74 Arba Minch

Following our Omo Valley adventure, it was back on the road towards Addas Ababa. That meant a little bit of backtracking over the high passes before we were back on the plains. All around us, the countryside was waking up. Boys were taking their family herds of cattle and goats out to graze, which meant the road had a fair bit of livestock on it. Others were lined up at small water hoses, village wells, or muddy pools, filling the usual yellow containers of water. These same yellow containers have been with us all throughout Africa. Looking at the places where these Ethiopians are getting their water, it really makes you realise how difficult life is here for so many. I saw on boy gathering water from the tiniest muddy pool. Even Malawi seemed to have conquered that one, with pretty much every village having their own well.Our stop for the night was a place called Arbar Minch. This was obviously an up and coming tourist destination, as could be seen by the large amount of construction. It was such a contrast to outside the city, with its large tree lined boulevards. Our hotel, Bekele Mola, had the most beautiful setting, set high above the lake with an extraordinary view. A large patio enabled patrons to sit and enjoy a beer and an amazing vista. When I say hotel, I meant they had a nice grassy patch where those of us who were camping could pitch our tents. I went with our Gudo, the Dutchman who had joined us in Kenya, to the nearby reserve where we would find the forty springs that gave the city its name. It was rather an expensive tour, but we did see various monkeys including the elusive black and white colobos monkeys. We had a sip of water direct from the springs and saw the large pool where many Ethiopians were swimming. I dipped my feet in and quickly decided I’d not be joining them as it was freezing. I did, however, dangle my feet in and have them nibbled by the small fish in the pond.Back on the road the next morning, our destination for the day was the small village of Tiya. This was going to turn into one hell of a day and a night. For a start, the route took us off the main road to Addis Ababa, and immediately we were slowed down due to the poor maintenance of the road. At times, we would simply be crawling along, struggling through large potholes. Most of the people along the sides of the road gave us smiles and waves, although there were a few who looked not so friendly. By the time we arrived at Tiya, it was getting late. The reason we had come here was to see some large grave stela from centuries before. It was closed, of course, but we hoped that we could camp within the grounds. Lots of negotiating ended in a no go. So we returned to the main road and went to a small hotel in the town. Here, they seemed quite hostile towards us; no way they were going to let us stay there. No alternative but to bush camp. We drove just outside the town and parked in an old quarry. It was already dark, and dinner needed to be cooked. But by the time we had everything set up a couple of police arrived, with guns, to see what was going on. We could not camp there. It was dangerous. More people arrived with guns. It was quite intimidating seeing all these AK47s. But, we were soon following their advice to head back down the road to the next village. That one didn’t look inviting, and Paul had remembered seeing a disused space further back. We were driving along slowly, with Paul shining his torch searching for the place when we saw a hyena.Eventually the camp was found. Liz checked with the neigbouring farm who told her there was no problem and it was totally safe. While we were cooking, they came and saw us, again, to set our minds at ease that this was a safe area. Thank goodness for that; a completely different vibe to the AK47 laden quarry. That night there was the eeriest animal sound so close to my tent. It was a hyena. And then, soon after, the heavens opened and there was a succession of torrential downpours. When I woke up the next morning I saw a river flowing past my tent, separating me from the truck and other tents. Fortunately it had stopped raining by morning, so we were able to pack up and have breakfast while squelching around. But, when it came time to leave, the real drama started. The rain had turned toe space into a muddy quagmire. Liz, Paul and the locals were shovelling mud from the tyres while we sat uncomfortably in the truck feeling useless. Eventually Florence needed the help of a passing truck to tow us out of the fix.That was one hell of a day and a night. #oasisoverland #Ethiopia

Видео 74 Arba Minch канала Paul Artus