers, Fasiladas' Baths, Gondar, Ethiopia, Africa Christi at Fasiladas' Baths, Gondar, Ethiopia, Africa Roots and stones, Fasiladas' Baths, Gondar, Ethiopia, Africa

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of love and test tubes.


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Published on May 27, 2014 09:00
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