23 April, Saturday bush camp to Aksum
We wake up and pack with a curious audience. We realize that we camped right next to a short cut the people of a rural village take to go to the road. It is busy, because tomorrow is Easter – the big feast day and many are probably going to the market or to their family in other villages.
It is just over 200 km to Aksum, but it takes almost 6 hours to drive up and down endless mountain passes built by the Italians in the early 1900’s. The corrugated roads are not good and it slows us down even more. However, the views and scenery are spectacular and we stop often to take pictures. We drive through small villages packed with people, goats, cattle, donkey carts, trucks, buses and cars. Through the market area we slow down to pedestrian speed; little children run beside the car laughing and waving, asking for money, pens, notebooks and food. It is difficult to know what to do, because they have become quite ill-famous for their hassling when tourists are around. We are friendly, wave and greet and Sammie serves as a great distractor for them.
We reach Aksum by late afternoon. The town is packed with people who are getting ready for midnight church and breaking of the fast. We find a hotel that has safe parking for the car and also allows us to pitch the rooftop tent where Andrej and Hugo will sleep. 11 goats, waiting to be slaughtered for the feast, huddle together in the courtyard. Hugo meets the cook of the hotel and arrange to go to church with him 1 am in the morning. Willie and I have a room with a hot water shower and toilet which flushes after it had a few hiccups when Andrej used it!
We wake up and pack with a curious audience. We realize that we camped right next to a short cut the people of a rural village take to go to the road. It is busy, because tomorrow is Easter – the big feast day and many are probably going to the market or to their family in other villages.
It is just over 200 km to Aksum, but it takes almost 6 hours to drive up and down endless mountain passes built by the Italians in the early 1900’s. The corrugated roads are not good and it slows us down even more. However, the views and scenery are spectacular and we stop often to take pictures. We drive through small villages packed with people, goats, cattle, donkey carts, trucks, buses and cars. Through the market area we slow down to pedestrian speed; little children run beside the car laughing and waving, asking for money, pens, notebooks and food. It is difficult to know what to do, because they have become quite ill-famous for their hassling when tourists are around. We are friendly, wave and greet and Sammie serves as a great distractor for them.
We reach Aksum by late afternoon. The town is packed with people who are getting ready for midnight church and breaking of the fast. We find a hotel that has safe parking for the car and also allows us to pitch the rooftop tent where Andrej and Hugo will sleep. 11 goats, waiting to be slaughtered for the feast, huddle together in the courtyard. Hugo meets the cook of the hotel and arrange to go to church with him 1 am in the morning. Willie and I have a room with a hot water shower and toilet which flushes after it had a few hiccups when Andrej used it!
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