Seyoum, the owner of Explore Abyssinia Travel and Lodge du Chateau is a resourceful chap and has no end of ideas for separating Christi and I from our money. In addition to our lodging (400 Birr[US$30] for 2 nights), laundry (135 Birr – returned wet note!) and breakfast (70 Birr), he also has a mini bus that just happens to be going to Bahir Dar today. And Bahir Dar is our next destination. We are slowly making our way down to Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia) to meet with our tour guide for the trip to the Omo Valley (and that trip was a whopping 32,000 Birr organized through Explore Abyssinia Travel). Seyoum says this trip will depart Addis for the deep south in 5 days. Seyoum is also happy to give us a ride to Bahir Dar – as long as we pay him (50 Birr each). What did Seyoum do for money before Christi and I came along, I wonder to myself as I hand over yet more cash.
Having said that, it is a great ride – undoubtedly better than the horrid, if speedy (and dangerous) minibuses. Today appears to be market day all over this part of Northern Ethiopia and we see endless villagers taking their wares and livestock to local markets. It’s undoubtedly a hard life they lead, but the Ethiopians we see all look happy and healthy. The land through which we drive is heavily cultivated and cattle-drawn simple plows are everywhere. That land not under cultivation is covered in dazzling luminescent green grass – a color that is further enhanced by the rufous-red soil. The 3-hour drive to Bahir Dar is simply wonderful and dispels any lingering myths about the arid, starving country that made the news 30 years ago.
Seyoum even drops us at our new hotel, the Ghion, on the shores of Lake Tana, which has the distinction of being the source of the Blue Nile. Christi, in ebullient mood, even negotiates our room rate down to 250 Birr (US$18.50) per night from 300 Birr. Our room is fairly basic and visually the bathroom is a little grim, but there is a mosquito net. Malevolent mosquitoes and other ferocious biting bugs will plague us from now until the end of our Year of Wonder.
There are two main activities in Bahir Dar. The first is visiting some of the many monasteries that dot the lake and the second is to visit the Blue Nile Falls, known locally as Tissisat (Smoking Fire). Or at least there were two spectacles to enjoy. A few years ago a hydroelectric power project was constructed upstream of the falls that diverted water away from Tissisat, leaving behind a thin ribbon of water – a tear if you will lamenting the end of one of the world’s great natural water features. Where once a mighty crown of water roared over the cliff, showering visitors with spray and pounding ear drums with its thunderous rage, now an inconsequential dribble leaks over the black basalt rock like a man with prostate problems.
But let’s not dwell on such negative thoughts and return to a time when the Blue Nile Falls were at their magnificent best. When their power and majesty were seen for miles around and the falls truly were an iconic emblem of Ethiopia. The locals flock to greet us as we leave the village of Tissisat and cross the 17th century Portuguese bridge over the Blue Nile some distance downstream of the falls. The locals are eager to sell us drinks and souvenirs and guide us to scenic vista. There’s a frisson of excitement in the air as we follow a narrow, winding trail up to the viewpoint. There are no platforms or barriers; nothing to separate you slipping into the Blue Nile, and I appreciate this unspoilt approach to such a major attraction. ‘You like?’ my 10-year-old guide asks. ‘Magnificent,’ I reply as my camera comes up to my eye and I snap away with unabashed enthusiasm. Up to 45 meters high and 400 meters wide in full flow, Tissisat is the most impressive cataract on the entire length of the Nile River. We continue downhill along a beautiful trail to a stream, which is more treacherous than it looks. My 10-year-old helper insists on carrying my hiking boots and camera across first and then comes back to hold my hand and guide me. A little further along we reach the base of the falls and the noise is deafening and the spray lands on my face (and camera) in big, thick drops. It is very refreshing in an otherwise hot day. Another pleasant amble over rolling hills and beside some cultivated fields brings Christi and I to a dock upstream of the falls. Industrious fishermen use their small boats to ferry Christi and I across the Blue Nile to the right side of the river. A short walk brings us back into the village of Tissisat where we enjoy a cool drink and a snack before returning to Bahir Dar.
That is my memory of the Blue Nile Falls. Which only goes to show that the world is changing very fast so get out there and start exploring now, before it’s too late.
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of love and test tubes.
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